Fresh juice is a popular way to get vitamins in a drink, but not all juices are the same. Juices made from 100% fruits and vegetables are good for you because they have a lot of nutrients. However, when the fiber is taken out, they also give you a lot of natural "free sugars." cambridge.orgpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Fruit juices are usually sweeter and have more calories than vegetable juices, which have more savory flavors and fewer calories and sugar. Harvard Health says that juices don't have the fiber that whole fruits and vegetables do, and they often have a higher glycemic index than whole fruits, which means they can raise blood sugar more quickly. (health.harvard.edu). Nutritionists warn that juice calories add up quickly. Many people drink juice along with their diet instead of instead of it, which could make them eat more calories overall. (health.harvard.edu)

The most important differences are that fruit juices have more sugar and calories. For instance, 12 ounces of orange juice has about 165 calories and 41 grams of sugar, while the same amount of mixed vegetable juice has only 75 calories and 12 grams of sugar. (nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu). When you juice, you take out the fiber, which makes the sugars (which are naturally found in fruits and vegetables) "free sugars." These should make up less than 10% of your daily calories. (cambridge.orghealth.harvard.edu).  - Fiber: Most juice (fruit and vegetable) has very little fiber. (health.harvard.edu). Even natural sugars in juice get into the bloodstream quickly if there isn't any fiber to slow them down.  - Satiation: Whole fruits fill you up more than juice because the fiber and chewing slow down digestion. (health.harvard.edu). This makes drinking juice less enjoyable, and people often eat more calories on the side.

Nutrients and Health Benefits

Juices do have real nutrients and phytonutrients, but they are not all the same. Fruit juices are full of potassium, vitamin C, and folate. Many of them also have polyphenols, which are good for you. For example, orange juice is well-known for having a lot of vitamin C, and berry juices are known for having anthocyanins. According to observational studies, drinking 100% fruit juice is a great way to get more vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and potassium. These nutrients help keep your skin, blood pressure, and immune system healthy. But fruit juice also has a lot of fructose and glucose, so it's important to watch how much you drink.

Vegetable juices have a different mix of nutrients. Tomato juice is a classic example of a vegetable juice that is very common.  Tomato juice is full of lycopene, a carotenoid that is good for the heart and lowers the risk of cancer, as well as other antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol.  A lot of store-bought vegetable juices, like V8, are considered servings of vegetables.  A low-sodium V8 juice glass of 8 ounces has about 45 calories, 8 grams of carbohydrates and is a great source of vitamins A and C (and often potassium), according to healthline.com.  Vegetable juices mix together things like tomatoes, carrots, spinach, and others. They give you vitamins A (from carotenoids), K, C, and minerals without the high sugar content of fruit juices.  Be careful with the salt, though: most bottled vegetable juices add salt to make them taste better. For example, regular V8 has about 640 mg of sodium per 8 oz, while the low-sodium version has about 140 mg.  (Sodium is bad for your blood pressure.)

Benefits:

Fruit juices: Give you energy from natural sugars and important nutrients. Citrus, pomegranate, and tart cherry are all good sources of vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants. But they don't have any fiber and make blood sugar rise faster.

Vegetable juices have fewer calories and sugars (except for naturally sweet vegetables like carrots or beets) and are high in vitamins A and C and minerals like potassium. (healthline.com). Some vegetable juices, like tomato and beetroot, also have special chemicals (lycopene and nitrates) that are good for the heart and help blood flow better. They also help you reach your "5-a-day" veggie goal when it's hard to eat fresh vegetables.

How much sugar is in it and how it affects blood sugar

The biggest difference in nutrition between fruit and vegetable juices is the amount of sugar they contain. The fructose and glucose in juice can quickly get into the bloodstream if there isn't any fiber, which could cause a quick blood sugar spike. (spikeurmc.rochester.eduhealth.harvard.edu). An 8-ounce glass of carrot juice has about 9 grams of sugar, but an 8-ounce glass of orange juice has about 20–26 grams of sugar, which is more than twice as much. That's about six teaspoons of sugar in one glass of orange juice.  In general:

Fruit juices, like orange, apple, grape, and pineapple, have a lot of natural sugars (usually 15–25 g per cup) and are higher on the glycemic index. This can be hard for anyone who has to keep their blood sugar in check, but it's especially hard for diabetics.  Harvard experts say that fruit juices don't fill you up as well because they don't have fiber, so people may drink them with meals and add extra calories without meaning to.health.harvard.edu.

Vegetable juices, like tomato, celery, and spinach blends, have less sugar overall.  If they are mostly green vegetables, they usually only have 5 to 10 grams of sugar per cup.  Carrot or beet mixes have more sugar (a cup of beet juice might have about 13 g).  Most veggie juices have more electrolytes (potassium) and fewer simple carbs than fruit juices.  So, for most people, they don't raise blood sugar as much.

The World Health Organization says that the sugars in 100% juice are "free sugars" and that you should eat less than 10% of your daily calories from free sugars.cambridge.org. This means that you should only serve a small amount of juice.  The UK's Eatwell Guide says that adults should not drink more than 150 ml (about 5 oz) of 100% fruit juice per day. This is because juice has a lot of free sugar in it.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.  American pediatric guidelines also limit juice. For example, the AAP says that kids ages 1 to 3 should drink no more than 4 ounces of juice per day, and kids ages 4 to 6 should drink no more than 6 ounces of juice per day (and stop drinking it if they are gaining too much weight). The main point is to drink juice in moderation and, if you can, choose vegetable blends.

Managing your weight and keeping track of your calories

Vegetable juices are usually better for losing weight. They usually have fewer calories and can make people feel like they're eating more vegetables, which makes them feel full faster.  In a study of overweight adults, those who drank 1–2 cups of low-sodium vegetable juice every day as part of a balanced diet lost an average of 4 pounds over 12 weeks. Those who didn't drink the juice only lost 1 pound.  People who drank juice also found it easier to get the recommended amount of vegetables. Nutrition researchers say that replacing a high-calorie drink or snack with a glass of vegetable juice can help you eat less overall.

On the other hand, drinking fruit juice can make it hard to count calories. A small meal's worth of calories can be found in a serving of fruit juice. Juices can make you eat too much without meaning to because they are so easy to drink quickly. For instance, 8 ounces of apple juice or grape juice has about 110 to 140 calories and about 20 to 25 grams of sugar. When trying to lose weight, it's usually better to choose a low-calorie vegetable juice or mix juice with water.

Diabetes and Blood Sugar Control

Vegetable juices usually do better than other juices when it comes to controlling blood sugar. Fruit juices have a lot of sugar, which can quickly raise blood sugar levels. This is a problem for diabetics and anyone who is watching their carbs.  URMC nutritionists say that the high sugar content of juices "can quickly spike blood sugar levels, which makes them especially risky for those monitoring their blood sugar" (urmc.rochester.edu).  Most vegetable juices, on the other hand, have a much lower glycemic effect (except for sweeter ones like beet or carrot). For instance, tomato or green vegetable juice doesn't change blood sugar levels much.

That being said, you still need to watch how much you eat. There are some sugars and carbs in 100% vegetable juice, so it's best to eat it with protein or fiber to slow down absorption. Some studies (not covered in this article) even say that juices like pomegranate or cranberry may help with insulin sensitivity, but not everyone will see these benefits.

In real life, people with diabetes are usually told to drink more vegetable juices and less fruit juices. If you do drink fruit juice, pick ones with a lower glycemic load, like cherry or grapefruit juice, and only drink a little bit at a time. Always check your blood sugar to see how different juices affect you.

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