“The Best and Worst Juices for Your Health”

WHAT’S IN YOUR GLASS? Who doesn't enjoy a tall, cool glass of juice? The color is vibrant, the taste sweet, and it's good for you, too. Not so fast, say some dietitians. Although the best kinds of juice give you some nutrients, the worst are hardly better than liquid candy. You just need to know the difference.

BEST CHOICE: VEGETABLE JUICE - Drinking your veggies is convenient and good for you. The lycopene in tomato juice may help lower the risk of prostate cancer. Beet juice may help curb blood pressure. Pulpy vegetable juice has some fiber (but not as much as raw vegetables); and fiber cuts hunger. You also get far less sugar and fewer calories than in the typical fruit juice. Check the sodium, though, or choose a low-salt version.

WORST CHOICE: JUICE ‘COCKTAILS' - Be on alert for the terms juice cocktail, juice-flavored beverage, and juice drink. Most of these products have only small amounts of real juice. Their main ingredients are usually water, small amounts of juice, and some type of sweetener, such as high-fructose corn syrup. Nutritionally, these drinks are similar to most soft drinks: rich in sugar and calories, but low in nutrients. Water is a better choice.

THE 100% FRUIT JUICE DILEMMA: What about pure fruit juice with no added sweeteners? It's true that 100% fruit juice is a good source of nutrients like vitamin C and potassium. The problem is that too much juice can be an extra source of sugar and calories. Juice also doesn't contain the same fiber and phytonutrients that raw fruits have. That's why many experts recommend sticking to one juice serving per day.

GOOD CHOICE: POMEGRANATE JUICE - If you're only going to drink one glass of juice each day, you want to make it a good one. So get to know which juices offer the biggest nutritional payoff per sip. Pomegranate juice tops the list. It's high in sugar and calories, but gives you a lot of good-for-you nutrients called antioxidants. In fact, pomegranate juice's antioxidant power is greater than red wine or green tea.

GOOD CHOICE: CRANBERRY JUICE - Cranberry juice is packed with vitamin C, which your immune system needs. Drinking unsweetened cranberry juice may also help prevent the buildup of bacteria that cause urinary tract infections.

GOOD CHOICE: ACAI BERRY JUICE - Acai juice is made from a berry found in South America. Acai pulp appears to have a higher concentration of antioxidants than cranberries, blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries.

GOOD CHOICE: RED GRAPE JUICE - You've probably heard that red wine, in moderation, can be good for the heart. The same is true of red grape juice. Red grape juice has flavonoids and resveratrol. The key is that red wine and juice are made with the entire grape: seeds, skin, and all. But you're not getting the fiber that you would from the fruit itself.

GOOD CHOICE: PRUNE JUICE - People have long used prune juice to relieve constipation. It works because it's a good source of fiber and contains a natural laxative called sorbitol. But the benefits of prune juice don't stop there. The juice is also packed with antioxidants, iron, and potassium.

WHAT ABOUT ORANGE JUICE? The good news is orange juice is loaded with vitamin C. Some brands are fortified with calcium and vitamin D, which are good for your bones. Unsweetened orange juice has fewer calories than some berry juices or grape juice. The trade-off is that it also has fewer antioxidants than darker juices like grape, blueberry, and pomegranate.

KIDS AND JUICE: Most children love juice, but don't give them too much. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 4 to 6 ounces of 100% fruit juice per day for kids younger than 6, and 8-12 ounces for ages 7 to 18.

WATER IT DOWN: If you or your kids crave more than a single cup of juice per day, water it down. By mixing water or sparkling water with juice, you slash the calories in every serving. Instead of drinking one glass of pure juice, you can enjoy 2 or 3 cups of the water-juice mixture throughout the day.

GO FOR WHOLE FRUIT: Dietitians say a great alternative to drinking a lot of fruit juice is to eat the whole fruit. You'll get all the nutrients that are in the fruit's flesh and pulp, and the fiber will help you feel full and tame your hunger.

REVIEWED BY: Christine Mikstas, RD, LD on May 29, 2020

REFERENCES:

ChooseMyPlate.gov: "Dietary Guidelines 2010."
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Nutrition. Pediatrics, May 2001.
Zarfeshany, A. Advanced Biomedical Research, March 25, 2014.
Seeram, N. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Feb. 27, 2008.

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BONUS: “4 JUICES TO DETOX YOUR LIVER”

Arguably one of the most important organs of the body – also the largest internal organ, weighing in at around 3.5 pounds — the liver plays a role in digestion, immunity, metabolism and storage of essential nutrients.

Digestion: Bile, a digestive juice produced by the liver, helps the body absorb fat into the bloodstream.

Immunity: According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the liver is a part of the immune system which functions through the Kupffer cells that line the sinusoids. Kupffer cells play an important role by capturing and digesting bacteria, fungi, parasites, worn-out blood cells and cellular debris.

Metabolism: The liver is responsible for metabolizing carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins into biologically useful materials, like energy, glucose and amino acids.

Essential nutrients: Provides storage for essential nutrients, such as vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12, and the minerals iron and copper, in turn providing a constant supply of essential substances to the body’s tissues.



To give your liver a healthy boost, try one of these fresh juices…



LIVER DETOX JUICE

Ingredients:
1 beet (medium size)
6 celery stalks
1 cup fresh cilantro
½ lemon
1 knob ginger

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to juicer. Gently stir and consume immediately.

LIVER BOOSTING BEET JUICE

Ingredients
1 beet
1 carrot
1 lemon, peeled
1 handful parsley

Instructions:
Run all ingredients through a juicer and enjoy.

DEEP GREEN LIVER DETOX

Ingredients:
1/2 cucumber
2 cups kale
1 lime, peeled
1 cup swiss chard
1/2 lemon, peeled

Instructions:

Run all ingredients through a juicer and enjoy.

ULTIMATE LIVER & KIDNEY CLEANSING JUICE

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber
2 heads romaine lettuce
2 nectarines
2 medium lemons (skin peeled)
3 clementines (skin peeled)
5 kale stems
1 green apple
1 knob of ginger

Instructions:

Simply run all ingredients through a juicer and consume immediately.

Other liver supporting foods and herbs (to consume on a daily basis):

• Beets
• Carrots
• Lemons
• Limes
• Dark Leafy Greens
• Sulphur rich foods: onions and garlic
• Cruciferous veggies: broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower

BY: Ruthie Hawkins, BlackDoctor.org Contributor, January 20, 2017

The contents of the Black Doctor and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the Black Doctor and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Black Doctor and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. Black Doctor and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by Black Doctor, Black Doctor employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of Black Doctor, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.