False myths: the vitamins in juice

Photo of author

By pro_admin

How many of us have ever heard words similar to these come out of our mothers’ mouths: “Drink the juice quickly that all the vitamins are gone!”. Recurring phrase where there are that alludes to a supposed loss of the beneficial properties that fruit juices give us as the minutes pass.

Orange juice and its vitamins

But what’s the truth in all this, do vitamins really go somewhere? This myth is related, above all, to some of the benefits that orange juice and the famous vitamin C bring to our body. It should be clarified that, in this case, vitamins do not go anywhere, however it is absolutely pertinent to affirm that there is a process of degradation of this compound due to oxidation.

The so-called ascorbic acid or vitamin C- is one of those that oxidizes more easily. This process is caused by the contact of oxygen both on the surface of the juice and inside the liquid. In its composition, much of the orange juice is water and, as everyone knows, each molecule of this element has one part of oxygen for every two of hydrogen.

There is a parallel process that favors this type of reaction. It is none other than the action of the sun and heat, which causes oxidation to be much faster, hence industrial juices tend to be kept in refrigerators or refrigerators, as well as packaged in opaque containers.

The incidence of oxidation on other vitamins

Vitamin A also happens to be very sensitive to the action of sunlight, so it can degrade too easily if exposed. This component can be found mainly in vegetables such as carrots and fruits such as grapefruit or apricot. In this way, if we prepare a juice with any of these foods, we must be quick when taking it if we want it to retain all its beneficial properties for our body.

In short, the most advisable thing is to consume immediately any juice or dish that we prepare by using the fruit. It is possible to keep them in opaque and refrigerated containers, thus preserving a good part of their qualities but, in no case, their totality. In this same principle lies the importance of consuming fresh seasonal products, since having been recently picked they have not been exposed in excess to oxygen and light.

Leave a Comment