A cup of apple juice can already provide you with the nutritive value of almost ten different minerals and vitamins. Read on to find out why apple juice has become not only the favorite beverage of kids but of athletes and active people of all age groups as well.
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Apple Juice Benefits
Even without additional sugar, apple juice has a sufficient amount of carbohydrates from its natural content of glucose and fructose. An eight-ounce serving, in fact, is equivalent to 10% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for carbohydrates in a diet with 2,000 calories. A good option to soft drinks and soda, apple juice contains polyphenol antioxidants and vitamin C.
University of Massachusetts researchers have suggested that it can help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, a medical condition characterized by confusion and memory loss. Apple juice consumption may decrease the production of beta-amyloid, the protein that causes plaque to form in the brain. This plaque can build up over time and develop into Alzheimer’s disease.
5 Fun Facts About Apples
What is Apple Juice Good For?
It contains the following vitamins and minerals:
- Iron
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Manganese
- Sodium
- Phosphorus
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
Because of its low glycemic index, it has the capacity to enable the body to metabolize carbohydrates into energy. Apple juice is also a source for hydration of tired muscles. Consuming apple juice will not increase the level of blood pressure, with just 10 milligrams of sodium per single serving.
High blood pressure, a.k.a. hypertension, is a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks. Apple juice contains no cholesterol which may cause health problems such hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), diabetes, coronary artery disease, among others, if consumed in foods and drinks on a long-term basis.
The combination of the minerals in apple juice reduces risks of bone disease, helps increase metabolic function, and improves general cardiovascular health. The vitamin C in this juice acts as an antioxidant in combating free radicals that damage DNA and cause cancer. The vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) content in apple juice has numerous benefits for various bodily systems.
According to American Dietetic Association (ADA) spokesperson Dee Sandquist, vitamin B6 is helpful to functions of the cardiovascular, immune, muscular, digestive, and nervous systems. It is also essential for brain development and in the production of serotonin and norepinephrine, the hormones which affect mood and melatonin which regulates the body’s internal clock.
Apple juice is ideal for those who watch their weight or on a weight loss diet because one serving has only 116 calories.
Additionally, apple juice contains fiber that acts as an appetite suppressant that can keep you fuller for longer because it doesn’t get digested easily by the body. Also, the pectin in apple juice cleans out the bloodstream of toxic substances.
Organic Apple Juice – Why It’s Healthier
Organically-grown apples are healthier because the soil they are cultivated in is not sprayed with pesticides or maintained with the use of fertilizers, both of which have been found to contain high levels of chemicals, including arsenic. This has been revealed in a report released by Dr. Mehmet Oz that showed some of the best known apple juice brands had arsenic content.
Dr. Oz got criticisms for worrying parents of children who drank these brands. According to the former acting head of the CDCP (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Dr. Oz’s report was “extremely” irresponsible. This may have prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to level of 10 parts per billio of inorganic arsenic in apple juice.
This is the same level for arsenic in regular drinking water set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The FDA currently has no set standard for apple juice. With all of this going on, ensure that you buy only apples which have been certified as 100% organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and make your own juice from them.
Apple Juice Nutrition Facts
The report did not make a distinction between organic arsenic and inorganic arsenic. The latter is a carcinogen which causes cancer while the former is a naturally-occurring substance which can quickly pass through the human body.
So if the apples in your apple juice are 100% organic, there is no cause for alarm; the fact that apple juice has nutritional value is not debatable.
So if you managed to get through all of the details outlined above you may have noticed that I strongly believe it is much better to make your own fresh apple juice.
