Research finds fruit juice may have benefits over whole fruit

For more information, contact: Sue Taylor, M.S., R.D. 740-549-6538

WASHINGTON (May 16) – Could it be that fruit juice may have some health benefits over the whole fruit from which it was derived? French researchers think so, according to their research in the April 2008 issue of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.

Dr. Kelly Decorde of the Universite Montpellier and colleagues found that fruit juices had a more powerful anti-atherosclerotic effect in animals than the fruit itself, showing for the first time that processing fruit can have a "major impact" on its health benefits.

The researcher hypothesized that juicing might affect the content of phenolic compounds, which are powerful antioxidants contained in fruits. To test their theory, along with a control group, hamsters were fed either grapes, grape juice, apples, apple juice or water, along with a high fat diet known to promote atherosclerosis in these animals. (Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fatty plaque deposits in the arteries that can lead to heart attacks or strokes).

The hamsters consumed amounts of fruit equivalent to three apples or three bunches of grapes daily (for humans). For the juice, the hamsters drank an equivalent of four glasses daily (based on an individual weighing 154 pounds).

When compared to the water-consuming hamsters, the animals given fruit or fruit juice had lower cholesterol levels, less oxidative stress, and less fat accumulation in their aorta. Although purple grape juice and then whole grapes had the strongest effect, strong effects were also seen with apple juice and then apples.

About the research, Decorde's team writes that it, "provide encouragement that fruit and fruit juices may have a significant clinical and public health relevance."

The researchers also note that their findings suggest that the phenols contained in foods have a direct effect on its antioxidant properties, along with other antioxidant compounds such as vitamin C and carotenoids.

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