Juice v. Fruit

Have you seen those commercials where someone drinks a glass of orange juice and her whole day is great?  Deceiving, yes, but after I watch one I crave the juice.  But while juice does benefit our bodies in some ways, it’s much better to eat the fruit.

Fruit contains natural sugars, yet in the juice the sugar is much more concentrated.  You do get more of a boost from the juice, but it’s more like a sugar high instead of a steady boost.  In only consuming the juice, you also miss all the nutrition provided by the fruit itself.  Juice is not a substitute for the daily recommended servings.

You may be trying to lose weight, and you’ve cut out sugar, carbs, and caffeine.  If you are still drinking a lot of fruit juice, however, you are sabotaging your own efforts.  While the big glass of orange juice seems like a good addition to a healthy diet, it actually contains a large number of calories that are not very filling.

Juice is also the culprit causing many cavities in the teeth of young children.  Parents often give their little ones a sippy cup full of juice as they go off to bed; the sugar, then, stays on their teeth all night, and the cavities form.  Even for little ones, a piece of fruit is much better than a cup of juice.

So pass on the orange juice and eat the orange -- your body will thank you.