Why you should eat fruit and not drink juice - expert warns that drinking juice can cause harm

Apples are known to promote good digestion, blueberries help fight free radicals that can lead to disease, and bananas can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

While fruits hold a host of different health benefits, drinking fruit juice may not be the same. According to doctor Gary Bartlett, he recommends always eating whole fruit before drinking fruit juice.

He explained: “When you eat a whole fruit, the dietary fiber in the pulp and skin binds to the natural sugar in the fruit as it travels through your digestive system. This binding action makes it harder and takes longer for your body to absorb the sugar. As a result, the sugar from fruit accumulates in your blood at a lower and slower rate if you eat whole fruit than if you drink fruit juice."

In contrast, drinking fruit juice leads to a spike in blood sugar, Dr Bartlett said. "Your body will quickly release insulin in response to high blood sugar levels leading to a large amount of sugar in your blood being converted to fat and glycogen," he explained.

In summary, drinking pure fruit juice leads to poorer blood sugar regulation and therefore increased calorie consumption, compared to eating whole fruit.

Dr Bartlett advised: “If you want to drink juice, a good idea would be to squeeze whole fruit at home. That way you get all the extra fiber and nutrients from the skin of the fruit without the added sugar."

He also warned: "In my experience, many type 2 diabetics consume too much fruit juice thinking they are making a healthy choice, when in fact they are causing themselves harm with high blood sugars." /Telegraph/