|
Day 11 - Apple Juice
When it comes to apple juice, "cloudier" may mean healthier, according
to a study published in January 2007, in the Journal of the Science of
Food and Agriculture.
In a head-to-head comparison of apple juices, Polish researchers found
that pulpy, non-clarified juice carried a greater antioxidant punch
than clear juice. Antioxidants are compounds that neutralize free
radicals, molecules that can damage body cells and contribute to
disease.
Unlike cloudy apple juice, the much more common clear variety undergoes
additional processing to remove any apple solids. Manufacturers
typically think the public will favor the more attractive, clear juice
over its cloudy cousin, and retailers prefer the clear variety for its
longer shelf life.
But the new findings suggest that health-conscious consumers should
reach for the cloudy variety, according to Dr. Jan Oszmianski, the
study's lead author. "Cloudy apple juices contain much more antioxidant
than clear," says Dr. Oszmianski, a researcher at the Agricultural
University of Wroclaw.
In fact, Oszmianski's team found, cloudy juice packed up to four times
the level of polyphenols, a group of antioxidant plant compounds. And
in experiments, cloudy juice was the more effective free radical
"scavenger," the researchers report in their findings.
In addition, Researchers at the University of California-Davis recently
reported that apples and apple juice may help protect arteries from
harmful plaque build-up. In the first study conducted in humans, adults
who added two apples, or 12 ounces of 100% apple juice, to their daily
diet demonstrated a significant slowing of the cholesterol oxidation
process that leads to plaque build-up - thereby giving the body more
time to rid itself of cholesterol before it can cause harm. Enjoy
some apples or cloudy apple juice each day and keep the doctor away!
You can also find Apples in some of your favorite Wholefood Farmacy
Foods such as Fruitalicious, Fruitalicious Plus and Phi Plus.
Have you, your family and your children had some apples or cloudy apple
juice today?
Visit The Wholefood Farmacy
|