What about the sugar in juices?

Natural sugar is always preferable to refined sugar! To make a natural juice with minimal sugar content, it is advisable to use fruits with low sugar content, avoid fruits with high sugar content and focus mainly on juicing vegetables.

Should you peel your ingredients before juicing? What about the sugar?

Juicing has become a popular method for improving and maintaining overall health. However, the sugar content in juices, especially fruit juices, raises concerns about their impact on well-being.

Natural sugar vs. processed sugar

Pure fruit and vegetable juices contain sugar due to the sugar in their entire components. However, the sugar in natural juices is different from that in unhealthy "low-quality" foods and drinks. Foods and drinks such as candy and sodas are composed of processed sugars, which provide little nutritional value, are high in unhealthy fats and calories, contribute to weight gain, and pose risks to overall health. In contrast, natural juices contain not only natural sugars, but also nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Natural sugar is the healthier choice because it is digested more slowly, keeps blood sugar levels stable and supports a balanced metabolism.

How to make low sugar juice

Although it is healthier to consume natural sugar rather than processed sugar, it is still important to watch your sugar consumption and consume sugar in moderation. If you want to make natural juices with low sugar content, you should follow these tips.

1. Use low-sugar fruits

2. Avoid sugary fruits

3. Choose vegetables over fruits

We recommend that you speak to your doctor or naturopath before juicing if you have diabetes or other health restrictions or problems.

Apple Blackberries Cantaloupe Cucumber Grapefruit Honeydew melon kiwi lemon

lime Orange papaya peach Raspberries Strawberries Watermelon

2. Avoid fruits with high sugar content

Likewise, when making juices, it is advisable to avoid fruits with a high sugar content or to use them only in small quantities. Watch out for these high sugar fruits:

banana Cherries grapes Guava Lychee

mango Pear pomegranate Passion fruit

3. Choose vegetables over fruits

Vegetables are great for juicing because they contain less natural sugar compared to fruit. To reduce the sugar content in juices, it is recommended to use vegetables in particular. Here you will find a comprehensive list of vegetables that are ideal for juicing

arugula Beetroot carrot celery root celery Chard coriander fennel Ginger Greens Herbs Kale Kohlrabi

Lettuce Onion Parsley parsnip radish rhubarb spinach Pumpkins potatoes pumpkin turmeric Turnip Wheatgrass

For those new to juice, switching to purely vegetable-based juices can be a challenge at first due to taste preferences. A helpful tip is to start by incorporating low-sugar fruits into your juices and gradually reduce or eliminate them altogether once you get a taste for vegetable juices. Over time you will appreciate 100% vegetable juices. In the meantime, here's a tempting super green juice recipe from @mrs_kitchen_fairy with a mix of vegetables and low-sugar fruits:

Ingredients

- 1/2 pineapple
- 2 pickles
- 8 stalks of celery
- 1 cup kale
- 3 apples
- 1 lemon

Source:

https://www.cancercenter.com/community/blog/2022/10/natural-vs-refined-sugars-what-is-the-difference
https://chear.ucsd.edu/blog/understanding-natural-versus-added-sugars
https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/natural-versus-refined-sugar--what-s-the-difference.h00-159465579.html
https://health.unl.edu/sugar-fruits-what-matters-health
https://www.healthline.com/health/best-low-sugar-fruits
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320078#eight-low-sugar-fruits
https://www.realsimple.com/health/nutrition-diet/high-sugar-fruits
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-vegetables-to-juice
https://www.cleaneatingkitchen.com/best-vegetables-to-juice/
https://sprintkitchen.com/juicing-fruit-increase-sugar/