How to choose a fruit juice

It is easy to say fruit juice, especially when buying an industrial product. Orange, pineapple, blueberry, peach, apricot: unfortunately, we tend to generically define any fruit juice as drink that contains fruit juice, even if not entirely natural. But how do you recognize a good fruit juice? How can we be sure we're not wasting money and our health? Let's start from the assumption that in Europe, where there are very stringent regulations (for example: juice must be obtained from the edible, ripe, and healthy part of the fruit), people drink, on average, one fruit juice a day. Not much. Considering, for example, that we are talking about asupply not only very healthy, but also very suitable for women When I'm on a diet. A serving of 100% fruit juice contains just four percent of an average adult woman's calorie intake. But let's see how to recognize the quality of fruit juice.

Index of topics

The label

Inside, before the ingredients, there are three main categories to which each juice belongs. The first, 100 percent fruit, which means that the product contains no added preservatives, sugars, or flavorings. A rather rare combination. In the second, with the writing Fruit nectar, the percentage of fruit drops between 25 and 50 percent. The third, Fruit-based drink, instead, indicates a drink that contains only 12 percent fruit. The rest is made up of flavorings, colorings, and preservatives.

Fructose

Products extracted from some fruits, such as pears and grapes, contain significantly more sugars than those with orange, apple and ananasBut in any case it is always better not to exceed with the quantities: on average, a portion of juice contains between 15 and 30 grams of sugars, and that is not a small amount. Moreover, each fruit has a more than abundant percentage of water (up to over 80 percent) and then natural sugars.

Pasteurization

By law, all packaged fruit juices are then subjected to the pasteurization process (as happens for the milk), which guarantees the safety of the product. This treatment, however, also causes the destruction of a good part of the vitamins and mineral salts.

Pascalization

This is a new technique, different from traditional pasteurization, which uses only strong cold pressure to eliminate bacteria from the product. This technique allows fruit and vegetable juices to maintain their colors and aromas and preserve the beneficial vitamins and minerals. antioxidants.

Homemade juices

Only in this way can you truly ensure you're drinking a beverage rich in beneficial properties. If you still decide to buy fruit juice, it's best to choose one made with 100 percent fruit. It's also important that there are no added sugars, sweeteners, or colorings. Finally, according to nutritionists, it's always advisable to choose fruit juices. biological.

How much sugar should a fruit juice have?

On average, a fruit juice (like a smoothie or a natural drink) should have no more than 10-15 grams of sugar per 100 ml. For guidance, consider that a glass of fruit juice (the kind we use at the table for water) contains 200 ml of liquid. Furthermore, if you drink fruit juice, remember that the World Health Organization recommends limiting sugars to 5 percent of your dietary calories. If you've eaten enough to absorb 2 calories, 5 percent translates to 25 grams of sugar per day. With just one fruit juice, you've used up your daily intake.

How to choose a genuine fruit juice