1. Support hydration
In fact, some pediatricians recommend half strength apple juice—a mixture of half juice and half water—for mildly dehydrated and sick children at least one year old .
In a study of mildly dehydrated children with diarrhea and vomiting, those who provided diluted apple juice were 6.5% less likely to require fluid delivery through the vein than those who took medicinal electrolyte drinks.
Although electrolyte drinks are specially formulated to supplement water, some children do not like the taste and will not drink it. They are also relatively expensive.
Diluted apple juice is a practical and pleasant substitute for children and adults .
Be sure to drink diluted juice to replenish water, because the high sugar content of full-strength juice draws excess water into the intestines and aggravates diarrhea—especially during the recovery period .
In the case of more severe dehydration, it is still recommended to drink medicinal electrolyte beverages. Although the potassium content in apple juice is similar to electrolyte drinks, it has very little sodium. When you are sick, sodium is also lost through body fluids.
2. Contains beneficial plant compounds
These plant compounds can protect your cells from inflammation and oxidative damage. Both of these processes are underlying factors for chronic diseases, including certain cancers and heart disease .
In one study, healthy men drank 2/3 cup (160 ml) of apple juice, and then scientists drew their blood. The oxidative damage in their blood was suppressed within 30 minutes after drinking the juice, and this effect lasted for up to 90 minutes .
For more polyphenols, choose cloudy juices with pulp instead of clear juices with pulp removed .
An analysis found that turbid apple juice contains 62% more polyphenols than clear juice .
Most store-bought apple juice has a transparent appearance, which means you can see through it easily. Organic product types to the more common form of turbidity.
3. May support heart health
Polyphenols can prevent low-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol from being oxidized and accumulating in the arteries. Higher levels of oxidized low-density lipoprotein are associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
A study observed that when healthy adults drank 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of clear apple juice daily for 6 weeks, their LDL (bad) cholesterol resistance to oxidation compared to when the study started Increased by 20%.
In addition, when healthy women drank 1 1/4 cups (310 ml) of clear apple juice, compared with placebo drinks, their blood antioxidant activity increased by nearly 11% within 1 hour after drinking the juice .
This increase in antioxidant activity means more potential protection against heart disease. Nevertheless, more human studies are needed to confirm these heart health benefits.
4. Protect your brain as you age
Part of this protection may be due to the antioxidant activity of polyphenols found in fruit juices. They can protect your brain from unstable molecules called free radicals .
In a series of studies, elderly mice drink apple juice every day, which is equivalent to 2-3 cups (480-720 ml) of apple juice for a person. When the rats drank the juice for a month, they:
- Compared with the control group who did not receive the juice, they performed significantly better on the maze-based memory test
- Maintains the level of acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine is a neural messenger, important for memory and good mental health, and tends to decrease with age—just like the control group in this study
- Inhibits the increase of β-amyloid protein fragments in the brain, which is related to brain damage in Alzheimer's disease.
In addition, when patients with Alzheimer's disease drank 1 glass (240 ml) of apple juice a day for 1 month, their behavioral and mental symptoms-such as anxiety , irritability, and false beliefs-improved by 27%. However, memory and problem-solving skills have not improved .
Further human studies are needed to confirm the benefits of apple juice for brain function and clarify how much is needed for this.
5 disadvantages of apple juice
Here are the top 5 problems related to drinking apple juice and ways to overcome some of them.
1. May cause weight gain
If you drink apple juice, controlling the amount is essential. A 1 cup (240 ml) apple contains 114 calories, while a medium-sized apple contains 95 calories .
Juice is consumed faster than a whole apple, which can cause you to consume a lot of calories in a short period of time.
In addition, juice is not particularly good at satisfying hunger or helping you feel full. This may cause you to burn too many calories .
In one study, adults were given equal amounts of whole apples, applesauce, or apple juice, depending on the calories. The whole apple can best satisfy their hunger. Juice is the least full-even with added fiber .
For these reasons, compared with eating whole apples, drinking fruit juice has a greater risk of consuming too many calories and weight gain. This is true for both adults and children .
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following daily juice limits:
| 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) |
One cup (240 ml) is also the recommended daily limit for adults .
2. Low vitamin and mineral content
1 cup (240 ml) of apple juice is not a good source of any vitamins or minerals, which means it cannot provide at least 10% of any micronutrient reference daily intake (RDI) .
In other words, vitamin C-or ascorbic acid is usually added . In many cases, apple juice is fortified to provide 100% or more vitamin C RDI per serving .
If not fortified, each serving of apple juice can provide about 2% of this vitamin RDI. In contrast, a medium-sized apple averages 9% of the RDI .
If you eat a variety of whole fruits and vegetables, you can easily meet the vitamin C quota without having to drink fortified juices.
3. High sugar-low fiber
Choose a 100% fruit juice variety instead of a beverage that is mixed with apple juice, sugar and water.
Nevertheless, almost 100% of all the calories in apple juice come from carbohydrates-mainly from fructose and glucose, two naturally occurring sugars .
At the same time, a 1 cup (240 milliliters) of juice-whether clear or cloudy-provides only 0.5 grams of fiber.
In contrast, a medium apple with a skin contains 4.5 grams of fiber-or 18% of the RDI-this nutrient .
Fiber as well as protein and fat help slow digestion and promote a moderate increase in blood sugar. The combination of high sugar and low fiber in fruit juice can make your blood sugar soar.
If you drink apple juice, match it with foods that contain protein and healthy fats to reduce its impact on blood sugar .
For example, when healthy adults eat apple juice, bread, and peanut butter for breakfast, their blood sugar rise is reduced by 30% compared to the same meal without peanut butter .
4. Promote tooth decay
Drinking juice is related to tooth decay. Bacteria in the mouth consume the sugar in the juice and produce acid, which can corrode tooth enamel and cause tooth decay .
In a test tube study that evaluated the effects of 12 different types of juice on teeth, it was found that apple juice had the greatest corrosion effect on tooth enamel.
If you drink apple juice, avoid rinsing in your mouth. The longer the tooth is exposed to sugar, the greater the likelihood of tooth decay. Using straws can also reduce the risk of tooth decay .
5. Contaminated by pesticides
If you drink non-organic juices, pesticide contamination is another problem. Pesticides are used against insects, weeds and fungi against chemicals to protect crops.
When the USDA tested 379 non-organic 100% apple juice samples, about half of them contained detectable levels of at least one pesticide .
Although these residues are below the limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, children are more exposed to pesticides than adults. If your child often drinks apple juice, it is best to choose organic .
Organic juices are also more suitable for adults because it is not certain that long-term exposure to small amounts of pesticides will increase the risk of certain cancers, fertility problems or other health problems .
Bottom line
However, with the whole apple with than apple juice is not very full, can not provide too much fiber, vitamins or minerals.
However, if you really like it, please choose turbid organic juice with pulp to obtain more beneficial plant compounds and avoid pesticide pollution.
Because of its high calorie content, be sure to enjoy this juice in moderation.
