More and more adults are sidling up to juice bars and buying juicers to make their own flavorful concoctions. So is juicing a smart nutrition strategy?
More and more adults are sidling up to juice bars and buying juicers to make their own flavorful concoctions. So is juicing a smart nutrition strategy?
Juice bars and home juicing are all the rage as the public becomes increasingly aware of the health benefits of eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. But is juicing the smartest strategy for getting your recommended servings? "Many people believe that if they drink the juice of fruits and vegetables, it's somehow better for them," says Liz Applegate, PhD, director of sports nutrition at the University of California at Davis. "But the answer is no, there's no nutritional advantage. Juicing doesn't enhance absorption of nutrients or modify nutritional content. If anything, it lowers it."
What You're Missing
When you juice something, the pulp is often removed and discarded, but many beneficial nutrients are in the pulp, Applegate says. For instance, juicing supplies a lot less fiber than eating whole fruits and vegetables. Fiber is important for the health of the digestive system and for lowering cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association. Fiber also helps you feel full; you'll feel more satisfied after eating a whole apple, for example, than drinking a glass of apple juice.
How to Juice Judiciously Juicing does have a place in the diet, however. Busy lives mean less time to sit down and plan meals with enough fruits and vegetables to meet current guidelines for good health. The trick is to balance the amount of juice with whole fruit and to watch out for hidden calories. Here's how:
Set limits. Aim for no more than 6 to 8 ounces of juice per day. Strive to get the rest of your daily intake from a variety of whole fruits and vegetables, including dried, frozen, and canned options.
Learn from the label. Stick with juices that are 100% juice. And if you're looking for a particular juice, make sure it's what you're getting. Some juices may contain white grape juice as the primary ingredient, which you wouldn't know without reading the label.
Get the most at home. For home juicing, mix in some or all of the pulp for added fiber and nutrients. Juice a variety of fruits and vegetables for a range of nutrients.
Make smart choices at the bar. If you're heading to a juice bar on your lunch break, ask to have some or all of the pulp left in the drink. Beware of calories in fruit smoothies: A 20-ounce fruit smoothie may have as many as 500 calories or more, which is fine for a meal but not as a beverage on the side.
