Fruit Juice Is Just As Healthy For You As Actual Fruit

Previous studies have suggested that it's better to eat a fruit than just go for fruit juice, in its place. The pulp from the fruit can help provide some much needed fiber that we might miss out on when drinking the juice alone.

"[Researchers] analyzed the fruit in three forms: peeled segments, a mashed-up puree and as juice, both fresh-squeezed and pasteurized," said NPR's Maria Godoy. "They found that levels of vitamin C and carotenoids were basically the same in the juice and the unprocessed fruit, while levels of flavonoids were significantly lower."

Now, research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that when people drinking certain fruit juices may be even better than actually eating the fruit from where the juice came.

Although fruit juices are high in sugar, many are also packed with the same nutrients such as carotenoids and flavonoids that carry benefits to help lower a person's risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease that come in the fruit itself.

However, researchers found that the production of pasteurized orange juice can slightly lower the levels of carotenoids and vitamin C bioaccessiblity-or how much the body can absorb and use on its own.

It's important to make sure and read the labels when picking up a fruit juice. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some fruit juices have as many calories as a typical can of soda. Making sure your sugar intake is also below five percent of your daily consumption helps as part of a healthy diet. 

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