The reason I do not buy fruit juices...
I discontinued buying fruit juices or any liquid 'health' drinks years ago. The reason? Well, many of them simply are not healthy as they may have all sorts of stuff in them that you are unaware of.
All drinks which have natural fruits in them either have to have preservatives and other additives included or, they have to be very fresh with a very short shelf life. This is simply not practical for most products that have long supply and distribution chains.
Additionally with this market being so competitive many companies do not actively test their raw ingredients (most of which are imported) to ensure that there is no adulteration. Also, many of them put such an infinitesimal amount of the key fruit that they are promoting that the benefits are more than negated by other fillers and additives.
A classic example of this type of activity has just become public and relates to a pomegranate product which has resulted in a significant fine to the company involved for misleading the public. To read more about it click here
If you want a healthy drink it is much better to buy the fresh fruit and make it yourself, and or get the extra nutrients that you need from a quality supplement.
Reader Comments (5)
Wait? So now if I buy Tropicana Organge Juice or Odwalla carrrot juice, you think this is bad for my health? Very odd.
July 25, 2008 | keepitsimple
I don't think he means all of them. Odwalla has always been one of the better ones....I drink it myself. I think his own personal preference is not to drink them. I think in the long run you should always stick to juices with a shorter shelf life....it just means less preservatives.
July 26, 2008 | Alex M
I am not familiar with Odwalla carrot juice but I personally do not drink carrot juice unless I make it myself from organic carrots. Lots of pesticides used in cultivating carrots...
However, the point of the article was simply buyer beware when it comes to some of these 'healthy' fruit drinks...that's all.
July 26, 2008 | Warren Matthews
Thanks.
That's real eye opener!
August 2, 2008 | Czes Kulvis
I agree with you Mr. Matthews. It is always better for nutrition's sake to "get it from to source". To say that it is better to eat the fruit than to drink the juice makes perfect sense. (If it were otherwise there would be glasses of juice hanging from trees.) It is well know that even juices that are 100% juice are concentrated sometimes to the point that it's like having a whole bowl of fruit in one glass. I personally love the line "Naked Juice". It tastes wonderful and it's obviously very fresh --but even on the side of the carton it says that one bottle is the equivalent of SEVERAL POUNDS of fruit. Since when does a healthy diet call for that much fruit in one sitting? Eating (or drinking) that much fruit can cause a harmful insulin spike in the body. Insulin resistance is a nasty condition to develop, and can have some very serious consequences. I personally would avoid fruit juice as a "regular" part of my diet and view it as an occasional treat.
August 7, 2008 | Gina
Reader Comments (0)