Science News Archive

You Should Have Fruit Juice with Lunch, Not Breakfast

Why have fruit juice at lunchtime, rather than breakfast? Fructose, the fruit sugar, is rapidly absorbed and increases blood sugar levels quickly, thereby stimulating insulin production. As a result of the insulin the blood-sugar level falls and there is a surge of low-density lipoprotein fats released by the liver. These fats are not artery-friendly. The effect of a heavy dose of fructose is greater at breakfast time than later in the day, for the body's metabolism is not the same throughout the day; hence fruit juices are better taken with lunch than breakfast.

11th May 2002