1. Fruit Juice from Concentrate
Fruit juice is seen as a healthy choice, but when it’s from concentrate you’re better off sticking to water, as this thirst-quenching refresher isn’t actually good for you. Most concentrated juices have been through an intensive process of evaporation, filtering, and pasteurisation, which isn’t great news for your body. Though the pasteurisation process may increase the juice’s shelf life, the vitamins contained in the juice are extremely vulnerable to heat, meaning a lot of the good stuff gets leached away.
Then there’s the high fructose content of concentrated juices – a study conducted at Princeton University found that too much fructose can overwhelm the small intestine and can contribute to obesity. Even not-from concentrated juice contains a lot of fructose, which studies have shown can cause metabolic syndrome, and increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease. As additives are also often used to give concentrated juice a brighter colour and better taste, you can wind up consuming a lot more toxins than you bargained for!
Though it’s better than popping a can of soda, it’s smarter to opt for a glass of fresh juice or water, or make your own fruit smoothie from raw fruit. You still shouldn’t drink more than a glass a day of fresh juice though, because of the high fructose content – and the healthiest option of all is to consume your fruit whole.
