100% fruit juices good for recovering lost energy, nutrients —Expert

The Publicity Secretary of the Nutritional Society of Nigeria, Olusola Malomo, has urged Nigerians and especially religious adherents to explore the nutritional and health benefits of 100 per cent fruit juice to recover lost nutrients to a long period of fasting.

Malomo gave the advice in the first series of his engagement on the health and nutritional benefits of 100% fruit juice, a monthly educative programme sponsored by Chi Limited, the parent company of Chivita, as part of its ‘no-added sugar’ campaign.

According to the sponsor, the engagement, which kicked off last year, is aimed at sharing unbiased information on the benefits of 100% fruit juice and support independent efforts by experts such as scientist, nutritionist, and dieticians to show how 100 per cent fruit juice contributes to the health and well-being of consumers.

In the series titled ‘100 per cent fruit juice: A healthy way to revitalise after fasting’, Malomo said fasting helped to relieve human system, adjusts fat level, strengthen the digestive system and increase its efficiency. He, however, regretted that many people lose the health benefits of the spiritual exercise when they take to junk food shortly after.

• Artificial ripening: Be careful of fruits with green, yellow patches ― Experts

“They break fasting with lavish, sweet and oily feasts. This increases cholesterol level and, perhaps, triggers diabetes. A few individuals, on the other hand, strain their systems, leading to deficiency of vital nutrients. These two contradictory challenges make post-fasting (in the case of extended rite) a crucial moment,” he noted.

Malomo, a renowned dietician, said fruits and vegetables consumption remain the healthiest way to recover lost nutrients without compromising the benefits that associate with fasting.

He continued, “Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables helps to reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart diseases, high blood pressure and cancers because they contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which keeps one healthy and energised.

“Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium and calories, and they have no cholesterols. The same is true with hygienically-packaged fruit juices from reputable brands like Chivita, which contain a range of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and bioactive compounds such as phytochemicals. These are sources of many essential nutrients that are under-consumed, including potassium, vitamin C and folate (folic acid).”

The dietician said 100 per cent fruit juice is important for religious faithful during and after fasting owing to its role in ease of digestion and ability to revitalise human system. Other benefits of 100% fruit juice according to him are;the provisionof phytochemicals, aids in absorption of iron and regulation of blood pressure.

“It is important to stress”, he added, “that fruit juice provides similar levels of carotenoids and flavanones contained in whole fruits, as confirmed by different studies by renowned institutions on the potential health impact of the bioactives found inpure fruit juice.”