Is Juice Concentrate Bad For You?
Short answer
Due to the extra sugar and preservatives, juice concentrate can be bad for you if it is not 100% real fruit juice. However, concentrates from only 100% real juice are nearly as healthy as freshly-squeezed juice!
Recommended Alternative
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Juice concentrate is a juice that has had most of its water content removed. There are many different varieties of juice concentrate, and those from 100% juice can be almost as healthy as fresh juice. Fresh juices still have higher levels of nutrients than their juice concentrate counterparts, but concentrates still maintain good vitamin content despite going through evaporation and filtration processes.
While the nutrients present depend on the type of juice in question, vitamin C is often top of the list. Vitamin C is great for immune function and therefore for healing wounds and preventing illness and infection. Vitamin A is often present as well, and is essential for healthy skin and vision, as is potassium, which helps manage blood pressure. Recombined with the water that keeps your body hydrated, in moderation, 100% real juice concentrates are actually a decent addition to your diet.
However, this changes once you move into artificial juice territory. Unfortunately you need to be savvy when it comes to concentrate labels-- if it doesn't specifically state it is 100% real fruit juice concentrate, then it isn't. These products will be called "punch", "drink", "cocktail", or "beverage" and will contain much more sugar as well as other additives and preservatives. These added sugars are stored in your body as fat, and can contribute to weight gain and obesity. Many artificial juices contain high fructose corn syrup, which can lead to obesity, diabetes, and hyperactivity. The vitamin content of these artificial juice drinks is also much lower, and in some cases almost non-existent.
While juice concentrates are less expensive and easier to store than fresh juices, the benefits may outweigh the costs if you are opting for artificial varieties. Concentrates from 100% juice are almost as nutritious as fresh juice, but your best options are still whole fruit or fresh fruit juices.
Possible short-term side effects
- blood sugar spike
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hyperactivity
Possible long-term side effects
Ingredients to be aware of
Benefits
- improves immune function
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protects against illness and infection
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lowers blood pressure
-
maintains healthy skin
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maintains healthy vision
Healthier alternatives
- freshly squeezed juice
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whole fruit
Our Wellness Pick
(what is this?)
Pomona Organic Tart Cherry Juice
- Non-GMO
- No added sugar
- Not from concentrate
- Gluten-free
- Kosher certified
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Written by Lindsay
Published on: 01-27-2016
Last updated: 12-01-2023
Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Lindsay
Published on: 01-27-2016
Last updated: 12-01-2023
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