Most fruit juices contain 20-36 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving— comparable to or exceeding soda. Orange juice, apple juice, grape juice— they’re essentially liquid sugar with some vitamins. Research by Flood-Obbagy and Rolls found that eating whole fruit reduced subsequent calorie intake, while drinking juice did not. The “fruit” association creates a health halo that masks the reality: juice spikes blood sugar, provides minimal satiety, and delivers calories without fiber.
This companion covers the numbers, why juice differs from fruit, the liquid calorie problem, the health halo, what’s in your fridge, and the children question. (5 min read)