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Amongst the many healthy alternatives for the body, homemade freshly squeezed fruit juices are a source of vitamins and minerals, which are necessary to stay healthy. Their advantage over shop-bought juices (whether they are made from concentrates or not) is that they are really fresh and do not contain additives or preservatives. 

On the one hand, they are rich in vitamin C, particularly those made from citrus fruits (a freshly made orange juice gives you between 50mg and 60mg of vitamin C per 100g). On the other, they contain minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as small amounts of iron, copper, zinc and manganese.

When buying fruit, it is important to check that it is as fresh as possible because the pieces that were picked a long time ago will already have lost much of their vitamin content. Consuming juices to complement the diet will help you to absorb other foods, thanks to their high enzyme content, which helps with the transformation and metabolic processing of food. However, it must be borne in mind that these enzymes are destroyed by the heat generated by cooking and as such it is essential that when consuming fruit in the form of juice, it is liquidised raw. 

Consume immediately

The simplest solution involves preparing them just before they are to be consumed and, once they are made, drinking them immediately so that their nutritional content does not deteriorate. It is recommended that they are not kept for long because the vitamins are highly sensitive to physico-chemical agents such as light, temperature and oxygen and, as with minerals, they oxidise in contact with the air. Vitamins which can be rendered useless include folic acid and vitamins C, E and B6. After between twenty minutes and half an hour, although the juice retains its flavour, the vitamins will have been lost. 

As well as washing the fruit thoroughly, something else to bear in mind is that if you are going to peel the fruit in order to make juices in the liquidiser, it is not a good idea to remove the skin too far in advance, because the fact that the flesh will come into direct contact with the air also contributes towards destroying the vitamins. 

Storage time also has a negative effect on the properties of these juices, which may lose some of their properties if a long time passes between them being prepared and being consumed. In this respect, it is not very advisable to keep a juice in the fridge once it is made with the idea of consuming it the following day.

The oxidation process can be delayed by adding a few drops of lemon juice to that which you have already prepared. Some people choose to keep the drink in the fridge, but it should not be forgotten that, regardless, the deterioration of the juice will not be held up. A trick to preserve the nutrients in the juice is to freeze it and make delicious ice lollies, which are particularly suitable during the summer. 

However, in winter, the problem may be that when you go to squeeze the fruit in the morning, it has been in a cold place all night and, on preparing the drink, it is too cold. A solution, which is particularly suitable for oranges, is that you place them in the microwave for a few seconds. That way, the pieces of fruit become warm and the juice will not be so cold. 

When to drink them

First thing in the morning, half an hour before breakfast, a good juice provides energy and refreshes and cleans the stomach. Mid-way through the morning, you can have a juice in order to keep the body alert and counteract the stimulants found in drinks such as coffee and tea. 

The best thing to do is to have freshly-squeezed juices between meals and with an empty stomach. It is advisable to drink them half an hour before meals because that way, not only will the vitamins be more effectively absorbed but it will constitute a low-calorie aperitif, which is highly recommendable if you don’t want to drink alcohol or carbonated drinks. Some juices also have relaxing properties and help to bring the day to a close with a restorative rest. 

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