Apple Juice: Risk and Its Health Benefits

Apple is one of the most popularly consumed fruits and it is prescribed by experts for its rich content of high-quality nutrients that are not only beneficial for maintaining your overall health, but also help to keep you hydrated throughout the day and supports the healthy functioning of various organs of your body like heart, brain, and many others.

All You Need to Know About Apple Juice:

Apple juice is exceptionally healthy when you have it in your everyday diet for breakfast or after a workout. Apples when squeezed into a glassful of juice contain a good number of nutrients and are heavily refreshing. In fact, what can be more refreshing than a glass of apple juice on a summer day?

When you squeeze out a normal regular-sized apple (approximately around 6.4 ounces or 182 grams), the juice consists of the following nutrients:

• Calories: 114

• Carbohydrates: 25 grams

• Fiber: 4 grams

• Vitamin K: 5% of the RDI

• Vitamin C: 14% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)

• Potassium: 6% of the RDI

Apart from these, apple juice contains 2–4% of the RDI for manganese, copper, other vital vitamins like vitamins A, E, B1, B2, and B6, and some other essential plant chemicals known as ‘Phyto nutrients.’

Let us know some of the health benefits that are provided by apple juice:

1. Keeps Your Body Hydrated:

Almost 88% of a glass of apple juice is occupied with water. Thus it is not only easy to consume and digest, but also delicious in taste. So, if in case you are suffering from any illness or any toothache, that makes it difficult for you to chew your food, you can easily have the essential nutrients through apple juice. Moreover, apple juice will help you to remain hydrated throughout the day, so for this reason, many doctors prescribe apple juice mixed with water as a prime food when you are sick with severe diseases, for example, diarrhea, and you need immense nutrients and also stay hydrated. This can apply to both adults and children. Apple juice mixed with water often acts as a natural electrolyte, that is healthier than the artificial ones and contains a natural taste.

But you should have water mixed apple juice or any other diluted juice to rehydrate carefully and always with the advice of your medical caregiver because these types of juices contain high levels of sugar that can draw excess water into your gut and lead to more fatal conditions of diarrhea, especially when you are recovering (1 Trusted Source).

2. Keeps Your Heart Healthy:

Researchers have found that apple juice is potential enough to maintain the healthy functioning of your heart. Apple juice extracts contain plant compounds like polyphenols that are highly beneficial for maintaining a healthy heart. The abundant plant compounds in apple juice help to reduce the levels of LDL or bad cholesterol and also prevents the oxidation and further deposition of these bad cholesterols on the walls of your heart, particularly the arteries which in turn can lead to serious risks of developing heart-related diseases like heart attacks, strokes, cardiac arrests and so on. A recent study has revealed that consumption of around 1 to 1/2 cups (approximately 375 ml) of clear apple juice daily for 6 weeks can reduce the levels of LDL or bad cholesterol by nearly 20% or more. Apart from controlling cholesterol levels, apple juice extracts are also beneficial for maintaining proper blood pressure and blood flow. (2 Trusted Source).

3. Regulates Proper Functioning of Brain:

The brain is considered as one of the primary organs of the body and it is highly crucial that proper functioning of the brain and the related nervous system is maintained properly. Experts say that apple juice contains extracts that are capable enough to keep your brain healthy, even at older ages, and even support a healthy mood, thus regulating normal mental health. Moreover, the rich amounts of essential dietary antioxidants and plant compounds like polyphenols present in apple juice help to protect your brain from damage as you age by fighting brain disorders caused by oxidative functions of disease-causing free radicals. Recent experiments even say that the health components in apple juice help to improve your memory, particularly among children and aged individuals and improve your mood and mental state by maintaining the levels of acetylcholine at an optimum. Apple juice extracts are also known to control brain damage and disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and mental health issues like anxiety, depression, restlessness, and so on.

Contains Essential Plant Components:

Apple juice contains huge amounts of high-quality plant compounds like polyphenols that are found both in the skin and the inner pulp that are highly recommended to protect your cells from inflammation and oxidative damage by free radicals. These compounds are beneficial for fighting cancer and various heart diseases (3 Trusted Source).

Potential Risks of Having Apple Juice:

Though apple juice contains a lot of nutrients and is packed with health benefits, there are certain downsides to it and some are advised to have the whole apple, instead of apple juice.

1. Causes excess weight gain:

If you drink apple juice, portion control is essential because apple juice contains high amounts of calories and sugar that can easily cause you to gain excess weight. Almost 1 glass or 240-ml of apple juice contains 114 calories, while a medium-sized apple contains only 95 calories. Moreover, when you consume apple juice, your hunger does not get satisfied completely and your body does not get the sense of fullness which is one of the prime reasons for gaining weight for a calorie surplus in your body. (4 Trusted Source).

A recent experiment concludes the following data: (5 Trusted Source)

Age Juice limit

1–3 1/2 cup (120 ml)

3–6 1/2–3/4 cup (120–175 ml)

7–18 1 cup (240 ml)

2. Low levels of vitamins and minerals:

Apple juice lacks the essential vitamins and minerals that are required for a healthy body. Experts say that around one glass or 240-ml of apple juice does not contain adequate vitamins or minerals which are comparatively more commonly found in a whole apple.

3. High calorie and sugar, but low fiber:

Apple juice is a rich source of high calories, added sugar, and water. These sugars, when digested in the form of fructose and further break down into glucose and can increase your blood sugar levels. So, people with diabetes or those who have similar kinds of blood sugar disorders must positively avoid having apple juice or can do so in strictly limited proportions and with the advice of a registered medical person.

Apple juice lacks essential dietary fiber along with important health components like protein and fat in notable amounts that are found in the whole apple. When you squeeze an apple into juice, it loses the essential fiber content within the inner flesh. Moreover, apple juice extracts, in some cases make the digestion process more sluggish and spike up the blood sugar level. (6 Trusted Source)

4. Wears out teeth:

Apple juice contains a high amount of sugar. When your teeth are exposed to these types of sugary drinks for a prolonged period, it leads to the growth of a certain kind of bacteria on the surface of your teeth that consume the sugars in juice break the sugar into harmful acids that causes wearing away of the enamel on tooth and lead to cavities and plaque and also several gum problems. (7 Trusted Source)

5. Chances of pesticide contamination:

Experts say that there is often a chance of contamination of pesticides, a type of chemicals that keeps away birds, insects, weeds, and mold away from crops in fields. A US-based study found that when you consume apple juice there is quite a possibility that it gets contaminated with pesticides. Such contaminations can worsen your health conditions and can even lead to harmful diseases like cancer, fertility problems, and some others.