Whole Fruit vs Fruit Juice - Which Is Healthier for You?

While juices may be easier to digest, they still lose the battle to whole fruits when it comes to health benefits.

Here’s why:

1. Nutrient content

Many fruits contain edible skins, which are made up of coloured pigments like carotenoids and flavonoids. These pigments are instrumental in protecting your skin from damage that may be caused by exposure to the harmful UV rays of sunlight. So, when you choose fruit juice over fruits, you lose out on this benefit as the juicing process involves the removal of fruit skins.

Also, the juicy pulp of a fruit is rich in fibre and other essential nutrients. For instance orange peels contain vitamin C, which combines with flavonoids to give you healthier skin and stronger bones. Juicing removes the solid parts of the fruit making the beverage devoid of these nutrients. Even if you add pulp to your juice, it only makes up a fraction of the amount contained in raw fruit, and is hence lacking in the benefits that whole fruits offer.

2. Fibre content 

Fruit juice has low fibre content in comparison to a fruit as most of the pulp is removed in the process of extracting the juice. For example, consumption of 3-4 apples gives you about 12-15 gm of fibre intake, but if you consume a glass of apple juice containing the same number of fruits, you get only 0.2 gm of fibres.

3. Additive and preservative content 

Some acids are present in fruit juices, which have a negative effect on your tooth enamel and roots and can cause tooth decay. People with sensitive teeth are more exposed to the risk of getting damaged teeth if they consume fruit juices regularly. On the other hand, fruits do not come with any such side effects as they don’t contain any artificial additives, which can harm your teeth.

4. Calorie content

There is a prevalent misconception that lack of fibre in fruit juices helps in weight reduction, which makes many people prefer fruit juices over fruits. The truth is that most fruit juices contain added sweeteners (such as sugar), which add to the calorie content of the drink. So, if you want to lose some weight, it’s best to consume whole fruits in place of fruit juices.

Fruit juices may be better alternatives to colas and other carbonated beverages, but are not the best option if you want to be healthier. So, consider the role of fruits in keeping you healthy and whenever given a choice, try to prefer them over fruit juices.