CPSI: Real fruit and vegetables beat juices and purees

[Live_Simply]

For copyright reasons I am posting only the relevant parts (highlights) from this article:

 

Nutrition Action

December 2007 Volume 34/ Number 10

Center for Science in the Public Interest

 

Lost in Translation: Why real fruits and vegetables beat juices, powders, and purees.

 

By David Schardt

 

People who eat more fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancers of the mouth, throat, and esophagus. How do researchers know? They compare the diets of people who get these diseases with the diets of people who don't...

 

"The science behind the recommendation to eat more fruits and vegetables is based upon consuming less-processed forms," notes nutritionist Jennifer Seymour of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.

 

That's because something is lost when produce is processed.

 

Fiber & Bulk

 

Most of the fiber in fruit is lost when it's turned into juice... Fiber is also lost when fruits are turned into purees...

 

What does fiber do? It can keep you regular; may lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers...

 

Vitamins and Minerals

 

In 2004, a scientific panel convened by the Institute of Medicine recommended that adults get at least 4,700 milligrams a day of potassium from their food. That's largely because potassium can help lower blood pressure. (Potassium helps explain why people who ate the fruit-and-vegetable-rich DASH diet had lower blood pressure.)

 

Other studies suggest that the potassium in fruits and vegetables can help prevent osteoporosis and kidney stones.

 

When produce is turned into juice or puree, it loses potassium (and vitamin C, which is why companies often add it back).

 

Phytochemicals

 

Produce contains antioxidant phytochemicals-- like polyphenols-- that could help explain why people who eat more fruits and vegetables are healthier. While researchers don't know which phytochemicals are critical, they do know that phytochemicals are lost when you peel or puree fruit.

 

"Juices generally retain less than 50 percent of the bioactive compounds found in the whole fruit," notes Luke Howard, who studies fruit processing at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. In some studies, it's as little as 20 percent.

 

The Bottom Line

 

* Don't rely on juices or foods with added fruit or vegetable purees or

powders for your daily servings.

 

* Eat your fruits and vegetables fresh or frozen if you can, and canned if

your can't. Raisins, prunes, dried apricots, dates, and other dried fruits

are also fine, though they deliver a concentrated dose of calories (and

get stuck in your teeth).

 

* Limit fruit juice to no more than 8 ounces a day.

[Zack]

"Juices generally retain less than 50 percent of the bioactive compounds found in the whole fruit," notes Luke Howard, who studies fruit processing at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. In some studies, it's as little as 20 percent."

 

That's likely true, but I doubt it takes into account that you use many more vegetables or fruits than you would likely eat, so the actual amount of nutrients in the juice will be significantly higher than the amount that can reasonably be eaten.

 

Also, with juices the absorption of the nutrients is much easier than a whole food, I think.

[DV]

Arrrggghhh. I so wish that I had purchased a VitaMix instead of the juicer that I have.

[beforewisdom]

Sell your juicer over Craigs List and reinvest the money in a VitaMix.

[gogh_me]

1) They're talking about store bought juice (except for the fiber part).

 

2) How is fiber lost when you put something in a blender? I could imagined if you strained it afterward...

[beforewisdom]

George Eisman R.D. is a vegan dietitian who frequently speaks at vegan events. His opinion is that the structure of the fiber matters for getting the benefits of fiber....like feeling fuller on fewer calories and a slow release of carbs. He says these benefits are lost when a food is processed, vis-a-vis whole wheat flour versus whole wheat berries.

[Troy]

Arrrggghhh. I so wish that I had purchased a VitaMix instead of the juicer that I have.

 

Go with a Blendtec DV!

[gogh_me]

George Eisman R.D. is a vegan dietitian who frequently speaks at vegan events. His opinion is that the structure of the fiber matters for getting the benefits of fiber....like feeling fuller on fewer calories and a slow release of carbs. He says these benefits are lost when a food is processed, vis-a-vis whole wheat flour versus whole wheat berries.

 

Is this a reply to me? Because the article was clearly stating that they meant pureed fruit and vegetables.

[Zack]

I prefer juice...I get enough fiber in my diet anyways.

[Jessifly]

my opinion-based comment>> I kind of suspect that this article is talking about bottled, shelved juices. Juices that are processed and pasteurized and on the shelf for days or weeks or months or longer, practically nutrient-less. And it is true that some nutrients are lost from juicing through the oxidation such as vitamin c. However, I have read (and sorry I don't remember where, I know many of you dislike lack of evidence-reference so take this just as it is) anyway I have read that if you juice, say an orange and drink it within minutes of juicing it, much of the nutrients are retained because they have not been exposed to oxygen very long. It helps to use a juicer that is low speed and masticating rather than more heat-producing centrifugal, as heat will increase enzyme-loss (but same will happen with a blender, just run it only as long as is needed, the longer it blends, the more friction, the more heat, the more enzyme-loss.) The point of juicing is to separate the fiber to be able to consume a higher concentration of the nutrients (you can consume quite a lot more fruits and vegetable without the fiber) and to open cells (same idea as a vita-mix) and to be able to digest and utilize the nutrients faster (fiber slows this process). Fiber is very important, some nutrients are lost because they remain locked in the fiber, but some claim juicing actually accesses nutrients that the body would have just eliminated with the fiber if it was not separated from the fiber. So it depends on how you look at it, and what your current fiber consumption is already. My opinion is that it is most important to eat your daily servings of fruits and vegetable in their natural form, however adding fresh-juicing daily, weekly, whatever is still incredibly beneficial for a number of reasons. And it is my opinion that shelved or stored juices are just liquid calories, very lacking in nutrients. <

[Zack]

Awesome post jessi.

[Troy]

my opinion-based comment>> Fiber is very important, some nutrients are lost because they remain locked in the fiber, but some claim juicing actually accesses nutrients that the body would have just eliminated with the fiber if it was not separated from the fiber. So it depends on how you look at it, and what your current fiber consumption is already. <

 

Jessifly... I liked your comment as well, although I'm not sure I understand this comment. I'm trying to get a mental picture of this and when doing so the picture gets distorted...

 

I don't want to assume but I got a feeling with the above quote you were comparing blending to juicing... So you wrote that a juicer may extract some of the nutrients that are locked within a cell wall that normally would have been eliminated because it was locked within(?) the fiber? ... or eliminated because the fiber existed with the nutrients, even though the nutrients have been "unlocked"...ie blending? The latter doesn't make sense to me in that as long as the cell wall has been broken and the nutrients released it shouldn't matter if the left over fiber is still in the same environment as the nutrients, right? The fiber doesn't inhibit the absorption of the released nutrients, am I safe by stating that or no?

[Jessifly]

my opinion-based comment>> Fiber is very important, some nutrients are lost because they remain locked in the fiber, but some claim juicing actually accesses nutrients that the body would have just eliminated with the fiber if it was not separated from the fiber. So it depends on how you look at it, and what your current fiber consumption is already. <

 

Jessifly... I liked your comment as well, although I'm not sure I understand this comment. I'm trying to get a mental picture of this and when doing so the picture gets distorted...

 

I don't want to assume but I got a feeling with the above quote you were comparing blending to juicing... So you wrote that a juicer may extract some of the nutrients that are locked within a cell wall that normally would have been eliminated because it was locked within(?) the fiber? ... or eliminated because the fiber existed with the nutrients, even though the nutrients have been "unlocked"...ie blending? The latter doesn't make sense to me in that as long as the cell wall has been broken and the nutrients released it shouldn't matter if the left over fiber is still in the same environment as the nutrients, right? The fiber doesn't inhibit the absorption of the released nutrients, am I safe by stating that or no?

 

Thanks for pointing this out... in comparing juicing to a regular blender I think a lot of the nutrients are not accessed by blending. But, in comparing juicing to a vita-mix (or similar-type blender) I think the nutrients are unlocked (cell wall broken) effectively either way. So with that in mind it would be a matter of if you want the fiber or not, and if you want it to digest slowly or have the nutrients assimilated more quickly. I don't know specifically that fiber inhibits any nutrient absorption (unless the slower assimilation allows oxidation during the digestive process? I don't know) I have read though that it slows sugar absorption so if sugar is a concern better to blend or eat whole fruits/veggies, but that is another topic. Again this is just an opinion-based comment

[Troy]

Right on Jessifly... thanks for clarifying... opinion or not, its logical and sometimes thats all we have to go on.

[belleadonna]

Juicing and blending all have their place. No need to chose one over another.

 

Juicing- saves the body having to digest hard to digest high starch veggies like carrots and beets

 

Blending- saves time and breaks down cell walls

 

Chewing- use your mouth as a blender!!

 

I do all three!!