When you think of fruit juice, most people imagine a refreshing drink that quenches our thirst by pumping the goodness of fruits into our systems. But, did you know that the common packaged fruit juices available in the market are laced with added sugars, meaning the so-called health benefit from drinking fruit juice is overshadowed by the artificial added sugars. There is a deeper need to read and understand the ingredients lists or labels of fruit juices, as labels indicating "100% natural fruit juice", 'zero added sugar' , 'no added sugar', are often misleading. Such kinds of "natural" fruit juices can flood our bodies with free sugars (externally added sugar during the manufacturing process). This can lead to a spike in blood glucose levels and silently contribute to insulin resistance. In addition, Type 2 diabetes can develop with prolonged consumption of packaged fruit juices.
In order to learn and understand how fruit juices, a supposedly healthy food, pose risks to our long-term health, it's key to understand how fruit juices are manufactured and marketed.
Is Healthy 100% Fruit Juice As Sugary As Soda?
The packaged fruit juices go through a manufacturing process; the fruits are stripped of their fibre content. This is important to note as a lack of fibre content slows down the body's absorption of fructose (a simple sugar found naturally in fruits). In turn, this gives rise to a direct hit of concentrated fructose into the bloodstream which rapidly (similar to soda, whose chemical composition spikes blood sugar levels and insulin) raises blood sugar levels.
How Much Sugar Is Really In Your Glass Of Packaged Juice?
A box of apple juice or orange juice commonly consumed in Indian households can contain nearly 8 teaspoons (30g) of sugar compared to a can of soda (35 to 45g).
This puts fruit juices at the same level as a soda can, and the equivalence is important to understand to make the right choice for our long-term health. And mitigate the risk of diabetes in adults and children.
How To Understand Fruit Juices And Diabetes Risk In India?
India faces a growing epidemic of over 200 million cases of diabetes, wherein one in every seven adults is diabetic. Alongside, 43% of people are undiagnosed diabetics, and over five lakh people have died from diabetes and its complications. In children, the cases stand at 95,600 children under the age of 14 in India who were reported to have type 1 diabetes, according to The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
This places India as the country with the highest number of children with type 1 diabetes in South-East Asia. This is another marker that should redirect the government to take stricter standards and regulations on fruit juice manufacturers. Children are the primary consumers of fruit juices, with a majority of added sugars wreaking havoc on the developing systems of children.
In addition, the consistency of packaged juice when compared to fresh juice prepared at home indicates a significant dilution of the residue leftover after fresh juicing.
The fruits have a rich fibre content that is important for nutrient absorption, so the dilution defeats the purpose, and branding it as healthy fruit juice is deeply problematic and unscientific.
What Are The Simple Swaps: Healthier Alternative To Packaged Juices?
There are healthier alternatives to daily fruit juice consumption that will help you control the amount of sugar you consume:
- Infused water: water with slices of lemon, cucumber, and mint (zero sugar).
- Diluted juice: only consume 4oz. of 100% juice diluted with sparkling water.
- Whole fruit: eat an orange instead of juicing it for fibre and slower absorption.
- Unsweetened herbal tea: iced or hot, naturally flavourful without the sugar.
- Vegetable juice: prioritize vegetable-heavy juices (e.g., celery, cucumber, carrot).
The evidence is clear, while fruit juices can be a major source of hidden sugars, essentially offering a liquid load of rapidly-absorbed fructose and glucose with little to no of the beneficial fibre content found in whole fruits. So, read the label carefully before consumption to mitigate the risk of diabetes.
Note: Consuming fruit juices may not provide the fibre content along with vitamins and minerals of fruits when consumed whole. This makes for a compelling case to purchase cold-pressed juices with a limited shelf-life which is an indicator of freshness.
Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
