Fresh homemade apple juice tastes good, but did you know you can also reap health benefits from juicing apples too? I’ve done the hard work of digging through the research and have compiled all you need to know about the advantages of apple juice in one easy to read article.
Already sold on the idea of juicing apples? Here’s my all in one guide on How To Make Apple Juice. I leave no question unanswered.
Please discuss health benefits of apple juice with your doctor prior to making any diet changes or making any medical decisions. This article is for informational purposes. It’s not medical advice.
Table of contents
- Store bought apple juice vs homemade apple juice
- Apple juicing benefits: Nutritional components
- Advantages of apple juice versus whole apples
- Ways to boost the nutritional value of your fresh juice
- Green apple juicing benefits
- Conclusion
Apples are a popular snack for many reasons. Whole apples are very accessible, versatile, and of course they’re super tasty! It’s well know that apples are highly nutritious. They have been proven to have positive health benefits when eaten whole.
Less research, however, has been done on different forms of apples and their benefits. Studies on apple juice, apple cider, and vinegar, for example, to determine if they would produce the same health benefits are not as abundant.
Store bought apple juice vs homemade apple juice
You may be wondering if the juice you find in the store is the same as homemade fresh apple juice. The answer is, it depends!
When you make apple juice for the first time at home, either with your juicer or with a blender, you’ll notice one big difference. The clarity and color of your juice. Juice that is less processed, like the juice you can make at home, will be cloudy.
The typical store bought apple juice is processed and filtered to look clear. During processing, fiber, phytochemicals and other components are removed or destroyed. These are the components making the juice look cloudy. As you can imagine, removing these components decreases the positive impact your juice may have had on your health. Store bought apple juice can also have added sugar, although there are 100% juice brands to choose from.
If you decide to add sugar to your homemade juice, the risks of the increased sugar intake may outweigh the benefits of the apple juice alone. This would be a great discuss to have with your health care provider. Of note, cloudy apple juice has a similar amount of sugar as clear apple juice does as long as there has been no added sugar.
If you filter and remove the pulp from your juice made at home, you will also reduce some of the nutritional components.
Considering all these variables, I was specifically looking for research that was related to cloudy apple juice that had no added sugar. For the purposes of this article, I will cover the health benefits of cloudy juice, rather than the clear juice you may be more familiar with.
Apple juicing benefits: Nutritional components
To start, lets talk about the components of apples. Apples themselves are known for being rich in nutrients. In particular, they are great source of phytochemicals, vitamin C, dietary fibers and pectin. I will cover each of these in detail. I will describe what they are, what they do, and how our body benefits from their consumption.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals have antioxidant properties. These properties offer certain health protections that lowers the risk of some diseases.
A specific type of phytochemical called polyphenols are found in apples and apple juice. Polyphenols in apples have been found to prevent lung tissue damage from smoking and may decrease low density lipoprotein oxidation.
According to this study polyphenols “could overall reduce aging-induced cell damage and play a role in the prevention of a wide variety of chronic diseases and conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cancer, hypertension, asthma, infections, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, and many others”.
Polyphenols cover a wide variety of health benefits, which is so exciting! Of importance, polyphenols can be destroyed during the processing of apple juice during pulping, pressing and clarification. Because cloudy apple juice is not as processed, it has more polyphenols when compared to clear apple juice.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a well known antioxidant found in fresh apple juice. It disables free radicals, aids in the protection of cells and molecules against oxidative damage. This promotes prevention of certain diseases. Vitamin C may improve vascular function by increasing nitric oxide and subsequently causing vasodilation of blood vessels.
Fiber
There is a well know correlation between fiber consumption and reduced risk of diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, gastrointestinal disorders, and cancers. Food high in fiber will also make you feel fuller longer, which decreases overeating. There is a small amount of fiber in apple juice, but it still contains far less fiber than a whole apple.
Pectin
Pectin, a type of soluble fiber found in apples, is linked to health benefits in the digestive system. It promotes a healthy gut health. Pectin acts as a prebiotic and feeds the good bacteria in your gut while simultaneously inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria.
It may help with weight management, by making you feel fuller longer and may help control blood sugar levels and improve cholesterol levels. Pectin can enhance iron absorption, may help with acid reflux, and can help support your immune system.
An interesting fact about pectin, is that it can bind to metals. This can help facilitate their elimination and reduce absorption of toxic metals. Processing and filtering apple juice removes the pectin from it. This explains one of the reasons why clear juice doesn’t have the same health benefits as cloudy juice.
Apple peels are a great source of pectin. I recommend washing your apples well prior to juicing and leaving the peels on in order to make your juice as nutritious as possible.
Advantages of apple juice versus whole apples
Although there are benefits to eating a whole apple versus just the pure apple juice, juicing apples comes with its own advantages too. The main being its ease of consumption. Being able to take advantage of an apple’s health properties with fresh juice can help bring you closer to the daily recommendation of fruit servings.
Ways to boost the nutritional value of your fresh juice
Although homemade apple juice does have health benefits on its own, some people like to pack as much nutrition as they can with juicing. Juicing vegetables with apples is one way to do this. Apples provide a nice sweet balance when you pair them with the right vegetables.
For the most part, different apple varieties are quite similar in nutritional content. There can be some variations when it comes to sugar content. As mentioned above, leaving the peels on your apples for juicing will also help boost the nutritional value of your juice.
Green apple juicing benefits
Many people traditionally think of red apples when they think of apple juice, but green apples (Granny Smith Apples) are a great choice for a green juice blend. Granny smith apples are more tart and thus have a lower sugar content. If you are looking for an apple with less sugar but still provide flavor and a hint of sweetness, this is a perfect pick. You can even choose different apple varieties and mix and match for your juice.
Conclusion
As with most things, including juicing, moderation is important. Overconsumption of juice can lead to adverse health effects. Even though homemade fruit juices are less processed than store bought, they still contain natural sugars.
In general, the studies point to fresh apple juice having positive effects on a person’s health. In particular the research states “apple juice consumption has positive effects on markers related to cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and probably others.”.
There’s still more to learn about apple juice benefits or juicing in general. Apples when juiced with vegetables, is a great way and convenient way to reap nutritional benefits. A fresh cup of delicious juice can be a great addition to your healthy diet. Fresh fruit and vegetables along with fruit juice and vegetable juice can be a perfect part of a balanced diet.
Check out How to Make Apple Juice for tips and tricks to making the best apple juice at home. No juicer needed! Be on your way to making a glass of apple juice at home with the fresh apples you might have sitting around.
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