Drinking fruit juice may seem like an easy way to get more vitamins and minerals – but experts warn your morning glass could be doing more harm than good.
Britons drink 695 million litres of fruit juice every year, much of it with breakfast.
‘Fruit juice provides nutrients like vitamin C, potassium and folate, plus plant compounds such as flavonoids,’ says nutritionist Rob Hobson, author of Unprocess Your Life.
‘A small glass can complement a balanced diet, but having it regularly is like drinking a soft drink in disguise.’
Juicing removes the fibre that makes whole fruit filling and slows sugar absorption. Without it, the naturally occurring fructose becomes a ‘free sugar’, causing rapid spikes in blood sugar and energy followed by a crash.
Public Health England advises limiting fruit juice to 150ml a day – roughly a small glass containing up to 18g of sugar – as too much can lead to tooth decay, obesity and type 2 diabetes.
‘The problem isn’t juice itself, it’s how much and how often,’ adds Hobson. ‘Have it with food – a small glass of orange juice at breakfast can help blunt a sugar spike and boost iron absorption from cereals or oats.’
So which juice is best – and does ‘from concentrate’ really make a difference?
Pomegranate juice
It might not be to everyone’s taste—but pomegranate juice is packed full of polyphenols, which makes it Hobson’s top pick.
These powerful antioxidants help support heart health by reducing oxidative stress and improving endothelial function—the lining of blood vessels.
The dark red fruit is also a rich source of ellagitannins, chemicals which interact with starchy foods to reduce the usual post-meal spike in blood sugar, he adds.
‘Interestingly, trials show that drinking pomegranate juice with bread lowered the blood sugar response, but the same effect wasn’t seen when people were given a supplement pill,’ he added.
This suggests that the whole fruit—with all its natural compounds working together is what really makes the difference.
However, while whole pomegranates provide fibre to help slow digestion and prevent blood sugar spikes, Hobson warns that pomegranate juice is not quite the same panacea—especially if it contains added sugars.
‘Aim for a small glass alongside a balanced meal to help blunt blood sugar, rather than having it on its own.’
Orange juice
Orange juice is naturally high in vitamin C—containing over half of your daily recommended intake—folate and potassium, making it one of the top contenders when its comes to the healthiest fruit juices, Hobson says.
Studies have even found that regular consumption in small amounts can improve diet quality and increase vitamin C status whilst lowering inflammation.
When it comes to picking between concentrate or not-from-concentrate, the former is likely to be higher in sugar, while juices ‘with bits’ contain slightly more fibre, making them the healthier choice.
Overall, Hobson recommends opting for a juice that is freshly squeezed or cold pressed to preserve the plant compounds that degrade with heat and storage.
Grapefruit juice
Grapefruit juice is another great nutrient dense choice, according to Hobson.
‘Each glass contains almost half of your daily vitamin C and is full of potassium and plant compounds like naringene, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help support heart health and blood sugar control,’ he explained.
However, those who are on medications like statins, some blood pressure drugs and antidepressants need to be more careful.
Hobson continued: ‘Where you need to be cautious is in its interaction with certain medications, because grapefruit compounds can affect how these are metabolised by the liver.
‘For anyone on prescription medication, it’s best to check with your GP before having it regularly’, the nutritionist advised.
Those who struggle with acid reflux, heartburn or dental sensitivity, may find diluting the juice with water or having it alongside a meal helps.
Cranberry juice
‘Whilst cranberry juice can’t cure a urinary tract infection, it may help reduce recurrence in some people,’ Hobson notes.
This is because cranberries contain a group of chemicals called proanthocyanidins (PAC) which have been shown to prevent certain bacteria—like E.coli—responsible for UTIs from sticking to the walls in the urinary tract.
However there are mixed opinions on whether or not cranberry juice works in preventing UTIs—partly due to the high amount of added sugar in most juices.
Hobson said: ‘If you’re using cranberry for UTI prevention, look for unsweetened cranberry juice of standardised cranberry supplements that contain at least 36mg of proanthocyanidins per dose—the level shown to be effective in clinical research.’
Separate studies have also linked cranberry juice with higher levels of ‘good’ cholesterol, and a lower risk of gum disease, stomach ulcers and heart disease.
Pineapple juice
‘Pineapple juice sits somewhere in the middle so naturally sweet but still full of useful nutrients,’ Hobson said.
It’s a good source of vitamin C, manganese—which helps support bone health by activating crucial enzymes involved in the formation of bone, cartilage and collagen—and bromelain.
Whilst found mostly in the stalk of the fruit, bromelain is thought to aid digestion and reduce inflammation, making pineapple juice an attractive choice for those who suffer from inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and high blood pressure.
‘The downside is that it’s quite high in natural sugars, so portion control matters here more than with something like tomato or vegetable-based juices,’ the nutritionist cautioned.
‘If you enjoy pineapple juice, think of it as an occasional nutrient boost rather than an everyday drink. Combining it with a meal rich in protein or fibre helps slow sugar absorption and makes better use of its digestive enzymes.’
Apple juice
‘Apple and grape juice tend to be higher in natural sugars but lower in vitamins and antioxidants compared to options like orange or pomegranate juice,’ Hobson claimed.
However studies have shown that apples, which are rich in flavonoids—a plant compound known for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties—help promote healthy ageing.
Another recent study by researchers at the University of Reading monitored 40 people and found that eating two apples per day lowered their levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol by almost four per cent—however this was only true of the whole fruit, not apple juice.
Additionally, studies in mice suggest that it may protect against dementia, and ease symptoms of anxiety agitation in Alzheimer’s patients.
How fruit juice is processed by the body
‘When you drink juice, your body absorbs the natural sugars and nutrients more quickly than from whole fruit because the fibre has been removed.
‘You still get the vitamins and minerals often in highly bioavailable forms but you lose the benefits of fibre for gut health, fullness, and blood sugar regulation,’ explains Hobson.
As such, research has long shown that fruit juice can contribute to weight gain, in part because it is harder to practice portion control, with many people pouring themselves more than the recommended 150ml a day, ingesting significantly more calories than they perhaps realised.
How to pick a healthy fruit juice
‘Choose 100 per cent, not-from-concentrate juice with no added sugar, and ideally one that’s freshly squeeze or cold pressed’, as these shouldn’t contain sweeteners or other additives, Hobson says.
Check the label and pick a carton that has no added sugar—or better yet, squeeze your own oranges at home. This also gives you the freedom to add in vegetables like beetroot to help boost antioxidants with less sugar overall.
