Healthy and not so healthy drinks

Healthy drinks: Some are much healthier than others

To keep our body from dehydration, we should drink at least 8, 8 ounce glasses of water per day. But which drinks are healthy and can positively affect our body and health? It is undisputed that water is the number one healthy drink. In addition, it is entirely calorie-free and, depending on its composition, rich in minerals. However, there are other beverages to choose from for those who find water in large quantities too dull in taste. For example, juices, spritzers, and smoothies taste good and healthy. However, there are significant differences in the quality of juices, spritzers, and smoothies. In addition, industrially manufactured beverages often have hidden sugar as an ingredient, transforming a healthy drink into the opposite—exciting facts about healthy drinks and an overview of different drinks.

Pure apple juice tastes good and is healthy - but it is less suitable as a thirst quencher. This is because pure apple juice has a high content of fruit sugar (100 grams per liter) and many calories, namely up to 550 calories. In addition, apple juice also contains fruit acids, which some do not tolerate so well.

Fitness drink apple juice spritzer

It's better to mix apple juice with mineral water and quench your thirst with an apple spritzer. Apple spritzer tastes fruity sparkling and compensates for fluid losses. An optimal composition is a spritzer made of one part apple juice and three parts mineral water. The mineral water should ideally have a high proportion of sodium, magnesium, and calcium.

Apple juice spritzer is a natural fitness drink and energy booster. The apple juice contained in the spritzer naturally contains fructose and glucose as energy boosters, refreshing fruit acids, potassium, vitamins, and other healthy components. In addition, its carbohydrates quickly enter the blood and get the body and our gray cells going. Thus, during long meetings or car rides, the refreshing drink can improve memory and the ability to concentrate and react.

A constant blood sugar level can also prevent cravings. A spritzer is also well suited as a refreshing drink during sweaty temperatures and activities: Athletes swear by the mixed drink just as much as children and drivers.

Do you prefer apple or juice?

Apple juice spritzer is a good thirst quencher. The mineral water compensates for fluid losses and supplies essential minerals, while the carbohydrates from the apple juice help stabilize blood sugar.

But: Apple juice and apple spritzer are not complete substitutes for an apple. Because in a fresh apple are secondary plant substances and essential dietary fibers. First and foremost is the pectin under the skin, suitable for our cholesterol level. Apples should therefore not be peeled.

The danger of cavities from apple juice and apple spritzer

Pure apple juice does not contain any added sugar - but caries bacteria also like the fruit's sugar. They process it into acid, which softens the protective tooth enamel. The natural acid in apple juice also damages tooth enamel by lowering the ph level in saliva.

Even the diluted form, apple juice spritzer, is hardly more tooth-friendly than pure apple juice - even with a mixing ratio of two parts water and one part apple juice. Since children are particularly susceptible to tooth decay, they should not "suck" apple juice or apple spritzer from the bottle.

Naturally cloudy juices look as if they have just been freshly squeezed. However, this is not possible entirely without the use of additives. For example, enzymes are added to prevent the pulp from settling to the bottom. Nevertheless, cloudy juice is often more natural than clear juice because the latter is usually diluted from concentrate. Conversely, juices from concentrate have a more stable taste.

So much is in fruit juice

Press houses process apples first into direct juice, which is the basis for all other juices. One liter of direct juice contains about seven apples (1.5 kilograms).

The various forms of apple juice differ in their production and fruit content:

1. Apple juice (direct juice or fruit juice from concentrate): 100 %.
2. Apple nectar: 50 % apple juice content
3. Fruit juice drink: 30 % apple juice content
4. Apple spritzer: depending on mixing ratio

Apple juice - from direct juice or concentrate?

Apple juice always contains 100 percent fruit content, a so-called "direct juice" or "fruit juice from fruit juice concentrate."

The concentrate is obtained by gently removing water under a vacuum. When the concentrate is diluted back into apple juice, only those substances that were extracted (water and proprietary flavor concentrate) may be added back.

In terms of quality and taste, juice from concentrate is indistinguishable from directly bottled apple juice. However, the production of concentrate requires far more energy than is the case with direct juice. In addition, many concentrates come from cheap suppliers abroad.

Apple nectar: lots of added sugar

Apple nectar must contain at least 50 percent apple juice. However, unlike pure apple juice, nectar includes a high proportion of added sugar and is not a lower-calorie alternative.

Fruit juice drink: low fruit juice content

Apple fruit juice drinks may appear cheaper than apple juice at first glance. However, they consist of only 30 percent fruit juice; the rest is water, usually sweetened.

Fruit juices are very popular with young and old. For many, a glass of orange juice is part of a hearty breakfast, and, especially in summer, refreshment with chilled fruit juice is a delicious alternative to water. Not only that: juice is also considered a healthy miracle cure from nature in the context of dieting. For example, a juice cure with cold-pressed detox juices should detoxify the body and support weight loss. But can the juices take it up with fresh fruit, or do we harm our health, perhaps even thereby?

Juice as a health elixir

The industry has taken advantage of the excellent reputation of juices and produced them in all imaginable creations. As a result, any fruit can now be bought as juice and in various flavor combinations.

In addition to classics such as orange or apple juice, juices made from berries, such as Aronia juice or cranberry juice, are also popular. Aloe vera juice or vegetable juices such as beetroot juice are also considered healthy. However, some people prefer to go straight for ready-made blends: ACE juice - named after vitamins A, C, and E - is said to act as a radical scavenger and thus strengthen the immune system and prevent premature aging of the skin.

The consumption of certain juices is also often recommended for various ailments. It is generally known that fruits and vegetables play a crucial role in health. Therefore, people usually believe that they are also doing something good for their health by consuming juices. But are they as healthy as their reputation would have us believe?

"Five a day" - why not juice?

The general recommendation is to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, spread throughout the day, to supply the body with sufficient vitamins and plant substances. This has a positive effect on the various metabolic processes in the body and prevents the proliferation of bacteria and viruses. 

It is advisable to consume as many different fruits and vegetables as possible to absorb more different vitamins and phytochemicals. Consuming other juices would make this easier because drinking a glass of fruit juice requires less effort than eating several different types of fresh fruit every day. Problem solved - or is it?

How ready-made juices affect health

Fruit juices contain a high proportion of the vitamins and phytochemicals of the fruit from which they are made. However, some natural nutrients are lost during processing, so they cannot be considered an utterly equivalent substitute for fruit.

Some industrially produced fruit juices also have minerals or vitamins added as additives. For example, enriching fruit juices with calcium can be positive for health. 

High sugar content in some juices

However, an essential aspect to consider when buying fruit juices is the sometimes high sugar content. In some juices, a relatively large amount of sugar is added during production, in addition to the natural fructose already contained in the fruit. As a result, a much higher percentage of sugar is ingested with such fruit juices than with the consumption of unprocessed fruit.

This may well promote the formation of tooth decay. Fruit juices have a moderate cariogenic potential because fructose and fruit acid has cariogenic effects. Moreover, sugar has a detrimental effect on teeth and promotes weight gain.

Buy healthy juices or press them yourself.

A healthy option is to make your juices from fresh fruit. However, if you can't or don't want to work with a juicer yourself, you can also use freshly squeezed organic juices or other high-quality juices from the store.

In any case, it is advisable to look at the additives and the sugar content when buying fruit juices:

Related: These are some of the most healthy varieties of teas

The designations nectar or fruit juice drink is an indication that other ingredients have been added. Permitted additives are, for example, fructose syrup, sugar extracted from fruit or honey. 

In contrast, fruit juice - whether direct juice or from fruit juice concentrate - has a fruit content of 100 percent. In producing juices from fruit juice concentrate, the fruit juice is concentrated in the country of origin and then diluted again accordingly after transport. Additives or the addition of sugar are not permitted in fruit juice, but various adjuvants such as enzymes or filtering agents can also be used during processing.

An excellent alternative to juices is also homemade smoothies, where you can combine different fruits and vegetables as you like.