Is fresh fruit juice the same as eating fruit?

Love to start your day with fresh fruits or fruit juice? When you talk about pure fruit juice, what exactly does it constitute to meet the ‘pure fruit’ benchmark and what are the benefits of fruit juice as compared to eating fresh fruits? Which is more beneficial – fruit juice or fruit?  is fresh fruit juice the same as eating fruit, nutrition, diet, nutrients, fruits, is it better to eat an orange or drink the juice, which is more beneficial juice or fruit?, is fruit juice as healthy as fruit, juicing nutrition, juicing vegetables, fruit juice bad for you, eating fruit vs blending, is fresh fruit juice healthy, benefits of fruit juice. Now, you may want to know whether fruit juice concentrate is considered ‘pure’? Yes, it can be if the bottled juice comes from pure fruit concentrate.

According to the study, the dietary guidelines for pure fruit juice consumption differs from country to country, particularly with regard to whether pure fruit juice can be considered an acceptable alternative for fruit. For instance, the Dutch dietary guidelines issued in 2015 classified pure fruit juice in exactly the same category as beverages that contain sugar, citing its sugar content. This came with advice to keep pure fruit juice consumption minimal.

Is fruit juice as healthy as fruit?

For health-conscious Indians, here are some interesting observations on pure fruit juice consumption documented in the British Journal of Nutrition:

1. Pure fruit juice consumption spanning about 7 glasses per has been significantly associated with reduced risk of CVD and CHD, and lower risk of stroke.
2. Pure fruit juice has a high concentration of polyphenols, which may reduce one’s risk of cardiovascular disease. In fact, a meta-analysis (in a separate study) spanning 19 random, controlled trials indicated the benefits of pure fruit juice consumption to significantly reduce diastolic blood pressure level though no such effect was indicated on HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol or total cholesterol.
3. Pure fruit juice has less vitamin C and less dietary fibre when compared with whole fruit. Let’s not forget that the pulp of most fruits tends to be rich with vitamins and nutrients, whereas when the juice alone is extracted, these nutrients are not contained in it as it would if you were to consume the entire fruit.
4. Some possible adverse effects include linkage between fruit juice consumption and a person’s body weight, especially in the context of children. A study indicated that 240 ml of pure fruit juice per day is linked with a slight gain of weight in children and adults, though this may not be of any clinical significance.
5. The study concludes that the consumption of whole fruit should be preferred over pure fruit juice as the health benefits of fruit consumption have been more conclusive.

While no academic study can be considered fool-proof, you can find ways to opt for savouring more fresh fruits on your plate every day.