Currently, supermarkets are filled with a dazzling array of fruit and vegetable juices. They are sweet, nutritious, and loved by many. Many families also buy juicers to make fresh juice at home, believing that drinking juice is very convenient and hassle-free. So, which is more scientific: drinking fresh juice or eating whole fruit?
Actually, except for certain patients or elderly individuals with dental problems, it is best not to drink fruit juice. The nutrients obtained from homemade juice, such as sugar, fat, and trace elements, are similar to those from eating fresh fruit. However, the biggest drawback is that the juicing process destroys a large amount of essential dietary fiber.
Water-soluble fiber, represented by pectin, has health benefits such as preventing and reducing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, is more effective in preventing diseases of the gastrointestinal system. Insoluble fiber stimulates intestinal peristalsis and promotes bowel movements. Dietary fiber can affect the activity of bacteria in the large intestine, reduce the production of bile acids, dilute toxic substances in the intestines, and decrease the contact time between carcinogens and the intestinal lining, thereby preventing intestinal cancer.
In addition, dietary fiber can also affect blood sugar levels, reduce the dependence on medication for diabetic patients, prevent excess calories, control obesity, and has the effect of preventing gallstones and lowering blood lipids.
Drinking fruit juice is not good for children's health. It can lead to a lack of exercise for their teeth, weaken the strength of facial skin muscles, and reduce the accommodation function of the eyeballs. Furthermore, long-term weak chewing can lead to an underdeveloped jaw, misaligned teeth, and a malocclusion. After a child's baby teeth have fully grown in, they should eat some fiber-rich and slightly hard fruits to increase their chewing ability. The chewing action can engage the facial and eye muscles, accelerate blood circulation, and promote the development of the dental alveoli, jaw, and facial bones, which is both healthy and beneficial for their appearance.
If you do juice, it is best to eat the solid pulp residue.