The Power of Positive Drinking:  9 of the World's Healthiest Juices and Their Benefits

Pomegranate Juice

This juice that seems to be showing up on shelves everywhere has been proven to have some amazing disease fighting properties.  High in antioxidants, pomegranate juice has been shown to destroy cancer cells (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 54: 980-985, 2006).  It has also been effective in promoting good cardiovascular health.  In one pilot study, 19 patients with atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) showed a 30% decrease in plaque after drinking 100% pomegranate juice daily.   A 2007 University of California study reports that pomegranate juice may slow the growth of prostate cancer tumors.

Cranberry Juice

 This juice that was first made by American settlers in 1683, cranberry juice has many health benefits. Cranberries over the years have been identified with preventing or ameliorating urinary tract infections and playing a positive role in gum disease, ulcers and even cancer.  Recently, cranberry juice has been involved in studies to see the effects of the juice in vascular function in vascular function in subjects with high blood cholesterol and atherosclerosis.

Cranberry juice is also an abundant source of the anthocyanidin flavonoids, cyanidin, peonidin and quercetin. These compounds are powerful against human cancer cells in vitro.

Açaí Juice

Like other dark berries, this rain forest fruit contains flavonoids.   What makes acai berries so different is that they contain twelve additional
flavonoids that other berries do not have according to the Portuguese book “Açaí: Preparo, Composição e Melhoramento de Conservação" (Schauss et al. 2006a).  This most likely makes 100% acai juice one of the most potent juices on the planet. 

During my research, I found that some manufacturers claim products made from acai berries can help you lose weight and gain energy but there is no conclusive evidence to back these claims.  Drinking 100% acai juice may be more beneficial than commercial juice mixes that have an undisclosed amount of acai contain in it according to the J Agric Food Chem study.

Black Cherry Juice

Sometimes known as the “mountain black cherry” this berry is often used to make jam, cherry pies and flavoring for some liquor.  But alongside its tart flavor, there are other reasons to drink black cherry juice.

Black cherry juice contains a compound called anthocyanins, which are the pigments that give cherries their red color.  Anthocyanans are also believed to be the key to helping the body relieve inflammation and reduce the risk for colon cancer.  The anti-inflammatory compound has been shown to combat symptoms of gout by significantly decreasing blood Uric Acid levels as much as 15% in women when consumed daily according a University of California Davis study.  A University of Vermont study found that drinking a bottle of the cherry juice blend twice a day for three days before exercise and for four days afterwards eased muscle soreness compared to those who did not drink the juice blend.  In most studies black cherry juices were used but other types of cherry juices contain the same compounds.

Pineapple Juice

Raw pineapple juice is high vitamin C, manganese, and vitamin B1.  The juice also contains the enzyme bromelain, which is a natural digestive enzyme with anti-inflammatory properties. Bromelain is found in peak concentration within the pineapple rind, but you should only juice the rind if you know the pineapple was grown organically.

Orange Juice

The most popular juice in America is also one of the healthiest.  Orange juice contains folate acids, calcium, potassium, magnesium and of course, vitamin C.  A 2006 study shows that a glass of orange juice daily may help prevent recurrent kidney stones better than other citrus juices.  "Orange juice could potentially play an important role in the management of kidney stone disease and may be considered an option for patients who are intolerant of potassium citrate," says researcher Clarita Odvina, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

Studies are also finding that orange juice and cancer don’t mix.  Research by Texas Agriculture Experiment Station scientists has shown that citrus compounds called limonoids targeted and stopped the solid cancer called neuroblastoma which is the most common in childhood and infancy.  Orange juice (Tropicana) was approved in 2000 by the FDA for its claim that says potassium in orange juice helps reduce risks of high blood pressure and stroke.

Tomato Juice

One of the most popular juices in the world, tomato juice contains a wealth of nutritious content.  Raw tomato juice is a good source of lycopene, which is known for its cancer preventing properties.  Drinking tomato juice may help prevent heart disease by inhibiting the action of clot-promoting blood platelets, reports a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

An Australian study in 2004 finds that tomato juice can also help those who with type 2 diabetes.  The study tested found that tomato juice inhibited platelets aggregation in study of 14 men and 6 women.  Platelets are the parts of blood responsible for the preservation of healthy blood vessels.  Consumption of tomato products has been shown to reduce the incidence of various heart ailments.

Grape Juice (100%)

One of my favorite juices on the list, grape juice contains flavonoids that have been shown to prevent the oxidation of “bad cholesterol” (LDLs, or low-density lipoprotein) that leads to formation of plaque in artery walls.  Grape skins have also been reported to contain an agent that can mark and attack cancer cells. A study in 2006 looked at the early, or initiation, stage of cancer development and saw that consuming Concord grape juice actually suppressed the growth of tumors.

In a 1999 study, researchers at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison 15 patients who showed clinical signs of cardiovascular were asked to drink a tall glass of grape juice daily. After 14 days, blood tests showed that LDL oxidation in these patients was significantly reduced. Ultrasound images showed changes in the artery walls, indicating that their blood was flowing more freely.

Grape juice can also lower the risk of developing the blood clots that lead to heart attacks, according to researcher Jane Freedman, M.D. (Georgetown University). There have been many studies that show the same benefits from drinking red wine but according to John Folts of the University of Wisconsin, the prevention of blood clotting only comes when the wine is consumed at high levels.  With grape juice, you can consume enough to get the benefit and still be sober enough to drive.

Apple Juice

Another common juice in most households is the ever popular apple juice.  Apples have always had a reputation of being a very healthy fruit and the juice version also holds that reputation.  German researcher Dr. Dieter Schrenk, M.D. and his colleagues apple demonstrated that pectin and apple juice extracts have anticarcinogenic effects on the colon.  They also found that apple components slowed production of histone deacetlyases( HDAC).  With that slowed production there would be significantly less growth of precancerous and tumor cells.

Cloudy apple juice packs nearly four times as many cancer-fighting antioxidants as clear varieties do, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.  Research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) suggests that apple juice increases acetylcholine in the brain, resulting in increased memory.

 Sources and resources

http://www.joint-pain.com/cherry-juice-gout.html

 http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/pick-the-healthiest-apple-

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf073035s

http://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/news/20060907/orange-juic

e-fights-kidney-stones

http://www.newsmax.com/health/apples_fight_colon_cancer

/2008/03/27/83419.html

http://www.costplusjuicers.com/catalog/article_info.php?articles_id=19

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/alternative/03/31/wine.heart.wmd/

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