Fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of health. The reason is that so much its vitamins, such as its minerals, its fiber and its low energy content They make them essential foods to obtain in a balanced way the nutrients we need for our body to remain healthy and vital. Its presence in the daily diet is so necessary that Any strategy that favors or contributes to its consumption is welcome.

This is precisely the case with juices. The wide range of possibilities that its preparation offers is not only good news from a nutritional point of view, but also from that of pleasure.

It is true that a good part of the fiber is lost, which means, among other things, that its sugars, especially when it comes to fruit juices, pass more quickly into the blood, and that precisely for this reason juices cannot replace the consumption of whole fruit. But natural juices, preferably freshly squeezed at home, can provide benefits in many situations and know when and how to take them without falling into excess that could be harmful can be a great help.

Here We resolve some common doubtsas if appropriate dilute or not the juices, if you can pass everything one day drinking only juices or if it’s a good idea drink juice with food.

You will also find a selection of juices with healthy propertieswith its therapeutic application in each case.

When and how is it healthy to drink juices?

There are no fixed rules about how much juice should be taken per day and what is the best time to consume it. All It will largely depend on the nutritional needs of the person. and the composition of the rest of the diet. But within the framework of a healthy diet, one or two glasses of juice daily is a prudent measure.

At the moment, factors such as personal tolerances or pace of life decide. However, in general, you can take in any of the food intakes that we usually do daily.

What should be taken into account when preparing a juice?

To take advantage of the benefits of juices and avoid some common mistakes when drinking them, different aspects must be taken into account:

• The preparation of a good juice Start with a good selection of seasonal fruits and vegetablespossibly biological.
• Another basic requirement is take it immediately after preparation to avoid nutritional losses.
• Because of its freshness, because of the amount of nutrients, because you can choose more, Homemade natural juices are better than packaged ones.
• If they are purchasedyou should opt for juices obtained naturally and not based on concentrates. The packaging must record the vitamin content of the fruits and/or vegetables and not what results from subsequent enrichment.

Who are juices most recommended for?

In principle, and as a general rule, everyone can enjoy its benefitsbut it is evident that in certain circumstances its benefits increase and may even represent the solution to achieve sufficient fruit and vegetable consumption.

To the athletes the juices will allow them quickly add sugars, water and minerals after sports practice.

Children are one of the target groups of juices, which does not mean that they should not consume their entire ingredients. That would be the most desirable thing!

However, in some cases the use of juices can be minimize the usual resistances that the little ones present to consume fresh products of the garden.

Juices and, especially smoothies, so as not to lose fiber, They can also be a solution for the elderly with dental problems.

But there are more situations in which juices are indicated as in cases of loss of appetite, when it is interesting to reduce the fiber intake or for people who don’t usually eat vegetables.

Other doubts about the consumption of juices

These are some common questions that may arise when drinking juices on a daily basis or wanting to take better advantage of their benefits:

Is it advisable to dilute juices?

It is whenever for one reason or another you want to reduce its nutritional content, for example, caloric content. in case of weight loss diets or the total amount of juice and, therefore, sugars.

Is it a good idea to spend a day drinking only juices?

It depends on the objective. It can be, for example, if you want to give the digestive tract a rest or reduce calorie intake by doing a well-planned detox.

But, In no case is it a trivial measure, and it is best to always consult with your doctor or a specialist.

Being a liquid food, can it replace water?

No. Drinking a glass of juice is not equivalent to drinking a glass of water given the difference in their nutritional content. Hence, each liquid has its own health indications.

Can we drink juices as a table drink?

Yes, in fact it is a good way to incorporate the consumption of fruits or vegetables into our menus; but we must not lose sight of the fact that they should never replace water consumption.

Why is it better to drink whole fruit than juice?

Because taken as suchThe fruit provides us with its nutritional content in its entiretysomething that cannot be said about juices. It not only provides all the fiber but also some nutrients carried by it.

Are fruit juices and vegetable juices very different?

There are energy differences, since fruits contain sugars and therefore a greater number of calories. So, for example, orange juice contains twice as many calories as tomato juice. They are 36 kcal / 100 g compared to 18 kcal / 100 g.

In the morning, drinking fruit juice can help replenish carbohydrate reserves. At other times of the day we may be more interested in drinking vegetable juice.

9 juice recipes to gain health

Especially when the heat is on, natural and homemade juices with fresh vegetables and fruits are the healthiest refreshment. But they are an ideal drink for the whole year: By combining fruits and vegetables you can make juices with different therapeutic indications.

Qwe can choose rich foods in iron in case of deficiency of this mineral, or in folic acid in case of pregnancy, and include them in our juices, for example.

Here we propose juice recipes designed to provide you with more nutrients, depending on different needs:

• Vitamin C cocktail: 150 g of strawberries, a lemon and a pineapple slice of about 100 g. A glass of this juice more than covers the daily recommendation of this vitamin.
• Folic acid shake: 150 g of strawberries, 2 kiwis and an orange. This juice is ideal in situations where the demand for this vitamin is important, such as pregnancy.
• Ultralight juice. A slice of watermelon (about 200 g) and two lemons. It is a delicious mix with two of the fruits with the least calories.
• Ferric soft drink. A small beet (about 100 g), a bunch of parsley (about 50 g) and a slice of pineapple (about 150 g). It is a good help when this mineral is scarce.
• Anti-stress green juice: 100 g of lettuce, 50 g of spinach and two kiwis. A mixture to keep calm.
• Calcium cocktail: 100 g of endives, 100 g of carrots and 100 g of lettuce. This green juice is a great bone booster.
• Orange protection: Prepare the juice with 200 g of loquats and an orange. It is packed with vitamins for your skin.
• Revitalizing fruit juice: 75 g of strawberries, 75 g of kiwi, one orange and 50 g of pineapple. A combination that increases your vital tone.
• Anti-radical orange: An orange, a medium carrot and a lemon. Betacarotenes and vitamin C to combat free radicals.