Related topics: •  Vitamin A •  Vitamin C

Whether fresh-squeezed, bottled, canned, or frozen, juice packs a powerful nutritional punch. It's the next best thing to eating whole fruits and vegetables -- you lose only the fiber.

Juices are also low in fat, and -- because it takes several pieces of fruit or vegetables to produce 8 ounces of juice -- most contain concentrated amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Health experts recommend that you eat at least five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day. One cup of juice -- an 8 ounce glass -- is equivalent to one cup of fruit. Depending on your age and activity level, the amount your body needs will vary between one and two cups a day, so supplement your fruit and vegetable intake with as much juice as you need to reach that goal.

Don't overdue it, though. Juice is generally high in calories and drinking a lot of juice, particularly apple juice, sometimes triggers diarrhea because it contains a sugar called sorbitol, which the body can't completely digest. This is especially true for babies. In fact, children under six months shouldn't get any fruit juice, and you should limit your toddler to 8 ounces a day.

You know which juices you like best, but here's a rundown of the health benefits of seven popular juices:

•Apple: An 8-ounce serving contains more potassium -- a mineral important in controlling blood pressure -- than half a banana. If you're like most people, you'll also find apple juice easier on your stomach than citrus juices. What's more, it costs the same as grape juice and has only a quarter of the calories.

•Carrot: This juice is a vitamin powerhouse; an 8-ounce glass supplies six times the minimum amount of beta-carotene most experts say you should get each day. Beta-carotene protects your heart by slowing the rate at which your body uses low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the so-called bad cholesterol. Carrot juice is also high in vitamin C, which helps fight infection and reduces your risk of cancer.

•Cranberry: Although it's quite tart in its pure form (most commercial products add sugar and water), it's famous for warding off bladder infections. Studies show that drinking 4 ounces of cranberry-juice cocktail at the first sign of a urinary tract infection has the power to flush out troublesome bacteria. This juice is also high in cancer-preventing vitamin C; an 8-ounce serving supplies all you need for a day.

•Grape: Recent studies suggest that drinking 8 to 10 ounces of purple grape juice every day protects your heart. How? The substances in grapes called flavonoids have an anticlotting effect on blood that's similar to aspirin's.

•Orange: America's most popular juice not only tastes great but also provides both magnesium, an important building block for bone, and twice the recommended daily amount of vitamin C in each 8-ounce glass. And orange juice contains folic acid, which helps lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain birth defects. That's not all. Fortified orange juice is high in calcium, which makes it a great alternative to milk if you're lactose-intolerant.

•Tomato: If you're looking for a low-calorie juice, pick tomato. A 6-ounce serving has just 31 calories (less than half the calories in orange juice), and one 8-ounce glass provides half the daily requirement of vitamin C. Tomatoes get their red color from lycopene, an antioxidant. Like beta-carotene, lycopene has been shown to decrease the risk of cancer. If you're watching your salt intake, try low-sodium tomato juice.

•Wheatgrass: Fans credit this mulch-flavored juice with many healing powers, pointing out that wheat seed sprouts -- the main ingredient in wheatgrass -- contain chlorophyll, proven to fight cancer in lab animals. But it can be pricey, and at this point, researchers aren't clear on the true benefits.

References

First published September 3, 1998
Last updated November 30, 2007
Copyright © 1998 Consumer Health Interactive and OneBody, Inc.

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