Yes Or No? Is It Good To Drink Natural Or Artificial Juices?

The best way to obtain the nutrients from fruits and vegetables is through juice , it is a quick way for your body to absorb them and takes very little time to prepare.

They will alleviate your thirst and hunger, and will benefit you in many diseases , normalize the functions of the body, give you energy and much more.

Only 250 milliliters of juice are enough daily , and you can take them in the morning, afternoon or evening; hot or cold, on a rainy or sunny day. To know a little more about the benefits that juices have for you; do not stop reading this article.

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What are juices?

They are a liquid substance extracted from fruits or vegetables, generally by pressure, or by crushing. The fruits are squeezed and the resulting juice is what we call juices, you can add water and sugar, and they can also be blended ; But if you add milk, or leave it very thick, it will be another type of drink that I will talk about later.

Natural juices provide the vitamins and proteins that are obtained by eating the fruit, it is just a different and fast way to obtain the nutrients; with the disadvantage that they can decompose very quickly and you must take it or refrigerate it to make it last a little longer.

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What other name do they receive?

Juices are also known as juice or nectar ; but it should not be confused with smoothies or meringues since these two have other ingredients and are of a different texture than juices, which is only the juice extracted from the fruit.

Where are you from?

The nutritional value of fruits and vegetables has been known since ancient times; Offerings were offered to the gods of fruit baskets. The juice could have its birth as soon as the grape wine and cider were born; since from there the procedure of extracting the juice of the fruits is known.

And currently juices with additives and preservatives are made to be marketed and have largely replaced natural juices that are much healthier.

What are the types of juice?

• Homemade juice: It is the juice that does not carry any heat preservation treatment; It is made at home and is taken in a short period before it goes bad.
• Natural Juices: they are packaged juices with heat treatment but without additives that alter the nature of the fruit.
• Concentrated Juices: they are prepared by crushing the fruit and obtaining a puree that by adding a little water will have a concentrated flavor.
• Nectar: It is a juice concentrate with water and sugar.
• Enriched Juices: supplements or any other ingredient that increases the amount of nutrients are added to the natural fruit juice.
• Artificial juices: They are made with fruit and artificial flavors, colorants and other additives for marketing.
• Medicinal juices: They are obtained from fruits that are used for curative purposes depending on the nutritional contribution of each one, the juice is made with one or more fruits or vegetables.

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Juice characteristics

• Pure and natural liquid substance from fruit or vegetables.
• Preserves the nutritional values.
• They provide energy
• They quench hunger and thirst.
• Easy absorption.
• They provide many health benefits
• Alone or combined they are favorable for people who exercise.
• A glass of juice is equivalent to a piece of fruit.
• They are extracted using extractors, juicers and grinders; sometimes they liquefy.

Properties and benefits of juices

Natural juices offer many benefits, and it all depends on the fruit you choose because each one has different nutrients that attack different diseases such as: carrots provide perfect vitamin E for the skin , and it is also used for arthritis because it creates new cartilage. and reinforces the one you already have; spinach contains calcium that is well known to benefit teeth and bones; pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that works as an anti-inflammatory.

It is for this reason that to take advantage of its various benefits you must prepare a fruit and / or vegetable juice that suits your needs:

• Melon Juice: For blood pressure and cholesterol, melon is rich in calcium but also contains liquid that helps you eliminate toxins through urine.
• Watercress juice: Excellent for anemia , if you mix it with carrots you will get better results.
• Blackberry Juice: Protects the arteries and walls of the heart thanks to its magnesium content.
• Beet juice : It is the best for the production of red blood cells in the blood, and it also cleanses the body.
• Papaya Juice: It is the most recommended for your digestive system, it helps it to work and function properly.
• Cucumber juice: It is a natural diuretic, it contains sulfur and silicon that are perfect for hair growth.
• Watermelon Juice: Due to its large amount of water, it will help you keep your body clean, it also contains vitamin C that protects you from viral diseases.
• Lettuce juice : This juice is a natural tranquilizer due to its iron and magnesium content; also if you combine it with beets and carrots you will do your skin and hair a favor.
• Strawberry Juice: juice rich in vitamin C and great antioxidant that will keep you young with smooth skin.
• Tomato juice: Like strawberry juice, it contains vitamin C that strengthens your immune system and is also a powerful antioxidant and diuretic.

Here we show you the benefits of vitamins on your health:

• Essential Vitamins for your Health
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What are the most suitable juices for weight loss?

Just as there is a long list of juices for different diseases, there are also juices for weight loss.

• Lemon juice: a glass of lemon juice on an empty stomach cleanses and detoxifies your liver.
• Vegetable juice: This will provide you with the nutrients you need while giving you a feeling of an even longer so that you do not feel hungry and eat less .
• Artichoke juice: This juice should be prepared with the previously cooked artichoke in a liter of water that you will drink during the day to eliminate toxins and fats from the liver.
• Grapefruit juice: It is the ideal to burn fat accumulated in the places that least favor your figure.
• Papaya juice: thanks to papain, an enzyme that will prevent fat from being stored and accumulated in the body.
• The combined juice of lemon, ginger and celery: It is an excellent cleanser, lemon helps you digest well and dissolve fats; ginger speeds up your metabolism and celery removes excess fluids from the body. Do not hesitate before this special juice to lose weight.

Do you want to lose weight? We show you how you can do it knowing the Benefits of Fruit Juices for Weight Loss and how to prepare them

What types of juices can you drink to gain weight?

A glass of fruit juice concentrates the natural sugar, and if you add sugar on your own you will have a glass rich in calories; For example, a glass of apple and another glass of orange juice, citrus or not; the former contains 114 calories while the latter contains 112 calories.

If you need to gain weight, increase muscle mass, you can consume fruit juice that are naturally sweet such as papaya, melon, bananas , apples since the juice is digested quickly and its effect on gaining weight is much faster .

If you want to gain weight, we recommend this super recipe Avocado Smoothie Recipe with Cocoa and its Contraindications and Benefits)

For diabetics? Which ones?

For those who suffer from type two diabetes there are some juices that can lower blood sugar levels, such as: celery juice with spinach ; and carrot juice ; it contains potassium and regulates the blood; celery for its part also provides you with potassium and magnesium benefiting the cardiovascular system; and spinach contains calcium and beta-carotene that lower blood sugar levels.

In addition, the juice combined with green beans and broccoli will help you reduce blood sugar levels and blood pressure because they contain minerals and vitamin B6.

Juices in pregnancy

• Carrot juice : these contain vitamin A that your baby needs for the development of his heart, kidneys and eyes. In addition you also get this vitamin in apples; alfalfa sprouts, parsley and spinach.
• Banana juice: Ideal for morning sickness because it slowly releases energy and regulates your sugar levels, thus relieving nausea.
• Orange Juice: it is ideal for pregnant women who tend to catch more viruses because their immune system is working twice as hard to protect the baby, help it by consuming vitamin C, which also helps you absorb iron.
• Apple juice: If you suffer from constipation, which is very common in pregnant women, then your recommended juice is apple juice because of its high fiber and liquid content.

We recommend you read all about the The importance of folic acid in pregnancy

Before, during or after eating?

You should know that your stomach produces acids that favor the digestion of food, but if you ingest juices during the process, that is, while you eat, then the acids will calm down and weaken, which will take longer to break down the food.

If you want to drink juices, it is best to do so before you start eating so that the liquid protects the stomach walls and does not interrupt the function of gastric acid. It is more recommended that it be at room temperature.

Contraindications and Side Effects of Drinking Juices

It seems strange to talk about the damages that consuming juices brings, since being a natural product we can think that there is nothing wrong with it. However, you have to look at this issue in a little more detail.

Clearly a juice is healthier if we compare it with a soda or other artificial drink , in this case there is nothing that plays against the value of the juice. But in the same way, we must learn to ingest them, since the nutrients and vitamins that we can get from this drink will depend only on the way we ingest them.

It should be known that the natural drink of a fruit can maintain its properties only a moment after the preparation of the juice, since when the juice is extracted from the fruit and it comes into contact with environmental factors (temperature, air, sun, humidity, etc.), the juice automatically begins to change its composition and loses most of its nutrients . Therefore, the longer the juice lasts after being squeezed, the lower its nutrients.

We cannot deny that fruits are foods rich in vitamins, which are easily absorbed by the body and processed in the same way, so we must consume at least one serving of fruits on a daily basis. But, for example, the vitamin C found in orange juice is extremely vulnerable when there are changes in temperature. Therefore, refrigerating this juice for long periods of time or the heat of a sunny day can deteriorate the nutritional quality of this drink.

The vitamins in juices are also sensitive to light and oxygen, especially when the juice is prepared through the blender instead of being squeezed. In addition, when we extract the juice of a fruit we obtain water and sugar, so even without adding more sugar to the mixture, we will already have a glass with the equivalent of ten tablespoons of sugar , which is totally equal to a glass of soda and we know what the consequences are behind excessive sugar consumption (overweight, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, arthritis, high cholesterol, tiredness, fatigue, among others …).

Therefore, if we prepare orange juice or lemon juice, obviously we will use more sugar to sweeten the drink, which results in much more than the recommended amount of sugar consumption that should be had on a daily basis . This is the reason why people with overweight and / or diabetes are not allowed to consume juices.

There are those who think that another very beneficial factor of juices is that they are low in calories, but this is not really the case. If you compare a juice with a hamburger and French fries, clearly the juice will be the most nutritious and healthy food, but in reality these drinks can have a high concentration of calories.

For example, a cup of pineapple contains about 83 calories, but by preparing a cup of pineapple juice we increase the amount to 120 calories . The same goes for each fruit, a glass of orange juice can contain the same amount of calories as four medium oranges. This makes us think about the equivalences, nobody can sit down to eat four oranges at a time, but we can have several glasses of juice in just a few minutes and that is where the problem begins to develop.

While consuming fruit smoothies or foods in liquid form can make you feel lighter, you feel like you’re eating less. But this does not mean that you are actually having a lighter intake, but rather that you could be consuming more calories than you were ingesting when you were simply eating solid and not liquid.

Therefore, in general, the disadvantages or contraindications of juice consumption are as follows:

• You increase the intake of calories and sugar , even more than when you drink a soda, especially if the juice is not drunk at the time of preparation.
• Its nutritional properties decrease by up to 80 percent after two hours of its preparation , that also applies even if the drink has been refrigerated.
• The juice reduces the amount of fiber that could be consumed in the case of ingesting the fruit in a solid form. In the case of orange juice, it contains only 10% of the total fiber that the orange itself has.

In conclusion , natural drinks are better than artificial ones, but the mode of consumption must be taken into account , in addition to having caution and portion control, since everything in excess is harmful to the body.

In the case of children and young people , it is most recommended that they only eat juices at breakfast , and for the rest of the day it is best to nourish them and teach them to eat at least two servings of fruits, in this way they can obtain higher nutritional values and it will be more beneficial to your growth and development. In the case of adults, drink a glass of juice only once or twice a day, and in case of diabetes or overweight, opt for vegetable smoothies which are more appropriate for those cases.

List of the most popular juices

The most popular juices are citrus orange and lemon, as well as apple, pear and peach. Because these are the most widely marketed and the people who prefer them natural; They buy the fruits and prepare it in the house with an extractor or with a blender; in the case of apples, peaches and pear; and with a juicer in the case of lemon and oranges.

• Orange juice and Lemon Juice: they are citrus fruits and provide multiple benefits thanks to their high content of vitamin C; they also contain potassium that makes them the best allies for digestion, helps you assimilate food well, stimulating the digestive tract. They have many other benefits such as helping to absorb iron and relieve stomach discomfort.
• Apple juice : this juice is very popular especially in the smallest of the house; and for women it is the best ally because it is rich in antioxidants that keep you young and beautiful and it is a cleanser thanks to its high fiber and water content . It is also well known that if you have a fever, it hydrates you and regulates your body temperature .
• Pear Juice: Like the apple, it is high in fiber; contains vitamins A, C and E not to mention those of group B; and several minerals such as magnesium and calcium, which makes this juice a powerful supply of nutrients for multiple benefits for your health.
• Peach Juice: Peach juice contains B vitamins , and also has vitamin C and potassium, this juice is ideal for cramps and muscle fatigue; it will make your digestive system and nervous system work wonderfully.

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Differences between juices, smoothies, meringues and soft drinks.

Juices, as you already know, are the liquid substance that is extracted from the fruit and that may or may not contain sugar and water; While the smoothies are fully blended fruits without discarding the pulp , they are blended with ice and sugar is added to taste; the meringues are shakes but milk or yogurt is added to this and finally the soft drinks are carbonated drinks , artificially flavored.

Natural and artificial juices

Natural juices are those that have been described throughout the article, an excellent alternative for health without consequences such as those that I will present to you next to artificial juices.

Artificial juices are those that contain sweeteners, flavorings and additives that mimic natural fruits as much as possible , are enriched with vitamins and minerals but contain colorings and preservatives that affect the body in the long term.

Natural juices are assimilated faster, they provide their intact nutrients as if you ate the fruit , and their benefits are fully exploited without side effects; quench thirst and hunger. While artificial juices, although you get them quickly and easily, can affect you in many ways:

• The artificial juice contains sugar and sweeteners, which favor diseases such as Alzheimer’s, obesity, cancer and sclerosis, and mainly diabetes.
• They contain corn syrup that promote weight gain.
• Artificial colors cause cancer and other diseases.
• They are made by fermenting molasses and this causes damage to the teeth and mouth.
• Preservatives like sodium benzoate cause hyperactivity in children.

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Natural juice recipes

A long list of juices that benefit health has already been mentioned; However, here I bring you the recipes so that you can prepare a juice yourself according to your requirements; lose weight or gain it and if you are diabetic I have the ideal recipe for you.

Juice recipe for weight loss

The following ingredients will accelerate the fat breakdown process, apart from making you feel satisfied and will calm the anxiety caused by a diet to lose weight.

You need:

• 1 pc of nopal.
• 3 sprigs of parsley,
• 3 slices of pineapple
• Juice of one grapefruit and orange.
• Half celery

For the preparation you need to put the celery, nopal and pineapple in the extractor, and with a juicer remove the grapefruit and orange.

Join the two juices extracted and add ice. You can take it in the morning and before lunch.

Juice recipe to gain weight

This recipe is ideal for increasing muscle mass and will benefit the functioning of your digestive system.

You need: 4 strawberries , an apple, a mango and half a lemon.

Place the strawberries and apple along with two mango tongues in the juicer; squeeze the lemon from the resulting juice and that’s it; you can take it three times a day for best results.

Juice recipe for diabetics

This recipe is great for regulating blood sugar levels.

You need : a celery, an apple, a carrot and a cucumber.

After washing all the ingredients, place them in the extractor or in a blender and you can add a little water to the resulting juice.

We teach you all the necessary information about diabetes in these comprehensive articles:

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