a smoothie has the same effect as a glass of soda: in other words, by drinking it too often, we say goodbye to the line and hello to calories! This accusation against the star summer drinks popular with figure-conscious people is brought by Barry Popkin and George Bray, professors in the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina.
These two American scientists assure in an interview with the Guardian that “smoothies and fruit juices represent a new danger”. The problem with these drinks, condemn the experts, is that they contain too much sugar, the famous fructose. One smoothie contains the equivalent of four to six squeezed oranges or a glass of soda.
In addition to being loaded with sugar, smoothies do not provide the desired feeling of satiety. “It’s very disappointing,” say researchers who recommend replacing fruit juices with vegetable juices. Better, prefer raw fruits, much more filling, to smoothies and fruit juices. Their theory is supported by the publication last week of a study on the British Medical Association. She maintains that eat raw fruit three times a week reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 7%. Conversely, fruit juice enthusiasts increase their risk of being diabetic.
A lucrative business but “harmful to health”
Barry Popkin denounces the new “unhealthy and unsustainable” business of these fruit juices which compete with sodas, without being better for your health. Researchers who have already pointed out in 2004 the dangers of corn syrup used as an additive in sodas are starting a new battle against multinationals, which hold a monopoly on the manufacture of fruit juices: “In each country, we have replaced sodas by juices and smoothies as the new health drink. You then find out that Coca Cola and Pepsi have bought dozens from the juice makers around the world. “
Some brands of smoothies advertise the guaranteed low sugar content with no added sugars. Should we trust the messages of advertisers? In the absence of certainty, respect the principle of a balanced diet: a smoothie from time to time but not all the time!