5 reasons to drink 100% fruit juice
5 reasons to drink 100% fruit juice
2 min read
Delicious and nutritious, 100% fruit juice is a great way to boost energy and fluid levels. Here are five reasons to enjoy a glass:
It’s rich in polyphenols.
There’s plenty of evidence for the health benefits of polyphenols[1], including cardiovascular, brain health, weight management, diabetes, and exercise performance. What’s more, getting our polyphenols through juice rather than whole fruit may make them more available for absorption in the gut. The main types of polyphenols found in a glass of 100% fruit juice are phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes, and tannins or ellagitannins.
It contains three nutrients proven to support everyday health: vitamin C, folate, potassium.
There’s also evidence that potassium, vitamin C, and folate found in 100% fruit juice provide a range of benefits, including for our blood vessels. Potassium even has a claim in the EU for supporting normal blood pressure, and consuming higher levels in the diet has been linked with cardiovascular benefit.[2] Additionally, folate is essential for making red blood cells, while vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, protecting our DNA against damage due to reactive oxygen species.
It’s a convenient way to complement your fruit intake.
Advice in the UK to eat 5 A Day[3] comes from the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO recommends getting at least 400g (5 x 80g) of fruit and vegetables a day[4], to lower our risk of heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. Getting a wide variety of plants into our daily diet ensures we’re getting all the nutrients we need for good health. Nearly all vegetables and fruit count towards our 5 A Day, and this includes 100% fruit juice in several European countries such as Spain, Denmark, Ireland, Hungary and Germany.
It contributes to healthy hydration.
The European Food Safety Authority’s recommendations for adequate fluid intakes are 2 litres a day for women and 2.5 litres a day for men.[5] Fruit juice counts towards our daily fluid targets as long as we limit serving sizes to around 150-200ml daily. Try mixing a long drink with 100% juice with sparkling water for a tasty, nutritious way to hydrate.
It contains no added sugars, preservatives, colours or artificial sweeteners.
Due to strict European labelling laws, the term “fruit juice” on a label guarantees that what you’re consuming is 100% fruit juice. This means “fruit juice” contains no added sugars, preservatives, colours, or flavours. It’s made from whole fruits, which contain a range of key nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, folate, and other plant bioactives, such as carotenoids, hesperidin, and pectin. These rules don’t apply to “fruit drinks” and other manufactured beverages.
[1] Ho et al. (2019). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31532485/
[2] Ruxton et al. (2021). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34071760/
[3] Why 5 A Day? (2022). https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day/why-5-a-day/
[4] Healthy diet. (2020). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
[5] EFSA. (2010). https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1459