In order to obtain a prolonged shelf life, the bottled juices must be pasteurized. It is a fairly certain thing. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that all juices have to be pasteurized if they are to be bottled.  Let us see what the impact of this procedure is on the potential health benefits of the juices?

Pasteurized fruit and vegetable juices have to be boiled to protect the foods against bacterias and other harmful organisms. Along with it, the enzymes and other beneficial nutrients are also destroyed.

I understand the need to ensure that the juices are microbiologically safe foods when sold in a store. I really do. But what happens for instance if you are fasting or you are on a juice only diet?

If you are fasting, these juices will be your only source of nourishment. They might be tasty and colorful, but they will be poor in enzymes and vitamins. You need to take live foods to sustain the proper functioning of your organism. Live foods are full of useful substances, as opposed to thermally treated juices where the nutrients have been destroyed.

Some pasteurized juices contain added sugar and water, but even if they are 100 percent natural, they cannot compare to the freshly squeezed juices. The taste is hardly ever close to the natural juices. A freshly squeezed juice will make you experience its live, vibrant substance as it goes down your throat. In my opinion, there is no match for that taste.

Fresh apple juice possesses similar color to that of an apple. When you cut the apple, its flesh is initially white, only to turn brown after a short period of time. This color change is an indication of oxidation – a process where many of the vitamins and live nutrients change their composition as well after being exposed to air. If the mere exposure of these nutrients to air and light is enough to alter them, what can we say about the more drastic procedures? And what do you think, what is the color of the pasteurized juices?

There can also be found juices that are not pasteurized. They are usually sold in plastic jugs. There is a reason behind it. After some time the content of the jug will start to expand. Owing to the fact that that the process of fermentation has begun, the juice increases its volume. Sometimes the term “cider” is used to denote these fresh (unpasteurized) juices. Fresh squeezed juice is almost always sold in plastic jugs.

If you need to consume pasteurized juices, you should know that you won’t receive the full range of benefits. I use them from time to time, and I have no illusion that they have much of a health value. However, if you intend to shift your eating habits toward a more healthy eating (and drinking) style, there is hardly any substitute for preparing your own fresh homemade fruit or vegetable juices.