Too much juice can make you toothless and obese

Juices are popular in Russia, and in terms of their consumption Russia is approaching Europe. The average European drinks up to 40 liters of juice annually, while the average Russian drinks up to 20 liters. These numbers will only grow. There is a never-ending debate on what is more healthful - juice or fruit and berries it is made of. Earlier science could not answer this question, but now the answer seems clear.

Juices are aggressively advertised, while there is virtually know advertisement for fruit and vegetables. Some of juice commercials are not promoting good habits. There is a skillfully made ad where a girl refuses to drink her favorite juice because her mom pours it into a small glass. She agrees to drink her juice only from a glass a size of a beer mug. This is not the best recommendation for juice consumption, especially for children.

Despite health advantages of juices, they have a serious flaw. Even the WHO experts recommend limiting their consumption, while the consumption of fruits and berries is encouraged. Often people think that this is due to the loss of nutrients during the production of juices. Usually juices are made by diluting concentrated juice produced by evaporation from the fresh juice. During the heat treatment vitamin C and other nutrients are lost. However, this is not the most important thing.

It is all about sugar. Fruit and berry usually contain three types of sugar: fructose, glucose and sucrose. Fruit contain ample amount of these sugars and they all get into the juice. Their concentration there is much higher than in the fruits themselves, and is nearly the same as in sodas. Why does juice contain more sugar than fruit? This is because it takes more than one apple or orange (at least 2 or 3) to get a glass of juice. The same situation is with other fruits. Besides, whole fruit is much more filling than juice. Therefore, juices we consume contain far more sugar than whole fruit. The sugar from juices is absorbed faster and better, which is much more harmful to the body.

Juice contains a large amount of bad, easily digestible sugars, and at the same time loses useful fiber, vitamins and other biologically active substances packed in fresh fruit. In addition, excessive consumption of juice, as well as soda, may contribute to weight gain and obesity. Juices, just like soda, can damage tooth enamel, contributing to tooth decay because they contain acid. However, do not give up juice completely as it is still a healthful product. Drink it in moderation and with care. For example, to protect your teeth, drink it through a straw. Not to consume excessive amount of sugar, the daily intake should be no more than 50-60 grams, drink juices in moderation, rather than from large mugs as recommended by advertisers.

Lydia Filipova
Medpulse