Why blenders are healthier than juicers

THE trendy Nutribullet blender makes healthier fruit drinks than traditional juicers because it helps to keep blood sugar levels down, scientists have found.

Health officials advise drinking no more than 150ml of fruit juice a day because it is so high in sugar.

Juicing removes the pulp, seeds and fibre from fruit, releasing its sugar more rapidly to cause a blood sugar spike which can contribute to type 2 diabetes over time. But the fashionable Nutribullet, which claims to keep in the fibre, has been found to produce no more of a blood sugar surge than eating fruit normally.

In fact, when fruit including bananas, kiwi and pineapple were blended and given to a study group, the people had lower blood sugar than if they ate the fruits. The Plymouth University study measured the blood sugar of 28 people after eating fruit and drinking them in juice form.

Scientists said the findings, published in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes, may occur because eating requires more chewing, which could release sugars earlier.

The authors also suggested the Nutribullet may break down seeds within fruit, releasing additional fibre which slows down the rate at which sugar is released.

Dr Gail Rees said: ‘We are excited that nutrient-extracted fruit could now possibly be considered a viable alternative to conventional fruit juice.’