If you pat yourself on the back every time you pick up a container of so-called healthy juice, think again. The average juice has 39 grams of sugar, which is the same amount found in about 5.6 cookies, according to an original report conducted by the Huffington Post’s Unreal Eats series.
They tested a variety of different popular so-called healthy juices and found that most juices had somewhere between 30-40 grams of sugar in them! The problem, however, is not only that juice contains such a high amount of sugar—lots of fruits do too, after all—but also that juice doesn’t contain any fiber, and that’s what helps your body slow down the absorption of sugar, preventing a blood sugar crash.
Some of the juice brands that they tested include:
- Liquiteria Beets Me: 39 g of sugar
- Blueprint Ginger Aid: 38 g of sugar
- Juice Generation Get Ur Green: 36 g of sugar
- Suja Elements Bluetrients: 36 g of sugar
- Organic Avenue Royal Red: 30 g of sugar
If you need a glass of juice to start your morning off, then you might want to find a healthier alternative. Switch your glass of juice for an actual fruit instead—an orange, for example, contains 93% of your daily recommended intake (RDI) of vitamin C, 12.5% of your RDI of fiber, as well as a healthy amount of vitamins A and B, potassium, and calcium. An orange is also low on the glycemic index scale.
Orange juice, on the other hand, has 0% of your RDI of dietary fiber as well as less vitamin C, calcium, and potassium. The sugar rush can also cause your blood sugar to rise.
If you need a juice boost, then consider trying some healthy alternatives by making them yourself and sticking to small servings. You can make your own grape juice, which contains resveratrol, a compound that can fight inflammation and blood clotting, and prevent cardiovascular disease. Another healthy alternative is pomegranate juice. Pomegranates have one of the highest amounts of antioxidants found in nature! This is essential to lower blood pressure, decrease your inflammation levels, and keep your blood fat level.
While there’s nothing wrong with a cup of juice every now and then, it can easily become part of your morning routine—and you don’t want to get used to starting your morning off with a sugar rush. Instead, swap your juice for fruits and enjoy the day.
Sources:
Melnick, M., “The unbelievable amount of sugar in ‘healthy’ juice,” Huffington Post web site, January 17, 2014; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/17/this-green-juice-has-more_n_4596416.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living, last accessed January 17, 2014.
“Oranges,” The World’s Healthiest Foods web site; http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=37, last accessed January 21, 2014.
