We’ve all heard the term fruit juice and have certainly had more or less of this drink. But do you really know all about fruit juices, their benefits and how much to consume? In this article, we will learn some information about fruit juice, a drink that is available in every country.
Types of fruit juices, their benefits and how much to drink
Many different types of fruit mean different juices. Each fruit will have different health benefits. Fruit juice can be made from the flesh or the whole fruit. The method of making the juice depends on the type of fruit, with the most common being crushing or squeezing the fruit to get the juice from the inside. Then comes the process of pasteurization or adding preservatives before packaging the finished product.
The difference between « concentrate« and « not from concentrate« juices
On fruit juice product labels, we can easily see descriptive terms as “from concentrate” or “not from concentrate”.
Accordingly, “not from concentrate” juices are products produced by squeezing fruit before pasteurization. The pasteurization process involves heating the juice to kill pathogens, before packaging and distribution to the market.
The fruit juice product is described as “from concentrate”, after the fruit is pressed and through the process of extracting water from the juice. This means that the juice takes up less space during transport. Before pasteurization, manufacturers add water back to this concentrate and the product is packaged for distribution to the market.
How much fruit juice is good for health?
Consuming the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, and obesity.
According to the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recommended daily amount of fruit is:
- Adult females: At least 1 and a half cups of fruit per day
- Adult males: At least 2 cups of fruit per day
According to the USDA, at least half of the recommended daily amount of fruit should come from whole fruit. This means that fruit should not be consumed solely through juice, as fruit juices tend to provide less fiber, more calories, and more sugar.
According to recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the maximum daily amount of juice for children is as follows:
- Children 1–3 years old: No more than 120ml juice per day
- Children 4–6 years old: 120–180ml of fruit juice per day
- Children 7 years and older: 240ml of fruit juice per day
- Adults should limit drinking to no more than 240 ml of fruit juice per day.
Fruit juices
There are many popular fruit juices with different health benefits depending on the type of fruit used. Fruit juices with most of them contain many vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and some also have substances that help strengthen the immune system, reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease …
