Fruit or Fruit Juice?

Nothing is better to start the day than a glass of freshly pressed orange juice! But did you ever wonder if the juice has the same nutritional value as the fruit itself?

First, you should know that whole fruit and vegetables contain more fiber than juice does. For example, an orange contains around 2.5 g of fiber, while 125 ml (1 cup) of orange juice has less than 0.5 g. Up to now, many studies have shown that a nutrition high in fiber helps losing and maintaining weight¹. Here’s why:

• Because it slows digestion, fiber fills us up for longer¹. It acts like a sponge and hinders the progression of food in our digestive tract. Therefore, after a meal high in fiber, it takes much longer before we feel hunger and gurgles.
• Whole fruit and vegetables have a low glycemic index. They lead to a better release of insulin spread over time, and prevent us from feeling this intense fatigue than can happen after drinking fruit juice, for example.
• Foods with fiber need to be chewed longer before swallowing. It has also been demonstrated that chewing for longer lowers our appetite².

Ladies, it is estimated that you should get 25 g of fiber every day. For you gentlemen, it’s 38 g per day. There’s nothing wrong with drinking a small glass of juice on the weekend; the important thing is to eat fruit and vegetables in their solid form every day!

By Vanessa Martin

References

1. National academy of sciences. 2005. Dietary reference intakes of energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, and amino acids (macronutrients). 1359 p.

2. Lavin JH, French SJ, Ruxton CHS, Read NW. 2002. An investigation of the role of oro-sensory stimulation in sugar satiety. International Journal of Obesity:26;384-388.

Fruit or Fruit Juice? is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
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