A 2007 study published in the Academy of General Dentistry’s journal reported that colas’ — both regular and diet — enamel erosion potential is 10 times higher that of fruit juice.

What does this mean? In essence, it gives another reason to think of sodas — diet or not — as occasional beverages, rather than daily staples.

The citric and phosphoric acids in sodas wear out our enamel, the protective substance covering the crowns of our teeth. Over time, constant attacks on our enamel lead to tooth decay.

What’s crucial to understand is that a lack of sucrose (table sugar) in a diet soda does not mean it is automatically safe for our teeth.

If you see phosphoric or citric acid listed as an ingredient, my best recommendation is to consume that drink through a straw. That way, the liquid goes straight to the back of the throat, reducing our enamel’s exposure to it.

If you do not have access to a straw, you want to make sure you to drink that beverage fairly quickly.  Slowly sipping a soda over the course of twenty minutes is much more detrimental to tooth enamel than drinking it in a quick fashion.

Taking tap water as the benchmark (which has a very neutral pH of approximately 7.6), here is how some popular sodas measure up.  The lower the number, the more damaging that beverage is to our enamel.

• Cherry Coke: 2.52
• Coke: 2.53
• Pepsi: 2.53
• Dr. Pepper: 2.9
• 7-Up: 3.2
• Diet Coke: 3.29
• Root Beer: 4.0

No Comments Diet Coke, diet soda, fruits, juice, numbers game, oral health, soda, teeth

A March 2007 report by the United States of Department & Agriculture found that 62 percent of adults in the United States have zero whole fruits a day.

More than half of all adults in this country have absolutely no fresh fruit each day. Of this 62 percent, 27 percent have fruit in its juice form only (which, as regular readers of this blog know, is not as nutritionally complete as eating a whole fruit).

No Comments fruits, juice, numbers game

A March 2007 report by the United States of Department & Agriculture found that 62 percent of adults in the United States have zero whole fruits a day.

More than half of all adults in this country have absolutely no fresh fruit each day. Of this 62 percent, 27 percent have fruit in its juice form only (which, as regular readers of this blog know, is not as nutritionally complete as eating a whole fruit).

No Comments fruits, juice, numbers game

Hey, you punched holes in the healthiest thing I do: juicing!
— Greg Mason, California

Although I wanted to take away the “eighth world wonder” mystique that often surrounds juicing, I want to clarify that there is a place for it in a healthy diet for healthy individuals.

My concern stemmed from the fact that a good number of people I have spoken with have told me they get their recommended two daily servings of fruit by juicing — rather than eating — them.

As I mentioned, this is worrisome because juicing doesn’t provide us with fiber (which the average adult in the United States doesn’t get enough of).

That being said, I don’t have a problem with fresh fruit juices if they accompany high-fiber foods (i.e.: a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread, a salad with legumes and a variety of vegetables, air-popped popcorn, pumpkin seeds, or even two tablespoons of ground flaxseed stirred into the juice) and are not used in place of fresh fruit.

No Comments fiber, fruits, juice, You Ask/I Answer

Is it healthier to have fruits as fresh juices or eat them as they come?
– Mark

Many fitness buffs swear by juicing. I’m sure you’ve seen at least one late night infomercial where an 80-year-old with bundles of energy pitches a “revolutionary product” in which you insert an orange and an apple and just seconds later, voila, you have fresh juice!

These same people want you to believe that juicing is the absolute best way to get your nutrients. They’re wrong.

Although juicing will provide you with all the antioxidants (cancer-fighting compounds) in fruits, it lacks something very important – cholesterol-lowing and digestive-system-cleaning fiber.

(For clarification purposes, I am referring to juice you make by inserting a whole fruit into a juicer, not pre-packaged ‘juice drinks’ that are nutritional black holes).

Fruits hold a large portion of their fiber on their skins or peels, which you can not get in juice. Similarly, the fiber in an orange is found in the white strands that contain each individual orange segment. You certainly won’t be getting that in liquid form.

Additionally, if you are looking to maintain or lose weight, you are much better off eating an actual piece of fresh fruit than drinking its juice. Not only will the fiber in the whole fruit help make you feel full, you will also consume less calories.

For instance, 1 cup of apple slices provides 57 calories. A cup of apple juice? 120. The cup of apple slices would also give you 3 grams of fiber, whereas the juice has none.

If you are given the choice between regular or diet soda and fresh fruit juice, the latter is of course the best option. However, it falls short of being the nutritional powerhouse that is a whole fruit with all its components.

3 Comments fruits, juice, You Ask/I Answer