How many of us feel “healthy” when we pick a fruit juice bottle at super market instead of any carbonated drink? If you’re one of them, read ahead to get your facts on point.

Any average human would feel like a health enthusiast if they grab a bottle of fruit juice instead of soda pops from a super market. But don’t let the mentioned health benefits distract you from some very obvious pointers that will surely change your mindset regarding the “easy to carry fruit juice packs”. Packaged fruit juices are low in fibre and high in fructose, which is related to increase in insulin. So, when we think it’s healthy, sadly, it isn’t.

FRUIT JUICES ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM

Even if the pack is labelled as 100% pure and non-concentrated, after being squeezed from the fruit, the juices are stored in oxygen depleted tanks for up to a year before packaging. Due to this process, the natural juices lose its flavour and hence, the manufacturers have to add “artificial flavour packs”.

So even when you think you’re buying the healthiest substitute of a fruit, you’re still not getting the natural benefits of it.

FRUIT JUICES, CRAMMED WITH SUGAR AND LOW IN FIBRE

Although these packaged juices contain decent amounts of vitamins and minerals, they lack fibre and often contain high amounts of sugar, making it no better than carbonated drinks. Fruit juices miss a lot of stuff that makes the actual fruit always a healthier option.

Lets breakdown the numbers

Comparing Coca Cola and Apple Juice, we see that Coca cola has 140 calories and 40 grams of sugar per serving. And as for apple juice, the calorie content is as high as 165 and contains 35 grams of sugar.Fruit juices does contain some nutrients, but the amount of sugar and low fibre content makes it just as baleful as the fizzy drinks.

EASIER TO INTAKE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF SUGAR FROM FRUIT JUICES

Eating a fruit requires us to chew it in order to break down the fibrous structures. Hence, the sugar released from the fruit itself gets diluted during the digestion process. And since it’s impossible to intake high amount of fruits all together, sugar is sent to our liver in a much slower process, making it easier for our liver to metabolize it.

But in case of a fruit drink, high amount of sugar is entering our system without any fibre content, making it harder for our liver to process it. Fructose is found in large amounts in fruit juices and is only processed by liver. When the liver intakes more fructose than it can handle, it gets stored in the form of fat. So when you’re consuming fruit juice, thinking that you’re being “healthy”, you’re basically just increasing the amount of sugar that is entering your body.

LIQUID CALORIES ARE FATTENING

Different foods have different metabolic activities that is follows. Increasing the liquid content in our diet doesn’t work the same way as solid food. When we increase our liquid intake, we don’t reduce the amount of solid food entering our body. This is one of the main reasons why sugar drinks are amongst the most fattening food to ever exist.

So the next time you feel like grabbing a fruit juice box after your healthy morning workout, just ignore the urges and go for an actual fruit to reap in more benefits.