Although when it comes to enjoying the benefits of fruit it always tends to be better to eat fresh fruit, since it is the most suitable option for it to provide us with all the nutrients our body needs without losing vitamins and minerals, natural juices are an equally valid option.
However, it is necessary to take into account that although juices can provide us with nutrients (almost the same as the whole fruit would provide), we must make the juice once we have peeled and split the fruit, to prevent it from oxidizing and/or losing its virtues.
There is no doubt that they have a variety of advantages. For example, the main one is their ease of consumption, plus we can take them with us and drink them whenever we want.
Of course, natural juices are always a more suitable option than packaged juices, since the former is the best way to enjoy all its nutrients since the key is to take them freshly made so that we will enjoy the main nutritional values of the juices.
Nutritional contribution of the juice
What does a glass of juice usually bring? Here is a summary of some of its most important elements:
- Low caloric intake.
- Carbohydrates: provide an immediate source of energy. But, as we will see in the next section, they stand out for their high sugar content.
- Vitamins: such as vitamin C (for example, a glass of orange juice provides between 80 and 100% of our body’s daily vitamin C requirements), vitamin B1, and folic acid.
- Minerals: they are especially rich in phosphorus and potassium, and low in sodium.
- Carotenoids: the beta-carotene, precursor of vitamin A, stands out.
- Antioxidants: help to reduce cell damage produced by free radicals.
- Polyphenols: such as flavonoids or phenolic acids.
- Dietary fiber: ideal for enjoying a good intestinal transit.
A good example: nutritional information on orange juice
Although it is possible to enjoy a wide variety of fruit juices, the reality is that there is one that stands out precisely because it is one of the most consumed: orange juice. To find out what the nutritional contribution of fruit juices is, we have preferred to take this popular juice as an example.
1 glass of orange juice provides:
- Energy: 112 kcal.
- Carbohydrates: 25,8 gr.
- Of which sugars: 20,8 gr.
- Proteins: 1,7 gr.
- Fats: 0,5 gr.
- Fibre: 0,5 gr.
- Minerals: potassium (286 mg), magnesium (21,78 mg), calcium (21,56 mg), sodium (2 mg), selenium (2 mg), phosphorus (1,80 mg).
- Vitamins: vitamin A (5,16µg), B1 (0,14 mg), B2 (0,03 mg), B3 (0,55 mg), B6 (0,10 mg), B9 (37,26µg), vitamin C (78 mg).
To enjoy these main nutritional values, do not forget something fundamental: it is always better to drink freshly made natural juices than packaged ones, which in their vast majority have already lost their main essential nutrients.
The main problem with juices: their high sugar content
As we mentioned in a previous article, in which we talked about why it is better to eat whole oranges instead of juice, the main problem with fruit juices and juice is their high sugar content.
But the problem is not only found in this. We find it mainly in the fact that the fiber that we find in a piece of whole fruit is very useful in helping our body to absorb the sugars naturally present in it more slowly. But when we drink fruit juice most of its fiber has been removed, so the sugars in the fruit are absorbed more quickly.
In addition, to prepare fruit juice we need a greater amount of fruit, so along with the loss of fiber, we have a more obvious problem: we eat more fruit but in the form of sugars and with less fiber.