Fruit Juice Is Just as Unhealthful as Soda

Many people today opt to drink fruit juices in place of sodas, believing that it is healthier and better for them. But the problem is that commercial fruit juice – especially those labeled “fruit drink,” “fruit cocktail,” or “fruit beverage” – are mostly made of sugar and water, and on average contain only 10 percent fruit juice.

According to the Sugary Drinks FACTS report:

“Some fruit drink packages are covered with images of real fruit, even though these drinks may contain no more than 5 percent real fruit juice. The actual ingredients are water and high-fructose corn syrup, or in some cases “real sugar,” such as cane sugar. Examples include: Kool-Aid Jammers, Hawaiian Punch, Capri Sun Orange, and Capri Sun Sunrise (which Capri Sun markets as a breakfast drink).

… Parents believe that full-sugar soda is not a healthy option for their children, but they are under the impression that fruit drinks are healthier. What parents don’t realize is that ounce-for-ounce, the fruit drinks are just as high in calories and added sugar as soda.” (link)

Dr. Joseph Mercola says that “you are doing your body no favor whatsoever by swapping soda for fruit juice.” He believes the misconception that fruit juice is healthier than soda contributes to the rising rates of weight gain, obesity, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes in the United States and other countries.

Why Fruit Juice Is No Longer Healthful

You may be able to get vitamins and other nutrients from 100 percent fruit juices. Unfortunately, these beverages are also loaded with sugar, particularly fructose, which is damaging to your health.

“One eight-ounce glass of orange juice has about eight full teaspoons of sugar, and at least 50 percent of that sugar is fructose. That’s almost as much as a can of soda, which contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar,” warns Dr. Mercola.

On the other hand, fruit drinks often contain high-fructose corn syrup, the same type of sugar found in soda. In fact, soda giants like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and Dr. Pepper are actually the parent companies of many sugary fruit juices in the market.

The Damaging Effects of Fructose

Fructose, particularly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, is one of the main culprits in the rise of obesity and other health problems. Although this sweetener is added to many processed foods and beverages, it also occurs naturally in large amounts of natural fruit juice.

Ingesting 15 grams of fructose a day is okay (except for people who have high uric levels). Unfortunately, most fruit juice products contain more than this recommended amount. Just one eight-ounce glass of orange juice will give your system 25 grams of fructose.

Numerous scientific studies suggest that ingesting excessive amounts of fructose may lead to damaging health problems. For example, one study says that fructose is the main reason why millions of children in the U.S. now suffer from non-alcoholic liver disease (link). This condition is caused when fat builds up within liver cells. When you ingest fructose, the metabolic burden rests on your liver only.

Fructose is also converted into fat, which becomes stored in your liver and other tissues as body fat. It is very different from glucose, 20 percent of which is broken down by your liver and 80 percent is immediately metabolized and used in your body.

Fructose from fruit juice may also increase your risk of gout. A study published last year revealed that women who drank 12 ounces or more of orange juice a day doubled their risk of gout. Meanwhile, those who consumed only six ounces per day increased their risk by 41 percent. In 2008, a similar study revealed that men who consumed two or more sugary drinks a day in a month had an 85 percent increased risk of gout compared to those who drank less.

Avoid Sugary Fruit Juice As Much As Possible

Adults and kids must always be aware of the health implications of drinking fruit juices and soda. This is very important because soda and fruit juice manufacturers are now using aggressive marketing tactics to entice people to consume these drinks. Most of these strategies are directly targeting teens and young children.

Dr. Joseph Mercola recommends consuming pure water as your primary beverage of choice. He also says that your fructose consumption daily should be no more than 25 grams. For people who are overweight or suffering from diabetes, heart disease, or cancer, only 10 to 15 grams of fructose daily is recommended.

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