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Whole Apples or Pulpy, Non-Clarified, Cloudy Apple Juice Concentrate is Better Than Clear Apple Juice Concentrate

Drinking 100% fruit juice is almost like eating the fruit itself. 100% fruit juices contain important nutrients you need to be healthy. If you want to have a healthful diet, you should be eating several fruit and vegetable servings per day. The amount you should eat depends on your age and how much activity you get. One cup of 100% apple juice counts as one fruit serving according to the new MyPyramid food guide pyramid. Apple juice has a significant concentration of phenolics thought to help protect from many diseases associated with aging, including heart disease and cancer. Aside from other obvious fruit vitamins like vitamin C, apple juice also contains the mineral nutrient boron, which is thought to promote healthy bones.

Research studies around the world are now uncovering the wide array of phytonutrients that are contained in fruits and vegetables that make them an important part of a nutritious diet. These nutrients offer many benefits, not unlike the antioxidants we hear so much about. In fact, university research (see research studies listed below) is just now finding that apple juice contains the same important phytonutrients as whole apples (e.g., quercetin, numerous other flavonoids). These nutrients are why a juice directly from the fruit, such as 100% apple juice, offers many of the natural nutrition benefits. In fact, recent research suggests that it is the antioxidants that are plentiful in apple juice which are responsible for improving cognitive function.

Apple juice is produced by the crushing of apples, and then filtered extraction of the clear juice. It is usually then pasteurized.Apple juice concentrate is produced by evaporating fresh apple juice that is extracted from fresh apples. Fresh apple juice has a concentration of around 11 to 13 brix. Evaporating the fresh juice reduces packaging volume and shipping costs. The high concentration also helps reduce spoilage of the product.

There are two types of apple juice concentrate, clear apple juice concentrate and cloudy apple juice concentrate. Pectin and starch are removed during the production process to produce clear apple juice concentrate. Cloudy apple juice concentrate's appearance arises as a result of evenly-distributed small pulp suspensions in the juice concentrate.

When it comes to apple juice, "cloudier" may mean healthier, according to a study published Monday.

In a head-to-head comparison of apple juices, Polish researchers found that pulpy, non-clarified juice carried a greater antioxidant punch than clear juice. Antioxidants are compounds that neutralize free radicals, molecules that can damage body cells and contribute to disease.

Unlike cloudy apple juice, the much more common clear variety undergoes additional processing to remove any apple solids. Manufacturers typically think the public will favor the more attractive, clear juice over its cloudy cousin, and retailers prefer the clear variety for its longer shelf life.

But the new findings suggest that health-conscious consumers should reach for the cloudy variety, according to Dr. Jan Oszmianski, the study's lead author.

"Cloudy apple juices contain much more antioxidant than clear," Oszmianski, a researcher at the Agricultural University of Wroclaw, told Reuters Health.

In fact, Oszmianski's team found, cloudy juice packed up to four times the level of polyphenols, a group of antioxidant plant compounds. And in experiments, cloudy juice was the more effective free radical "scavenger," the researchers report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

The findings are based on four juices that the study authors prepared themselves, using two varieties of apple -- Champion and Idared. Cloudy juice from Champion apples turned out to be the most antioxidant-rich, but clarification of either juice cut their antioxidant levels significantly.

The process, Oszmianski explained, involves using an enzyme that oxidizes the juice's antioxidants, particularly compounds called procyanidins.

But while cloudy apple juice may be a healthier choice than clear, it's still best to get your apples in the form nature made them.

"It is better to eat whole apples with skins than drink the juice to get the most antioxidants," Oszmianski said.

Apple products have a nutrient/calorie ratio superior to many of the alternative snacks being consumed by children. One serving of apple juice (4-6 ounces) or unsweetened applesauce (1/2 cup) serves as a fruit exchange, according to the meal planning guidelines published jointly by the American Dietetic Association and American Diabetes

A recent national survey of pediatric health professionals has confirmed that apple juice is most often recommended as the first juice for infants. It is easily accepted and pleasing to infants. Also, since babies love the sweet taste of apple juice, it may help motivate them to use a cup and accept new tastes and foods.

Whether choosing apple juice or apple cider, consumers are recommended to select shelf-stable, frozen or other fruit juices and ciders that have been pasteurized or appropriately heat-treated for safety. If a juice or cider has not been pasteurized, the Food and Drug Administration requires that it be labeled as such to inform consumers.

Keep in mind, the shelf-stable and frozen apple juices found in your grocery store are pasteurized or otherwise heat-treated (unless they contain the unpasteurized label required by the FDA) and may even carry the label "apple cider" during certain times of the year! It all depends on whether the term cider has more appeal in a particular market area.