By Sara Scheler

January 30, 2013

Naked Juices. You see them everywhere—in commercials, in advertisements, in the Cyber Cafe. The bottles boast an impressive variety of fruits and everything in the ingredient list are actually pronounceable but are they really as healthy as they seem?

These juices do not have any added sugar or chemicals, which is a good start. Several flavors like the Green Machine and Orange Carrot, contain vegetables as well as fruit. The Berry Veggie and Mango Veggie have sweet potato, corn and chickpeas for added protein and fiber.

Nutritionists have long praised the concept of “eating a rainbow.” A healthy, balanced diet contains a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Naked juices are a good way to ingest large quantities of the natural vitamins and minerals that produce provides.

However, there is always a catch. The serving size is quite large and each juice contains a huge amount of sugar. While it is fructose sugar, it’s sugar nonetheless. The fructose from liquefied fruit enters your blood stream quickly and while the juice may energize you at first, the sugar content can easily cause a crash later in the day.

In addition, liquefied fruit lacks the natural fibers that cause you to feel full. In fact, the sugar content could have the opposite effect and make you feel hungry instead.

I will admit that I love Naked Juices. Occasionally, I can be seen sipping Green Machine in-between classes. There is nothing wrong with Naked Juices (in fact, they are some of the healthiest juices on the market today) but keep in mind the sugar and calorie content.

If you are running around all day and don’t have time to sit down and eat a meal, a Naked Juice would be a better choice than a candy bar or a bag of chips.

However, do not substitute these juices for water and limit yourself to one or two a week. Remember that fresh fruits and vegetables are always healthier and more filling than fruit smoothies.