When fruit juice is not your friend
Hold that super-size tropical blend with added calories, there's less sugar in red cordial, writes Melissa Kent.
Juice is packed with calories, and experts say it's helping to make us fat.
"Juice is a good, nutritious way to gain weight," says Melbourne dietitian Melanie McGrice
Most of us already have a high kilojoule (calorie) diet, so for people who are weight-conscious, they really don't want the extra kilojoules contained in juice. A piece of fruit and water is always going to be a far better choice."
A survey of several popular fruit juice brands by The Sunday Age reveals some contain more sugar and calories than soft drinks, and up to half the average daily energy requirement.
And compared with fresh fruit and vegetables, they contain less fibre and fewer nutrients. Even sugary red cordial has fewer calories than some fruit juices on the market.
McGrice says many consumers who believe juice is a healthy alternative to soft drink are unaware of the number of calories it contains, particularly in large-size concoctions offered by juice bars.
For example, a 650-millilitre Boost Juice Tropical Crush has 331 calories, while a Nudie blueberry and blackberry Crushie has 56 calories per 100 millilitres. Coles' Farmland apple juice contains 42 calories per 100 millilitres - the same as Coke.
"Boost Juices are very high in kilojoules," McGrice says. "For example, the Breakie To Go Go, which is a smoothie, has 2965 kilojoules in it. Most people in Australia really only need 5000 to 7000 kilojoules a day, so that one smoothie is more than half of their daily energy requirement."
Dietitians Association of Australia spokesman Alan Barclay says although most juice contains nutritious vitamins and minerals, for most people the benefits are outweighed by the kilojoule content.
"There is the perception that it is a healthier option than soft drink, but in terms of kilojoules it is only marginally better," he says.
"Juice will only make you put on weight so any health benefit will be counteracted by extra kilos.
"It is a good way of helping some people put on weight but generally speaking it isn't necessary."
Catherine Saxelby, author of Nutrition For Life, says the problem with juice is that it contains all the fruit sugar, or fructose, and kilojoules of fruit without the fibre, meaning it was all too easy to over-consume.
She points out that a 650- millilitre cup of apple juice contains the kilojoules of four apples but takes only a fraction of the time to consume. She called on juice bars to stop offering big-size juices at only slightly higher prices and include a smaller-size alternative.
"It is a bargain people can't refuse," she says. "Fibre is the thing that fills you up and stops you overeating, but the juicing process removes that. I would like to see drinks produced in 200-milllilitre sizes, not 650 millilitres, which would fit into our diets a lot better.
"The reason they produce them in such big volumes is that it looks like value for money and they can charge $6, whereas they couldn't ask $4 or $5 for a small portion.
"The bottom line is that half a cup a day, or 125 millilitres, of juice is the maximum we should drink."
Boost Juice marketing manager Jessica Cleeve says the chain recently sold 250-millilitre smoothies as part of a promotion and was considering making them a permanent option.
Juice is an easy, fast way of increasing the amount of fruit in people's diets, she says.
"In light of our poor intake of fruit and vegetables, there is some nutritional basis for a regular consumption of fresh fruit juice with certain people."
"If customers haven't been active, it requires a more measured intake of all food and beverage, including juice. If they have been active, then go for it - if not, go for a smaller size. It's all about balance."
Nudie marketing manager Sally Draycott says Nudie juices are intended to be drunk in 250-millilitre-size serves, which limited the calorie intake. "Our drinks are very filling so you can't really overindulge in them - you have to be pretty gluttonous," she said.
"I think there can be a problem with big-size juices, but when we tested our sizes we certainly considered (the issue of) overconsuming fruit and natural sugars.
"We include a lot of the pulp so that it contains as much of the whole fruit as possible. They are a practical way for people on the run to get their required amount of fruit."
Saxelby also advises parents to limit children's consumption of juice or fruit drinks.
A survey conducted last year by Deakin University found that juice and other fruit drinks, including cordial, were a bigger problem than soft drink in childhood obesity.
The results, based on a survey of the diets of almost 2200 Victorian children, found children who had two or three serves of juice a day were 1.7 times more likely to be overweight or obese than those who had none.
Those who had more than four glasses were 2.1 times more likely to be carrying too much weight.
Saxelby recommends diluting juice with water or ice and avoiding the super-size serves from juice bars.
"People can also share it with a friend or drink half now and half later. It's an awful lot to have in one go," she says.
The truth about what you drink
Boost Juice Tropical Fruit Crush:
· 51 calories per 100 ml
· 331 calories per 650 ml serve
Coles Farmland apple juice:
· 42 calories per 100 ml
· 85 calories per 200 ml serve
Daily Juice Company orange juice:
· 38 calories per 100 ml
· 190 calories per 500 ml serve
Nudie blueberry, blackberry &
more crushie:
· 56 calories per 100 ml
· 141 calories per 250 ml serve
Ribena:
· 59 calories per 100 ml
· 148 calories per 250 ml serve
Cottee's Raspberry Flavoured Cordial:
· 35 calories per 100 ml
· 88 calories per 250 ml serve
Coke:
· 42 calories in 100 ml
· 160 calories per 375 ml serve
1 calorie = 4.2 kilojoules
Comment : People dont realise that you can consume calories 10 times faster from drinking liquids than you can from eating food as it takes time to chew and digest the food .
Its hard to believe Coke has less calories than the ''healthy'' juice people are buying!!
Always remember eat the fruit - dont drink the juice as you also need the fibre from the fruit which is in the pulp to aid weight loss and it also carries more nutrients
Tip : A much better option is drinking vegetable juice which is low in calories and high in nutrients
Dean Piazza- Your Online Personal Trainer and Motivator
www.getfit.com.au