Which is Best – Juice or Whole Fruit?
Choosing whole fruit over juice guarantees a higher intake of healthful nutrients. Some of the reasons the unprocessed fruit is a better choice than juice are:
- Plants have natural compounds that protect their seeds from the environment and predators. These compounds are concentrated in the outer layers of the fruits. Taking away the outer layers, such as peels, skins, and pulp, removes the protective compounds.
- Processing a fruit exposses the inner part to oxygen which can destroy some of the phytochemicals.
- During transport, if the fruit is not handled properly or over-handled, the nutrients are lost at a higher rate than if it is transported in its whole form.
- Bioactivity of antioxidants is lost during storage. Because juices tend to sit on store shelves for a much longer time than whole fruit, their level of antioxidants may be much lower.
- There are more calories and less fiber in juice than in whole fruit.
