Apple juice—the star of lunch boxes and school cafeteria lunches everywhere! Odds are you spent a good portion of your childhood enjoying this tart, refreshing drink on hot summer afternoons or as a sidekick to your daily breakfast.
Whether you prefer a glass or a juice box, apple juice is a favorite of people both young and old—but did you know just how many benefits of apple juice you’re enjoying with every sip? If not, no worries—I’ve gathered a list right here for you! Check out 11 apple juice benefits that are sure to amaze you!
11 Apple Juice Benefits
1. (Vitamin) C is for Cancer Prevention!
One of the main benefits of apple juice nutrition is consuming Vitamin C. Most of us have heard of Vitamin C and know that it’s one of the top-touted vitamins to stay stocked up on, but what exactly does it do?
While Vitamin C serves several purposes in the upkeep of the body and improvement of health, one of the most important functions it performs is the strengthening of the immune system. This is why you’ll often see people adding powdered Vitamin C supplements into their juice and other beverages around cold and flu season—it’s one of the most popular defenses against the sniffles out there! It can even help lower your risk of developing cancer, and some studies are looking into its effectiveness when used in tandem with chemotherapy treatments.
2. Heart-Healthy
Another great apple juice benefit is that it keeps your veins clean and clear! Apple juice is known for lowering cholesterol, which in turn helps keep your arteries clear, which helps lower your risk for cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, and strokes. Though it’s not necessarily a medically-licensed treatment just yet, it’s shown promising results in certain studies, and it certainly can’t hurt to work a glass or two into your daily diet and see how it helps.
3. Constipation Relief (Kids and Adults!)
If you’re feeling a bit blocked up, try sipping some apple juice. The fibers and fructose in fruits are known to assist in digestive health, and apples especially are a great place to turn if your stomach needs soothing. If you’re looking for the best sort of apple to use as an at-home treatment for constipation, Granny Smiths are one of the highest-fiber apples, but there are other ways to get more apples in your system without eating a bagful of fruit…like apple juice!
Apple juice comes highly recommended as a low-intensity laxative for adults and children alike, especially if you have a child who kicks and screams at the prospect of swallowing medicines. Try a glass or two of apple juice and see if it helps!
4. Adds Flavor to Your Daily Hydration
Did you know apple juice is actually over 80% water? While it boasts a high hydration content, if you’re one of those people who finds plain water a bit boring to the taste buds, apple juice is a great solution.
Now you can get “flavored” water without the added health worries of artificial water flavorings or sugary syrups; not only that, but it’s a great way to ensure your kids are staying hydrated as well! If your kids aren’t fans of regular water, offering a couple glasses of apple juice is a tried-and-true way to trick them into taking in some much-needed H2O.
5. Weight-Loss Assistance
While apple juice itself isn’t a magic diet drink, if you struggle with an overactive appetite or a habit of snacking between meals, apple juice could be a great solution for you! A bit heavier in the stomach than plain water, this juice’s sweet and fruity taste and greater amount of substance can help suppress appetite and snack cravings between meals. So next time your stomach starts growling for sugary or salty foods, try drinking down a glass of apple juice for your afternoon snack.
6. Asthma Improvement
The same way apple juice can help improve heart health, this super juice also lends a hand to your lungs! Apple juice is packed full of antioxidants, which help strengthen the lungs and improve lung health, which can reduce the severity and frequency of asthma attacks. While it’s no replacement for an inhaler, it’s definitely worth a shot—however, try to go for apple juice brands with lower sugar content. Drinks with large amounts of sugar can actually worsen asthma, so make sure you keep an eye on that ingredients label!
7. UTI Prevention
Thanks to the acidic nature of apple juice, the benefits of apple juice can be extremely useful for preventing health issues such as UTIs. However, if you’re already suffering from a UTI, experts recommend avoiding apple juice and other fruits and juices that can potentially worsen rather than improve your condition. Be sure not to confuse prevention with treatment, or you could end up worse off than you started!
8. Liver Health
Apple juice benefits really can do it all! Not only are they good for your heart and lungs, but apples aid in the whole digestive process, which can assist in your liver functioning properly. It also contains malic acid, which is believed to help your liver clean out toxins from your body.
9. Memory Care
Seriously, the benefits of apple juice are here to help with just about any organ in your body you can think of. I’ve already discussed its benefits for your heart, lungs, digestion, and liver…now let’s talk about the brain.
Apples are a good source of quercetin, which is known to protect brain cells from damage and decay. This can be extremely important as people age, especially if there’s a history of Alzheimer’s in your family. While an apple a day might not always keep the doctor away, it can help keep your memories sharp and your mind functioning properly, and that seems like enough of a reason to get your daily glass in!
A more recent development to consider, as well: with so many people suffering from post-COVID brain fog, quercetin is also thought to help treat this hazy curtain hung over the mind. While it’s been observed more often in brain fog linked to allergies, it could help with lingering difficulties thinking post-COVID.
10. Skin Health
Thanks to that nifty Vitamin C, the benefits of apple juice can also help keep your skin healthy and elastic. The juice has been known to help prevent wrinkles and acne breakouts. (And if you want something a bit more hands-on, you can always make an apple and honey face mask.)
11. Hair Growth
While this one has less evidence to back it up, apples do contain various vitamins that can contribute to hair growth and scalp health! And our aforementioned friends the antioxidants are helpful, too. While drinking the juice is fine, some people also try washing their hair in apple juice to really get those nutrients in at the source!
Best Brands
When it comes to both health and popularity, they meet in the middle at Mott’s Apple Juice. The ingredients list is pretty straightforward, so there’s not much worry about unhealthy surprises there. However, the sugar content still sits at a hefty 28 grams per serving.
If you’re looking for something lower in sugar without sacrificing flavor, you can try Mott’s Sensibles, which has only 18 grams of sugar per serving.
Where to Buy
Just about anywhere! Depending on your favorite brands, you can find most types of apple juice in any chain grocery store. If the brand you’re after is more specialized or organic, or you shop at a smaller grocery store outside the usual chains, you might have a harder time tracking down what you’re looking for. Still, apple juice is a staple of most pantries or fridges, so you shouldn’t have too much difficulty tracking down a bottle that works for your needs!
How Much Per Day?
While there are numerous apple juice benefits for your health, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. Especially with so many brands being packed with sugar, it’s important to limit your daily intake of apple juice. It’s recommended to stick to about one cup a day, or around six to eight ounces of juice.
Wrapping Up Apple Juice Benefits
Ready for your next glass of apple juice? Now that you’re armed with all these apple juice benefits, you can enjoy your next glass while knowing exactly how it’s helping to support your immune system, digestion, hydration, and more!
Excited for more apple content? Visit my apple trees page to learn more about apple planting, growing, harvesting, cooking, and more!
- About the Author
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Cassidy Eubanks is a proud Michigander, an avid reader, a lover of colorful gardens, and a writer for Minneopa Orchards.
After earning her bachelor’s in Creative Writing (partially through virtual learning, thanks to the pandemic), gardening gave her an excuse to get outside and get away from all the screens. With a particular love for decorating with colorful flowers, using herbs grown in her own garden, and finding creative ways to build big gardens in small spaces, Cassidy enjoys helping others learn about growing their own food, flowers, and trees through Minneopa Orchards!
Martha Berger
Sunday 9th of July 2023
I have been drinking a few cups of apple juice daily less 50% sugar - but hope my blood clot in the lungs has disappeared as I drink it instead of any other drinks. Especially good when taking medicine as the pills go down easier than with water - coughing is more likely with water.