What type of juice is best for you?  Or should you steer clear of all juices and just drink water when you feel thirsty?  Read the following facts on some common juices and make your informed decision:

Apple Juice- While it tastes great with your eggs and toast, you won\’t get as many nutrients from it as a whole apple or from other juices.  On the other hand it does have polyphenols (antioxidants shown to fight cancer), potassium and iron.  It contains about 117 calories in an 8-oz serving.

Cranberry Juice-With 116 calories per 8-oz serving, cranberry juice boasts heart healthy flavonoids, vitamin C and antibacterial properties.  However, cranberries are naturally tart, so most juices contain added sugar–consider the \’no added sugar\’ variety to avoid the extra calories.

Orange Juice- With the obvious benefits of vitamin C, orange juice also contains doses of potassium and folate.  Fortified orange juice comes with added calcium, vitamin D and heart healthy omega-3\’s.  It contains about 110 calories in an 8-oz serving.  Ounce for ounce it does contain more nutrition than most other juices but watch your portions!

Tomato Juice-With only 53 calories per 8-oz serving and beneficial amounts of potassium, lycopene, vitamin C and beta-carotene, it is tempting to drink it (and/or V-8) as a substitute for eating vegetables.  But tomato juice and tomato juice blends (like V-8) tend to be high in sodium.  Look for the low-sodium version with less than 480 mg per serving.

While it is great to drink heart healthy juices, nothing substitutes the healthiest beverage on earth:  Water. Drink a variety of juices and other beverages in addition to drinking water as a way to add variety and get more vitamins and nutrients, but be careful not to decrease the amount of vegetables in your diet.

Have a healthy week!

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