FRUITS VERSUS FRUIT JUICES

“Gambians hate fruits and vegetables and love rice!” That is the conclusion arrived at by one of my friends. Is this true? Well, I will leave you to decide for yourself… Fruits were intelligently designed to provide you with the necessary calories, vitamins and FIBRE. However, man in his “infinite wisdom” decided to start squeezing the juice out of the fruits. In doing so we have altered the balance in the following ways:

1. The juice contains more calories per unit than the fruit itself. Drinking a specified amount of apple juice yields more calories than eating equal quantities of apple fruit. 2. Juices are devoid of the fibre contained in the fruits themselves. Fibre plays a very important role in preventing the occurrence of gastrointestinal conditions ranging from constipation, appendicitis to cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.
3. Excess unused calories as provided by fruit juices can lead to sugar control problems and Diabetes.

Fruit juices are much better to consume than fizzy drinks, they contain less sugar for example. However, they should be consumed in moderation as well. As much as possible one should try to consume the whole fruit instead to reap the full benefits.
Acknowledgement: Mr. Sackey Dzidor, Dietician & Post-Graduate student, University of Ghana

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