Juice or whole fruit: should a morning glass count towards your 5-a-day?
Health authorities across Europe recommend five portions of fruit or vegetables a day as part of a balanced diet. However, in 2023, Europeans consumed an average of 351 grams of fruit and vegetables per...
Health authorities across Europe recommend five portions of fruit or vegetables a day as part of a balanced diet.
However, in 2023, Europeans consumed an average of 351 grams of fruit and vegetables per person per day – falling short of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended 400 grams.
That gap has prompted renewed interest in whether alternative forms of fruit intake could help. The reasons behind this underconsumption are varied, from high costs of the produce to the inconvenience of rapid spoilage.
Aiming to address this shortfall and boost fruit consumption, researchers from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom conducted a study to assess whether a fruit juice or a smoothie could count as one of the five daily portions.
Healthy food comes with a budget
“Given the ongoing cost of living pressures in the UK, the price of fresh produce is often a barrier for people trying to eat more fruit and vegetables,” said Dr Oliver Shannon, lecturer in Nutrition and Ageing at Newcastle University and senior author of the study.
The authors noted that, while consuming fruit juice or smoothies could help overcome these barriers, their contribution to a healthy diet is contentious.
They conducted a small trial in which participants were divided into three groups: the first consumed five whole fruits and vegetables a day for four weeks, the second group supplemented their diet with fruit juice, and the third group was asked to maintain their normal eating habits.
Participants in the first two groups showed significantly higher total fruit and vegetable intake compared with those keeping their regular diet.
The researchers also observed improvements in reported depression symptoms in both groups, although the study was small and exploratory.
“The finding that fruit juice drinkers had reduced depression scores is promising and worthy of further exploration, particularly in individuals experiencing poor mental wellbeing,” added Shannon.
“Simple dietary changes—like increasing fruit intake, including through a daily glass of juice—could play a role in supporting mental wellbeing.”
For the study, “fruit juice” was defined strictly as juice without added sugars, preservatives, flavourings, or colourings.
“Our trial showed that when people with low fruit and vegetable intake were provided with targeted financial and educational support to address common barriers to eating 5-a-day, they were able to make meaningful changes to their diet,” said Dr Courtney Neal, co-author of the study.
“We found that simple, cost-effective solutions, like drinking a small glass of 100% fruit juice or a smoothie daily, could help people reach their 5-a-day, with potential benefits for mental wellbeing.”
What do national diet guidelines say?
Despite these potential benefits, most dietary guidelines remain cautious about fruit juice.
The researchers from Newcastle also found that people who drink juice tend to consume more than the recommended amount. But, how much juice is advisable to drink a day?
Current dietary guidelines vary widely from country to country in their consideration of juices and smoothies.
In France, fruit juice doesn’t count towards the recommended fruit intake since the country updated its guidelines in 2017.
Germany, however, recommends consuming a 150ml-200ml portion of fruit juice only occasionally in place of a portion of fruit and no more than twice per week.
In the UK, it is advised that a maximum fruit juice intake of 150ml per day, which is considered to contribute to no more than one portion of the 5-a-day recommendation.
Denmark also considers a small glass of juice as part of the recommended intake, though it sets the benchmark at six portions a day rather than five.
Despite these variations, most countries agree that whole fruits are preferable and that juice should be consumed infrequently.
What are the main questions about juice in a healthy diet?
The main concern with counting juice towards fruit and vegetable targets is its high sugar and low fibre content compared with whole fruit.
Whole fruits are a rich source of essential nutrients, fibre, and antioxidants, which can contribute to overall health and well-being by supporting digestion, boosting the immune system, and protecting against chronic diseases.
Several of the beneficial components are largely lost when the fruit is processed into a juice.
Previous research has also linked regular juice consumption to lower energy levels and poorer sleep quality, which, according to the researchers, is consistent with the fact that fruit juices provide the least energy and satiety of the fruit consumption forms.
For most nutrition experts, juice remains a supplement - not a substitute - for whole fruit.
