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Vegetable Juice Is Very Helpful For Health

New research published in the l issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion shows that teens who drink 100 percent fruit juice have more nutritious diets overall compared to non-consumers. According to the findings, adolescents ages 12-18 that drank any amount of 100 percent fruit juice had lower intakes of total dietary fat and saturated fat and higher intakes of key nutrients, including Vitamins C and B6, folate, potassium and iron. Those who drank greater than six ounces of 100 percent juice a day also consumed more whole fruit and fewer added fats and sugars. Milk consumption was not affected by juice intake.

In addition, the study found no association between 100 percent fruit juice consumption and weight status in the nearly 4,000 adolescents examined – even among those who consumed the most juice.

According to the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Theresa Nicklas of the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine, encouraging consumption of nutrient-rich foods and beverages such as 100 percent juice is particularly critical during adolescence – a unique period of higher nutrient demands.

One hundred percent juice is a smart choice,Nicklas said. It provides important nutrients that growing teens need and the research consistently shows that drinking fruit juice is not linked to being overweight.

The study reinforces similar findings that Nicklas and colleagues have reported in younger children. Research published in the prestigious Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine in 2008 showed that 100 percent juice consumption among children ages 2 to 11 years old was also associated with a more nutritious diet and similarly, was not linked to overweight.

Drinking at least one glass of low sodium vegetable juice daily may help overweight people with metabolic syndrome achieve better weight loss results. A study, conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine and presented at this week’s Experimental Biology Meeting, found that participants who drank at least 8-ounces of low sodium vegetable juice as part of a calorie-controlled DASH diet lost four pounds over 12 weeks, while those who followed the same diet but drank no juice lost one pound. Metabolic syndrome is defined by a cluster of risk factors including excess body fat in the midsection, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and abnormal blood lipids. If left uncontrolled, metabolic syndrome increases risk for chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke or diabetes. An estimated 47 million Americans have some combination of these risk factors and are often overweight or obese as well.

Participants in the study were primarily African-American and Hispanic adults, populations that typically have a higher incidence of metabolic syndrome. Each group followed a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet that emphasized eating lean meat, lower fat dairy, whole grains, vegetables and fruit daily and keeping saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol and sodium in check. Two of the groups were given Low Sodium vegetable juice and instructed to drink 1 or 2 cups every day for 12 weeks, while the third group was not given any vegetable juice.

The key study findings include:

On average, the vegetable juice drinkers lost four pounds over 12 weeks, while those who did not drink juice lost one pound
Vegetable juice drinkers were more likely to meet the daily government recommendations of 3-5 servings of vegetables (1 ½ to 2 ½ cups) Seven out of 10 American adults fall short of recommendations.

Vegetable juice drinkers significantly increased their intake of vitamin C and potassium, while decreasing their overall carbohydrate intake.

Diet and body weight are key modifiable factors in changing the course of metabolic syndrome,said John Foreyt, PhD, study author and Director, Behavioral Medicine Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine. What this study shows is that by taking simple, proactive steps such as drinking low sodium vegetable juice while watching calorie intake, people can begin to control their weight, which helps reduce the risk of long-term health implications.

Researchers at the University of California-Davis conducted a 12-week study among adults’ ages 40-65 years. All of the people in the study who drank at least two cups of vegetable juice met daily vegetable recommendations, yet only seven percent of the non-juice drinkers met the goal. The participants in the study with borderline high blood pressure who drank one to two servings of V8 juice lowered their blood pressure significantly. According to the research, the vegetable juice drinkers said they enjoyed the juice and felt like they were doing something good for themselves by drinking it.

Enjoyment is so critical to developing eating habits you can stick with for the long-term, said study co-author Carl Keen, PhD, Professor of Nutrition and Internal Medicine at the University of California-Davis. Health and nutrition professionals must help people find simple ways for people to get their vegetables or they simply won’t do it, and that means they won’t reap the benefits of a vegetable-rich diet. Vegetable juice is something that people enjoy, plus it’s convenient and portable, which makes it simple to drink every day.

Research conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine revealed that drinking vegetable juice helped overweight individuals with metabolic syndrome lose more weight compared to non-juice drinkers. In the study, participants who drank one to two servings of Low Sodium V8® 100% vegetable juice a day as part of a balanced diet increased their vegetable intake and lost an average of four pounds over the 12-week study period. Those who did not drink juice lost only one pound.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes that includes excess body fat in the midsection, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and elevated blood cholesterol.Heart disease and obesity are two major global health issues today, so if we can provide people with actionable, small steps in reducing risk factors that are a big win in promoting good health” said study co-author John Foreyt, PhD, Director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine. “We’re encouraged to see that something as easy as drinking vegetable juice can help people increase their vegetable intake and have significant health benefits.

Making vegetable juice a daily habit could be a small step that can lead to big changes in meeting daily vegetable recommendations, according to a new study being presented by researchers from the University of California-Davis this week at the American Dietetic Association annual conference1. With seven out of 10 adults falling short of the daily recommended vegetable intake as put forth by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, researchers studied whether drinking vegetable juice could be a simple behavior change to help boost the intake of this critical food group2. And it was.

The study looked at three groups of healthy men and women. All three groups received dietary counseling on ways to get more vegetables, but only two of the groups were instructed to consume at least one serving of vegetable juice, in the form of V8® 100% vegetable juice each day. Of those two groups, one drank one 8-ounce glass of vegetable juice every day and the other drank two 8-ounce glasses of vegetable juice every day as part of a balanced eating plan.

The study found that those who received dietary counseling and consumed vegetable juice were far more likely to meet the daily vegetable recommendations, about two and a half cups (five servings), than those who received counseling alone. Specifically, more than half of the participants who drank one serving of V8 100% vegetable juice met the recommendations, as did all of those who drank two 8-ounce glasses of V8 100% vegetable juice each day. Of those who did not drink any vegetable juice, less than a quarter got enough vegetables.Researchers concluded that changing dietary behavior is much more effective when dietary advice is complemented with tangible, real, easy and convenient solutions.

What we found in this study is that drinking vegetable juice seemed to address some of the key barriers to vegetable consumption such as convenience, portability and taste, so individuals were more likely to meet their daily recommendations, said Carl Keen, PhD, study author and distinguished Professor of Nutrition & Internal Medicine at University of California, Davis. Furthermore, vegetable juice drinkers reported that they actually enjoyed drinking their vegetables, which is critical to adopting dietary practices for the long-term.

In fact, after six weeks of the study, vegetable drinkers reported they felt “more satisfied” with the ease of getting vegetables into their diet, and that V8 100% vegetable juice provided an important additional source of vitamins and minerals.

Experts Agree

A growing body of science indicates vegetables are important to promoting good health, including helping to reduce risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and achieving a healthy weight. According to Produce for Better Health, all forms count.
The best type of vegetable is one that you will actually consume, so it’s important to provide people with a variety of great tasting options and ways to include them in their diet, said Elizabeth Pivonka, PhD, RD, Produce for Better Health Foundation. That’s why we encourage people to explore all types of vegetables, such as 100% juice, fresh, frozen or canned, to get at least one serving of vegetables at each meal occasion throughout the day.