Liquid assets: fruit and vegetable juices

Struggling to meet your fruit and vegetable quota of two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables a day? Including juices in your diet may help. "Fresh juice makes a significant contribution of nutrients to your daily intake. Consumed first thing in the morning, it cranks up your metabolism and digestion," says food coach Judy Davie. "As the kilojoules are concentrated, it's best consumed in moderation: stick to one glass of fresh juice a day."

The brain-booster: BEETROOT JUICE
Best known for lowering blood pressure, beetroot juice can also boost your brain health. In a new study, people who drank beetroot juice for breakfast showed increased blood flow to the brain, which experts say could help ward off memory problems long-term. The star nutrient at work is nitrate, which opens blood vessels, improving blood flow.

The fat-burner: GRAPEFRUIT JUICE
The slimming powers of grapefruit are not just an urban legend, according to US researchers. They discovered that volunteers who sipped a glass of grapefruit juice before every meal, without otherwise changing their diets, lost an average of 1.5kg over three months. It’s thought the chemical properties of the tart fruit reduce insulin levels, in turn promoting weight loss.

The bone-builder: TOMATO JUICE
As well as getting your daily dose of dairy, you may want to add tomato juice to your diet to help build your bone bank. Women who drank two glasses a day for four months showed reduced bone turnover, thanks to the active ingredient lycopene, report Canadian scientists. Over time, this could increase bone-mineral density and ward off osteoporosis.

The heart-helper: ORANGE JUICE
If you're watching your cholesterol levels, have orange juice for breakfast. The flavonoid-rich drink helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and increases the conversion of free cholesterol to HDL (the good type), say Brazilian scientists. Other research shows OJ reduces blood pressure and improves blood-vessel function, which protects against heart disease.

Now that you've got the best juice information, head to the latest issue of Good Health for overall nutrition and wellbeing.

For Now that you've got the best juice information, head to the latest issue of Good Health magazine for overall nutrition and wellbeing. Get a great subscription deal on Good Health magazine at magshop.co.nz.