Do you remember the good old ‘complete breakfast’ that included eggs, a toast bread and an orange juice? Well I am sorry to tell you, but it was all just a BIG advertising propaganda!
Orange juice is NOT as healthy of a beverage as the media is presenting it to be. In fact, ‘juice isn’t too much better for you than a glass of soda or any other sweetened beverage!’ says Erin Brodwin, a writer at Business Insider.
Sure, it has some vitamins, but research shows the best way to get both of those nutrients is by eating a balanced diet full of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
Drinking your fruits is kind of a shock to an organism which is naturally made to ingest them bite by bite. It’s a bomb of sugar, calories and vitamins where most do not get absorbed.
More importantly, since juicing fruit tends to remove most of its fiber (the key ingredient that keeps you feeling full and satisfied until your next meal), drinking a tall glass of OJ can leave you feeling pretty hungry rather quickly.
This is one of the reasons calories from sweetened beverages are often referred to as “empty calories” where the mixture is mostly sugar and water, and low in fiber, fats, and protein, and your body processes it relatively quickly.
Consistently indulging in beverages or other foods with a profile like this can increase hunger pangs and mood swings and leave you with low energy levels.
Here’s the nutritional profile for a 12-ounce glass of orange juice:
- 153 calories
- 34 grams of carbohydrates
- 27 grams of sugar
- 4 grams of protein
- 7 grams of fiber
That’s the same amount of carbs and just three grams less sugar than in a bag of M&Ms.
So if you want a true healthy diet, instead of juicing your fruits and vegetables, eat them raw as it was intended. There is no need to complicate things.
Sources: Business Insider; IFLScience;
