The juice can be a big hit or a big flop, depending on the type you choose. For one thing, juice made from real fruits and vegetables with no added sugar can provide many useful nutrients to your body in an easy and fast way.
On the other hand, some juices are marketed as “healthy” but are made with tons of added sugar and very few nutrients.
With this in mind, we wanted to learn more about healthy juice options for people in their 50s. Because juice can be a convenient and affordable way to consume beneficial nutrients, it makes this a good beverage to combat the major bodily changes and potential health issues you face as you age.
According to white garciaRDN Specialist in Nutrition of the Health Channel, “The best juice for people over 50 is a mixture of fresh fruits and vegetables, without preservatives or added sugars.”
Garcia tells us about how the fiber in vegetable juice is beneficial for people over 50, and we look at the best vegetable juices to drink that contain specific nutrients that optimize the benefits of juicing as you age. Read on and for more information on how to eat healthy, don’t miss out. The #1 Best Juice for Everyday Drive, Science Says.
Why vegetable juice is healthy for those over 50.
Most of the popular juices are made from fruit and contain little or no vegetables. And while fruit juice can be beneficial to your health due to its minerals, antioxidants, etc., it usually contains little or no fiber. Without fiber which naturally slows down the digestion process, its blood sugar can rise after drinking juice.
To lessen the severity of blood sugar spikes, people over the age of 50 may consider opting for vegetable juices, as they contain more fiber and less sugar than fruit juices.
“Consuming fiber from vegetables can allow the natural sugar found in fruit to be used up slowly and not fully absorbed by the body,” says Garcia, “so by minimizing the body’s absorption of sugar from fruit, any excess sugar that is not used will not be stored as fat.
It can be hard to find a fruit and vegetable juice that still contains fiber, since the juicing process naturally removes most of the fiber content from the vegetable, but there are some store-bought vegetable juices that retain some fiber and are low in sugar.
For example, juices like Lakewood Organic Vegetable Blend contains 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of added sugar. Organic Vegetable Juice from RW Knudsen comes with 3 grams of fiber and 8 grams of sugar. For comparison, some juice drinks can contain more than 60 grams of sugar per serving, of which nearly 90% comes from added sugars.
Why is fiber, in general, important after 50?
Fiber is crucial at any age, but it’s especially important after 50 for many reasons. An example of this is that as you age, your digestion changes and it becomes more difficult to stay regular. getting lots of fiber in your diet can help keep your digestive health on track, as well as reduce your risk of age-related diseases.
A study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine analyzed the diets of more than 200,000 men and 160,000 women between the ages of 50 and 71 and tracked mortality for an average of 9 years.
The researchers found that the participants who consumed the highest levels of fiber intake had the lowest risk of death due to things like respiratory and cardiovascular diseases compared to those who consumed the least amount of fiber.
Vegetable juice is a good option, but you should still try to eat whole foods for fiber.
According to the Mayo ClinicDrinking juice can provide you with the vitamins and minerals found in fresh produce, but it’s best to eat whole fruits and vegetables when looking to increase your fiber intake.
Drinking vegetable juice can be an easy way to increase your fiber intake, but you shouldn’t replace eating whole vegetables with drinking juice.
READ MORE: The 43 best high-fiber foods for a healthy diet
The best vegetable juices for over 50s.
Vegetable juices can have many other health benefits besides fiber for people over 50, especially if you select certain vegetables to incorporate.
The following juices contain specific nutrients that are linked to healthy aging.
1. Kale Juice
drinking kale juice It is known to help with heart health, which can be helpful for people over the age of 50, as your heart goes through many changes with age.
a study of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences found that men who used kale juice for 3 months she experienced a decrease in bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) levels and an increase in HDL cholesterol, which is the type that is healthy for your heart.
RELATED: One of the main side effects of eating kale, says a dietician
2. Wheatgrass juice
There’s a reason wheatgrass is so popular to drink in juice form, despite its overwhelming flavor. On the one hand, their high levels of chlorophyll are known to help fight inflammationwhich is crucial for healthy aging.
Wheatgrass powder was also found to help lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health in women over a 10-week period.
3. Broccoli juice
Broccoli is another helpful vegetable to include in your juice due to an antioxidant it contains called kaempferol (also found in spinach and kale).
A study of nearly 1,000 participants found that regular consumption of kaempferol (one serving daily) was linked to slowing the type of cognitive decline associated with aging.
And another study found that this antioxidant also has anti-inflammatory properties as well, which can help maintain general health and disease protection.