July 2007
Fruits and veggies still beat juice
A highly publicized European study published in 2006 concluded that 100-percent juices protect against cancer and heart disease
as effectively as whole fruits and vegetables. But you’re still better off with produce, our nutrition consultants say.
The study, funded by Welch Foods, evaluated 48 previous studies of apparent disease prevention from produce or juice. But the conclusions are tenuous, our consultants say, because none of the studies directly compared juice with produce; our experts know of no such studies.
Because several pieces of fruit are used to make a cup of juice, you’d typically get more nutrients from a serving of fresh juice than from a single fruit or vegetable. In packaged juice, however, some nutrients are lost, so the nutritional content varies from juice to juice. A cup of orange juice, for instance, has antioxidant power comparable to a single orange, while grape and tomato juices yield considerably more than the whole fruit.
Nevertheless, there are several reasons you should still rely mainly on whole produce:
It’s fine to substitute a serving or two of 100-percent juice for some of your daily fruits and vegetables. But forget juice
drinks, which usually contain lots of added sugar and only about 10 percent juice.
This article originally appeared in the June 2007 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
The study, funded by Welch Foods, evaluated 48 previous studies of apparent disease prevention from produce or juice. But the conclusions are tenuous, our consultants say, because none of the studies directly compared juice with produce; our experts know of no such studies.
Because several pieces of fruit are used to make a cup of juice, you’d typically get more nutrients from a serving of fresh juice than from a single fruit or vegetable. In packaged juice, however, some nutrients are lost, so the nutritional content varies from juice to juice. A cup of orange juice, for instance, has antioxidant power comparable to a single orange, while grape and tomato juices yield considerably more than the whole fruit.
Nevertheless, there are several reasons you should still rely mainly on whole produce:
- Fiber. Most juices have very little.
- Variety. Eating many fruits and vegetables may help reduce cancer risk. It’s difficult to get that variety from juice unless you use
a juicer.
- Weight control. Most fruit juices have more calories and sugar per serving than whole produce, and are less likely to satisfy hunger.
This article originally appeared in the June 2007 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
