The truth about super-juices

KATE MOSS has a new passion - for mangosteen juice.

With reputed weight-loss and anti-ageing benefits, this miracle juice from the Maldives is packed with powerful antioxidants and vitmain C.

But it's not the only juice which claims to be body-boosting.

Açai, pomegranate and goji berry drinks have also made the health headlines recently.

But do these expensive drinks live up to their reputation or will drinking them be fruitless?

Here, Fit Squad nutrition expert Amanda Ursell gives you the truth about juice.

Mangosteen

With its exotic taste and fragrant aroma, you can see why Kate Moss fell in love with mangosteen juice.

AMANDA SAYS: This tropical juice is often marketed as a superfood packed with antioxidants and vitamin C.

It is great for your skin because it contains carotine, which helps prevent sun damage.

But it doesn't contain as many antioxidants as other juices, and you can get similar amounts of vitamin C in less expensive juices such as pineapple and apple juice.

Like pineapple juice, it is medium GI, so it is best to stick to a 250ml serving which will cost you around 100 calories.

Just because Kate Moss drinks it, doesn't mean you can gulp down the whole carton.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate juice is said to have almost three times as many antioxidants as red wine, green tea, cranberry or orange juice.

AMANDA SAYS: The antioxidants in pomegranate juice help protect the body from free radicals - the 'bad' chemicals in the blood.

And the juice also contains peroxanase enzymes which help to break down fatty deposits on your artery wall.

Goji berries

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Goji berries were brought to our attention by the queen of fad dieting, Victoria Beckham.

AMANDA SAYS: Goji berry drinks are rich in vitamin C when fresh, but as with all juices, the fruit is gently heated in production, which means it will lose its strength.

It is also quite an expensive choice, and you can get just as much vitamin C from orange juice, apple juice and grapefruit juice.

Açai

Açai is an all-natural energy fruit from the Amazon rainforests, which tastes like a blend of berries and chocolate.

AMANDA SAYS: Açai berries are rich in B vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

The antioxidants are great to help combat premature aging, with 10-30 times the purple colored antioxidants of red wine.

Cranberry juice

You either love it or hate it, but the bitter sweet juice of cranberries does wonders for your health.

AMANDA SAYS: Cranberry juice contains the nutrient proanthocyanidins (PACS) which helps reduce the symptoms of urine infections.

Test tube studies also suggest that they may be useful in reducing the activity of the bacteria that trigger stomach ulcers.

This juice contains sweeteners and glucose-fructose syrup, but totally unsweetened cranberry juice is undrinkable and at least this has less sugar than the original versions.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/health/fit_squad/article928599.ece