How Drinking Fruit Juice Affects Blood Sugar

Fruit juice may look like a simple way to consume fruit, but its effect on blood sugar differs from eating the whole fruit. Juice contains natural sugars without much of the fiber found in intact fruit, allowing its carbohydrates to enter the bloodstream relatively quickly.

“Without enough fiber to slow digestion, those carbohydrates are absorbed relatively quickly,” says nutritionist and diabetes educator Brittani Poulson. Nutritionist Johannah Katz adds that juice contains natural carbohydrates but far less fiber than whole fruit, so its sugars are absorbed faster.

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Without enough fiber to slow digestion, those carbohydrates are absorbed relatively quickly.

Juicing removes most of the fruit’s fiber. Fiber forms an indigestible mass in the digestive system that slows stomach emptying and the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream. It also supports the release of hormones such as GLP-1, which help the body respond to insulin and clear sugar from the blood.

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Fruit juice contains natural carbohydrates, but much less fiber than whole fruit, so its sugars are absorbed faster.

Portion size is another issue. People can easily drink a large amount of juice, especially when they are thirsty or the weather is hot, taking in many carbohydrates within a short period. Katz notes that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about three oranges are needed to make one cup of orange juice. Eating those oranges whole requires more chewing and may make portion control easier.

The article also notes that not all juice is 100 percent fruit juice. The impact on blood sugar can vary depending on the drink, the quantity consumed, the food eaten with it, and the individual’s response.

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It is easy to drink a large amount of juice, and therefore consume many carbohydrates in a short time.