Fruits vs Fruit Juices - Which is Healthier?

Juicing fruit has become a convenient alternative for some, allowing you to quickly drink the needed daily requirements. Although there are definite benefits to juicing, you are missing out on certain nutritional elements when you don't consume whole fruits.

Fruit juice can be a serious sugar rush. Should we go easy on the juice?

While fruit juice contains important vitamins and phytonutrients, it also contains sugar - about as much as a soft drink, in fact. This sugar gets absorbed quickly by your body, much like the sugar in soda. As a result, drinking too much juice can lead to obesity and, as shown by a study in the British Medical Journal, to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

But isn't fruit good for you? The problem is that fruit juices lack the fiber that is present in their non-squeezed counterparts. When we're eating whole fruit, the fiber helps our livers metabolize the sugar.

Fiber's health benefits include supporting digestion, controlling blood sugar and lowering cholesterol. Fiber also helps you feel full longer, an important advantage of whole fruits, particularly if you're watching your weight.

But don't worry - you don't have to quit drinking juice entirely. Moderation is the key. It's about portion size. 150ml of fruit juice is perfectly acceptable as one of your five-a-day. You can also dilute the juice with some water to decrease the amount of sugar per glass. And of course, you can always go straight to the source and snack on some fruit!