Apple juice—the star of lunch boxes and school cafeteria lunches everywhere! You probably spent a good portion of your childhood drinking this tart, refreshing beverage on hot summer afternoons or as a sidekick to your daily breakfast.
Apple juice is a favorite of people of all ages, whether in a glass or a juice box—but did you know how many benefits you're getting with each sip? If not, no worries—I’ve gathered a list right here for you! Check out 11 apple juice benefits that are sure to amaze you!
10 Apple Juice Benefits
- Vitamin C is for cancer prevention!
One of the main benefits of apple juice nutrition is consuming Vitamin C. Most of us have heard of Vitamin C and know that it’s one of the top-touted vitamins to keep stocked up on, but what exactly does it do?
While Vitamin C serves several purposes in the upkeep of the body and improvement of health, one of the most important functions it performs is the strengthening of the immune system. This is why you’ll often see people adding powdered Vitamin C supplements to their juice and other beverages around cold and flu season—it’s one of the most popular defenses against the sniffles out there! It can even help lower your risk of developing cancer, and some studies are looking into its effectiveness when used in tandem with chemotherapy treatments.
- Heart-Healthy
Another great apple juice benefit is that it keeps your veins clean and clear! Apple juice is known for lowering cholesterol, which in turn helps keep your arteries clear, which helps lower your risk for cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, and strokes. Though it’s not necessarily a medically licensed treatment just yet, it’s shown promising results in certain studies, and it certainly can’t hurt to work a glass or two into your daily diet and see how it helps.
- Constipation Relief (Kids and Adults!)
If you’re feeling a bit blocked, try sipping some apple juice. The fibers and fructose in fruits are known to assist in digestive health, and apples in particular are a great place to turn if your stomach needs soothing. If you’re looking for the best sort of apple to use as an at-home treatment for constipation, Granny Smiths are one of the highest-fiber apples, but there are other ways to get more apples in your system without eating a bagful of fruit—like apple juice!
Apple juice comes highly recommended as a low-intensity laxative for adults and children.
- Adds Flavor to Your Daily Hydration
Did you know apple juice is over 80% water? While it boasts a high hydration content, if you’re one of those people who find plain water a bit boring to the taste buds, apple juice is a great solution.
Now you can get “flavored” water without the added health worries of artificial water flavorings or sugary syrups; not only that, but it’s a great way to ensure your kids are staying hydrated as well! If your kids aren’t fans of regular water, offering a couple of glasses of apple juice is a tried-and-true way to trick them into taking in some much-needed H2O.
- Weight-Loss Assistance
While apple juice itself isn’t a magic diet drink, if you struggle with an overactive appetite or a habit of snacking between meals, apple juice could be a great solution for you! A bit heavier in the stomach than plain water, this juice’s sweet and fruity taste and greater amount of substance can help suppress appetite and snack cravings between meals. So next time your stomach starts growling for sugary or salty foods, try drinking a glass of apple juice for your afternoon snack.
- Asthma Improvement
In the same way, that apple juice can help improve heart health, this super juice also lends a hand to your lungs! Apple juice is packed full of antioxidants, which help strengthen the lungs and improve lung health, which can reduce the severity and frequency of asthma attacks. While it’s no replacement for an inhaler, it’s worth a shot—however, try to go for apple juice brands with lower sugar content. Drinks with large amounts of sugar can worsen asthma, so make sure you keep an eye on the ingredient label!
- Liver Health
Apple juice benefits really can do it all! Not only are they good for your heart and lungs, but apple aid in the whole digestive process, which can assist in your liver functioning properly. It also contains malic acid, which is believed to help your liver clean out toxins from you
- Memory Care
Seriously, the benefits of apple juice can help with almost any organ in your body that you can think of. I've already mentioned how good it is for your heart, lungs, digestion, and liver. Now let’s talk about the brain.
Apples are a good source of quercetin, which is known to protect brain cells from damage and decay. This can be extremely important as people age, especially if there’s a history of Alzheimer’s in your family. While an apple a day might not always keep the doctor away, it can help keep your memories sharp and your mind functioning properly, and that seems like enough of a reason to get your daily glass in!
- Skin Health
Thanks to that nifty vitamin C, the benefits of apple juice can also help keep your skin healthy and elastic. The juice has been known to help prevent wrinkles and acne breakouts. (If you want to get a little more involved, you can always make an apple and honey face mask.)
- Hair Growth
While this one has less evidence to back it up, apples do contain various vitamins that can contribute to hair growth and scalp health! Antioxidants, as previously mentioned, can also be beneficial. While drinking the juice is fine, some people wash their hair in apple juice to get those nutrients from the source!