Drink it or Eat it?

A 2013 study led by Harvard School of Public Health Researchers found that while eating fruit lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, drinking fruit juice actually increases it.  The study identified blueberries as the best fruit, and consuming three servings per week cut the risk of diabetes by 26 percent.  Consumption of grapes and apples also significantly cut diabetes risk, while plums, peaches, and bananas have a negligible effect.  Those who consumed three weekly servings of fruit juice actually increased their risk by eight percent.

The juicing process destroys many of the fruit's beneficial compounds and antioxidants and it removes nearly all the natural fiber.  Fiber not only lowers your risk of diabetes, but also reduces your risk for heart disease, high cholesterol, diverticulosis, hemorrhoids and constipation.  Soluble fiber slows the emptying of your stomach by forming a gel when combined with water.  This helps you feel full longer.  Insoluble fiber binds with water which helps to build up and soften your stool so it is easier to pass and moves more quickly through your digestive tract.

A fruit's fiber also plays a crucial role in slowing the absorption of the fruit's sugar and keeping its glycemic index low.  The study's scientists hypothesized that this may be why juice increases the risk of diabetes and also why a high intake of fruit juice has been linked to childhood obesity.

Juice is often marketed as healthy and natural, but not only are you losing the benefits of fiber by opting for juice, you are also consuming a high calorie beverage.  Eight ounces of orange juice contains 117 calories, will not leave you feeling full, and will spike your blood sugar.  A single orange, on the other hand, will leave you feeling fuller with just over half the calories of the juice, and it provides well over the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.

One final dirty secret of the juice industry.  Some juice products are squeezed and stored inside giant vats while the fruit is in season.  The oxygen is removed in this process to help with preservation.  However, this procedure causes the flavor to vanish so companies that specialize in synthesizing fragrances are hired to add in flavor packs before the juice is sold, sometimes as much as a year later.  Wow!  That juicy orange is looking pretty good.