One of the hardest things about keeping fit and healthy these days is the amount of cleverly worded, sneaky and downright untruthful marketing schemes we are exposed to. How many times you’ve seen an ad for something that is marketed as “all natural” or “100% real” only to find it isn’t that at all. It’s merely taking advantage of the wiggle room in FDA guidelines and laws. Unfortunately for us, one of the biggest culprits is 100% real fruit juice!
Fruit juice is delicious, and does have some nutritional benefits. However, there are a few things you may not realize that could put you off the store-brands for good. Everybody knows that most fruit juice is high in sugars, that’s because most fruits are and to expect the juice to be any different is silly. But fruit sugars don’t mean you shouldn’t be having it at all, simply in moderation.
What’s really in your 100% juice?
What’s the real nasty surprise in fruit juices is the amount of preservatives and additives allowed in so-called “100% natural juice”. Look at it this way… if you squeezed a bunch of oranges and made your own orange juice, it would probably last about 2-3 days in the fridge. 100% fruit juice should be no different, but opened it will last 7-10. At least! .
Yet, magically, brand-name juices can last months on the shelves of grocery stores, some not even needing refrigeration. That’s because of the preservatives pumped into the juice to keep them “fresh” for when you buy it a month or two after it was bottled.
I’m not saying these preservatives are the worst thing in the world, but in a culture where real natural food is disappearing fast, knowing where the fakes are is important.