When it comes to apple juice, "cloudier" may mean healthier,
according to a study published in January 2007, in the
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
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," says Dr.
Oszmianski, a researcher at the Agricultural University of
Wroclaw.
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 their findings.
In addition, Researchers at the University of
California-Davis recently reported that apples and apple
juice may help protect arteries from harmful plaque
build-up. In the first study conducted in humans, adults who
added two apples, or 12 ounces of 100% apple juice, to their
daily diet demonstrated a significant slowing of the
cholesterol oxidation process that leads to plaque build-up
- thereby giving the body more time to rid itself of
cholesterol before it can cause harm.
Enjoy some apples or cloudy apple juice each day and keep
the doctor away!
The Wholefood Farmacy Team
