There are juice bars opening on every corner, and sipping on a juice has become the latest thing. So we thought we’d tackle the question, does drinking fruit juice provide the same health benefits as eating fruit? Drinking ½ cup (125ml) of pure fruit juice can supplement for one of your daily serves of fruit, but nutritionally it does not equal one piece of fruit.

Fibre is removed in the juicing process. Fibre helps to fill you up as well as playing an important role in keeping your bowel healthy and regular.

To be cancer smart, it’s important to include a variety of fruit and vegetables in your diet. We recommend you aim for at least 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegies a day. Juices are a nutritious alternative as they still contain cancer-fighting substances. Half a cup of fruit or vegetable juice can count for one of your daily serves, but we say if the choice is available go for whole fruits and vegetables rather than juice.

Watch your calorie intake! When you’re drinking juices be aware of the serving size. What’s considered a ‘regular’ size may be as much as 650ml. This quantity of fruit juice can contain around 400 calories (1680 kilojoules), the equivalent of more than 10 plain sweet biscuits.

Courtesy: The Cancer Council NSW, April 2005

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