Apple juice has received a lot of publicity as a weight loss drink. This is mainly because of its high concentrations of pectin. However, apple juice isn’t the best natural drink if you are trying to lose weight; it is HYDRATING, but not NORMALIZING your metabolism.
Can You Lose Weight Drinking Apple Juice?
Making wise choices in the beverage department can definitely help you avoid weight gain and obesity. Drinks that seem perfectly healthy, such as apple juice and other fruity beverages, give you essential nutrients you need in your diet. But they also deliver a lot of extra calories if you drink them in excess. Drink fruit juice sparingly on your reduced-calorie diet.
Sugary Drinks
Regular soft drinks — colas, root beers, sweetened fruit punches and energy drinks — have a bad rap among dieters because of the empty calories they contain. The Harvard School of Public Health reports that watery, sugary beverages can be hazardous to people trying to lose weight, as the body doesn’t register the calories the beverages contain. According to Mayo Clinic, a 12-oz. can of regular soda can have 140 calories and 9 tsp. of added sugar. Fruit juice may be a healthier choice than soda pop simply because juice gives you vitamins and nutrients your body needs. However, when you compare them with a regular soft drink, apple juice and orange juice contain just as much sugar — and an equal number of calories or more.
Apple Juice
A single serving of brand-name apple juice has 100 calories and 15 g carbohydrates, all of which come from sugar. It also gives you 20 percent of your daily value, or DV, for vitamin C based on a 2,000-calorie diet, as well as 2 percent of your DV for calcium and iron. However, here’s the caveat: A serving size is 6.75 oz., which is less than a cup. If you were to drink 12 oz. of apple juice — the size of a can of regular cola — you’d get around 178 calories from the beverage.
Healthier Beverages
Harvard recommends getting most of your fluid intake from plain water — at least half, but up to 100 percent is fine. Leave one-third of your daily beverage intake for unsweetened tea or coffee and up to 20 percent for low-fat or nonfat milk. If you favor fruit juice, drink it very sparingly. One 4-oz. serving is all you need during the course of your day. Harvard advises giving regular and diet soft drinks a miss completely. Water doesn’t need to be bland and tasteless; if you crave a refreshing, fruity low-calorie drink, add a splash of fruit juice to plain or sparkling water and serve it on ice. Enhance the flavor even more with a twist of citrus or a sprig of crushed mint.
Managing Weight
Eating a nutritious diet can help you get the right number of calories you need for a healthy weight. Emphasize whole fruits and vegetables and whole grain foods. Choose lean sources of protein, such as lean cuts of meat, skinless poultry, fish and beans. Go very low on saturated fat, Tran’s fat, sodium, cholesterol and added sugar. Exercise portion control. Rather than reach for fruit juice, pick whole fruit. One medium apple has only 80 calories and gives you 18 percent of your DV for dietary fiber.
Is apple juice good for weight loss?
Apples may help you lose weight. People who ate apple slices before a meal felt fuller than those who ate applesauce, apple juice, or no apple products, according to one research (2, 3). In the same study, participants who began their meal with apple slices consumed 200 less calories than those who did not (2.8 ounces vs. 5.8 ounces). Apple’s fiber and fluid intake can also help you feel full longer. One small study found that participants who drank apple juice before meals lost more weight than those who drank water
Apple products are high in fructose, which can increase insulin levels after eating, leading some researchers to question whether including them in your diet could cause weight gain. However, most studies have shown that consuming fruit juice is not harmful for weight loss; it’s probably even good for you if you’re trying to lose weight. The key is to eat something else with your juice for balance. For example, if you drink a glass of 100% fruit juice, then eat a cookie, you’ll be drinking 300 calories liquid style instead of eating 300 calories solid style.
The American Cancer Society recommends that you should eat at least two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables per day. Fruits are healthy and nutritious, but they can also add extra fat if they contain sugar. Apples are a great source of vitamin C and potassium. The fiber in apples helps you feel full longer and avoid hunger pangs between meals.
Does Apple increase weight?
Weight reduction benefits: According to research, incorporating apples in an otherwise healthy and balanced diet may help weight loss. Apple consumption has been linked to weight loss in trials of overweight women who follow a low-calorie or weight-reduction diet . One study found that obese people lost more weight when they also reduced their intake of calories from sugar sweetened beverages, including apple juice
Apples are high in fiber and vitamin C and contain small amounts of calcium and other nutrients. They’re also very acidic – the chemical makeup of an apple’s flesh is about 5.3 using a scale where 7 is neutral. That means eating too many apples can cause some digestive problems for those who aren’t used to the acidity of this fruit. However, since most people don’t eat enough apples to suffer from its digestion effects, the health benefits typically come out on top.
Apple weight gain: Although apples have many health benefits, eating too many can lead to weight gain. This is mainly due to the energy density of apples; one apple contains about 100 calories but also provides 4 grams of fat and approximately 6 grams of carbohydrate. Eating several apples daily could thus contribute to weight gain over time.
The type of apple you eat may affect its ability to turn you into a giant blob.
Is the apple diet healthy?
Researchers believe that including apples into an otherwise healthy and balanced diet may aid in weight loss. One study found that obese people lost more body fat when they included apples into their diets than when they substituted sugar for apples (16).
Apples are good for you because they’re nutritious and filling. They contain many vitamins and minerals, including potassium, vitamin C, folate, and fiber. Apples also have phytochemicals called polyphenols that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Polyphenols have been shown to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and other illnesses.
However, not all varieties of apples are equal when it comes to nutrition. Bananas are a better choice for weight loss because they’re high in fiber and low in calories. Apple juice is empty calories because it contains no nutrients except for some vitamin C from the fruits that are pressed to make it. Eating the apple itself will give you its nutritional value with fewer calories.
People tend to eat less food when they’re hungry instead of eating whenever they feel like it. To avoid overeating, try keeping some apples in your car or desk drawer at work to eat if you become hungry between meals.
How does eating an apple a day help you lose weight?
Eating an apple before a meal is an excellent strategy to reduce weight. Aside from having only 50-80 calories, an apple has no fat or salt. Furthermore, the high fibre content of an apple makes you feel full. For these reasons, eating an apple every day can help you lose weight.
The apple diet was popular in the 1980s, when it was suggested that the diet should include 30 grams of fibre daily. The idea was that since apples are high in fibre, then eating them frequently would be effective in losing weight. However, recent studies have shown that even though fibre plays an important role in reducing weight, adding more fibre to your diet shouldn’t be your only goal. You should also adjust the other factors such as calorie intake and exercise so that you do not go beyond your limit of fibre consumption.
There are several other benefits of eating apples daily. They are rich in vitamin C and potassium, which help build strong bones and muscles respectively. Apples also contain phytochemicals, which give fruits their color and taste. These nutrients provide many health benefits but most importantly they help fight cancer and heart disease. Eating an apple a day can thus help you maintain good health and maybe even lose weight.
Whole apples are an extremely healthy food, but apple juice has pros and cons.
When apples are juiced, their hydrating quality is maximized, and some plant compounds are retained.
However, juicing reduces other benefits of whole apples, including fiber and the ability to satisfy hunger.
Here are 4 benefits of drinking apple juice and some downlines:
1. Supports hydration
Apple juice is 88% water and tastes good. This makes it easy to consume — especially for those who are sick and at an increased risk of dehydration
In fact, some pediatricians recommend half-strength apple juice — a mix of half juice, half water — for sick kids who are mildly dehydrated and at least one year old
In a study of mildly dehydrated children with diarrhea and vomiting, those offered diluted apple juice were 6.5% less likely to need fluids delivered via their veins than those given a medicinal electrolyte drink
Though electrolyte drinks are specially formulated to rehydrate, some children don’t like the taste and won’t drink them. They’re also relatively expensive.
Diluted apple juice is a practical and pleasant alternative for kids, as well as adults
Be sure to drink diluted juice to rehydrate, as the high sugar content of full-strength juice can draw excess water into your gut and worsen diarrhea — particularly during recovery from illness
2. Contains beneficial plant compounds
Apples are rich in plant compounds, particularly polyphenols. While the majority of these compounds are in the peel, some from the apple flesh are retained in the juice (7Trusted Source).
These plant compounds may protect your cells from inflammation and oxidative damage. Both of these processes are underlying factors in chronic conditions, including certain cancers and heart disease
In one study, healthy men drank a 2/3 cup (160 ml) of apple juice, then scientists drew their blood. Oxidative damage in their blood was suppressed within 30 minutes of drinking the juice, and this effect continued for up to 90 minutes .
3. May support heart health
Plant compounds — including polyphenols — in apple juice may be particularly beneficial for heart health.
Polyphenols may prevent LDL (bad) cholesterol from becoming oxidized and building up in your arteries. Higher levels of oxidized LDL are linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke (10Trusted Source).
One study observed that when healthy adults drank 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of clear apple juice daily for 6 weeks, their LDL (bad) cholesterol was 20% more resistant to oxidation compared to the start of the study
4. May protect your brain as you age
Preliminary studies suggest that apple juice may support brain function and mental health as you age.
Some of this protection may be due to the antioxidant activity of the polyphenols found in the juice. They may shield your brain from damage by unstable molecules called free radicals
Downsides of apple juice
1. May contribute to weight gain
If you drink apple juice, portion control is essential. A 1-cup (240-ml) serving has 114 calories, while a medium-size apple has 95 calories
The juice can be consumed faster than a whole apple, which can cause you to take in a large number of calories over a short period of time.
2. Low in vitamins and minerals
A 1-cup (240-ml) serving of apple juice is not a good source of any vitamins or minerals, meaning it doesn’t supply at least 10% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for any micronutrient
That said, vitamin C — or ascorbic acid — is commonly added. In many cases, apple juice is fortified to provide 100% or more of the RDI for vitamin C per serving .
3. High in sugar — low in fiber
Choose 100% juice varieties rather than drinks that are a blend of apple juice, added sugar, and water.
Still, virtually all of the calories in 100% apple juice come from carbs — mostly from fructose and glucose, two naturally-occurring sugars