Your Heart: An Apple or Apple Juice?

I was at a local farmer's store this afternoon and heard a man asking about the sugar content in their homemade apple juice (no preservatives).  Apparently, he's developed heart disease recently and he's trying to adjust to cutting back his sugar and fat.  I struck up a conversation and checked out the label on a pint (roughly two cups) of Fresh Apple Juice.

At first it appeared as though it was 29 grams of sugar, but that was for one serving (one cup).  That pint of apple juice has 58 grams of sugar.  Clearly something for him to avoid.  I wrote down some URLs I've memorized that will help him learn more about low-fat, reversing heart disease, and low fat vegan recipes.

To put it in perspective:  the nutritionally conservative American Heart Association recommends 25 grams of sugar per day for woman (6 teaspoons, or 1/8 cup), on average, and 37.5 grams for men (9 teaspoons, roughly 1/5 cup (12 t = 1/4 cup)). 

That pint of juice has over twice a full day's recommended sugar for women, around 1.5 times recommended for men.

This got me thinking.  Awhile back Dr. McDougall weighed in on whether juice is a good idea.  I decided to check into the total sugar in one apple (medium):  13 grams (source).

That pint of apple juice, minus skin and any fiber, has over FOUR TIMES THE SUGAR OF ONE APPLE.

An apple a day will help keep the heart doctor away, but a pint of apple juice will increase your risks of heart disease.  Stick with one of nature's greatest gifts:  whole fruit.  More nutrition, more fiber, less sugar (and absorbed much slower), and cheaper!  What's not to like?

Comments

[Peter]

For too long fruit juices have been promoted as being healthy even though they often contain as much sugar as soft drinks. Why not just eat the fruit itself? Not only does it come in nature's colourful package but you can even dispose of package in a compost bin. Furthermore all the nutrients are retained.

[I agree with you completely... thanks much for your feedback... wish more people understood what you are saying about juice... Best Regards, Mark]

[vgpedlr]

Great article you linked to by Dr. McDougall. I have fallen victim to this sort of fairy tale thinking on occasion, particularly if "antioxidant" is anywhere on the label. Apparently at some level I fear that my whole body will collapse into a heap of rust!

[Thanks for the feedback... yeah, I think too many people (and vegan bloggers) fall victim to the "nutrient du jour" attitude. IMHO, it all comes down to eating as much whole vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes as you can, and stop looking for a "quick fix" via some processed "nutrient enhanced" beverage, food, or product.

Best regards, Mark]