Should I eat whole fruit or drink juice?

Instead of drinking juice, eat whole fruit to take full advantage of the fiber and micronutrients (illustrative photo)

Drinking a lot of fruit juice with high sugar content can be one of the factors contributing to a slight increase in blood cholesterol levels. The way you eat or drink fruit affects its nutritional value, which in turn affects blood sugar and blood lipids (blood fats) in the body. Many people often do not eat whole fruit but drink fruit juice, however, this poses a potential health risk if used regularly.

Fiber in whole fruits helps eliminate excess substances and toxins through the digestive system. In addition to its laxative effect, fiber also slows down the absorption of sugar into the blood, thereby limiting the increase in blood sugar after eating, maintaining a feeling of fullness for a long time.

Fiber has the ability to bind to bile acids (which are synthesized from cholesterol), increasing cholesterol excretion through the digestive tract, thereby contributing to reducing total cholesterol and bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in the blood, preventing cardiovascular diseases.

When juicing fruit, most of the fiber is removed, resulting in the loss of many essential nutrients, significantly reducing the above benefits. The peel and pulp of many fruits such as apples, pears, oranges, and grapefruits also contain many antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that protect the endothelium of blood vessels, beautify the skin, and enhance resistance.

The juicing process often reduces the content of these nutrients, especially water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C, folate, natural enzymes, and antioxidants. These are all important ingredients that help reduce inflammation, protect blood vessels, and prevent atherosclerosis.

The amount of sugar in a glass of juice is usually much higher than eating a whole fruit. For example, a glass of orange juice is made from the juice of about 3-4 oranges, which means the amount of sugar and calories consumed is also 3-4 times higher than eating a single orange.

Lack of fiber leads to rapid absorption of sugar, easily causing hyperglycemia, stimulating the body to secrete insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. If the body produces excessive insulin for a long time (due to consuming a lot of sugar), it can promote triglyceride synthesis and cause lipid disorders, increasing the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

In the long term, drinking fruit juice regularly contributes to increased blood cholesterol levels and other risk factors such as high blood sugar, increased belly fat, and being overweight.

Everyone should prioritize eating whole fruits to take full advantage of the benefits of fiber and micronutrients. Juices are quick to drink and absorb quickly but do not create a feeling of fullness for long. Eating fruit creates a better feeling of fullness thanks to stimulating reflexes from the digestive system to the brain, controlling the amount of food consumed, and supporting weight management. Prioritize seasonal, fresh fruits, and should be eaten about 1-2 hours after main meals to avoid increased blood sugar and excess energy.

You should diversify your daily intake of fruits and vegetables to provide adequate vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are beneficial for heart health. Berries rich in anthocyanins such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc. have the effect of protecting blood vessels and effectively reducing inflammation.

If you want to change your taste, you can use whole smoothies (including the fiber) and limit or do not add sugar. Choose fruits that are less sweet such as grapefruit, green apples, kiwi, cucumber... and combine more green vegetables in your daily diet to help control blood cholesterol, blood sugar and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

You should combine a reasonable diet with regular physical activity of at least 30 minutes per day (brisk walking, cycling, swimming...) to optimize control of blood fat, blood pressure and weight.

TB (summary)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/nen-an-trai-cay-nguyen-qua-hay-uong-nuoc-ep-411748.html