Juice is as important to some people as brushing their teeth at breakfast, Consumer Report for Health concludes. Those who drink fruit juice regularly or who are intrigued by the growing number of healthy-sounding options may wonder how it fit into their health goals.
Fruits and juices have different nutritional benefits. That’s why the U.S. Dietary Guidelines say that at least half of the 2 cups of fruit you should have in a day should be whole fruit. Despite their pulp content, juices lack fruit fiber and are concentrated sources of calories. One cup of OJ contains 110 calories, more than twice as many as an orange.
Fruit juice can provide nutrients like potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Fruit juices can help you meet your daily fruit requirements as long as they are 100 percent juice.
There is also some evidence that fruit juice increases type 2 diabetes risk, but studies are inconclusive. You should count juice along with other carbohydrates if you have diabetes.
There are some types of juice that have more to offer than others. Consider these:
Orange juice drinkers tend to consume more potassium and other nutrients and antioxidants. It contains 110 calories per cup.
The polyphenol antioxidants in pomegranate juice may help reduce inflammation. There are 160 calories in one cup.
The juice of tart cherries may help ease muscle soreness after exercise and improve sleep quality. There are 130 calories in one cup
There is evidence that wild blueberry juice may reduce blood pressure in people at risk of type 2 diabetes. There are 90 calories in one cup.
