A glass of orange juice for breakfast and a large apple for lunch – not unusual for many people. “Unfortunately, it’s not healthy,” says ecotrophologist Dr. Astrid Tombeck. “Fruit wine is a sugar bomb.”
50 grams of sugar per day – should not be more
How much we should drink depends on how we eat throughout the day, explains the head of the diabetes and nutrition counseling department at the Mergentheim Diabetes Center. And above all, how much sugar is in the food and drink. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a day should not exceed 50 grams – less is better.
Although fruit juice contains vitamins, its sugar is similar to that of lemonade. This also applies to fresh orange juice: Depending on the variety, oranges usually require at least three oranges for a glass of juice. Finally, it contains all the sugar from the fruit. In liquid form, it gets into the blood especially quickly. This can be slowed down a bit by drinking water with a main meal that contains fat and fiber.
Animation: What happens to fructose in the liver?
Fruit juice also contains a lot of fruit sugar (fructose), which only the liver can make. It makes him like an alcoholic. “If we eat too many calories, the liver turns the excess fructose into fat and stores it,” says Tombek. This promotes the development of fatty liver. “It’s better to drink very diluted milk and then watch the amount.”
Water, nectar or spritzer: What’s the difference?
straight water:
It consists of 100 percent fruit. After pressing, it is filtered (exception: natural cloud water), heated and bottled. Since heating affects the taste, manufacturers are allowed to add natural flavor. Colors and preservatives are not allowed.
fruit nectar:
Depending on the variety, fruit nectar contains 25 to 50 percent fruit. The rest is water and some kind of sugar or honey. The sugar content may be 20 percent of the total weight. Colorants and preservatives are also prohibited in fruit nectar.
Fruit juice spray:
How much fruit juice a fruit contains depends on how much nectar a fruit of the same species has. Therefore, the value varies between a minimum of 25 percent and a minimum of 50 percent of the fruit. In addition, spritzers contain water, carbonic acid and sometimes natural flavors.

Fruit juice from concentrate:
The fruit content is 100 percent. To make concentrates, water is extracted from the water under vacuum. The aroma is also isolated. The concentrate can be stored and transported cheaply. To form them again, it is again mixed with water and perfume.
drinking fruit juice:
Fruit juice drinks mainly consist of water, sugar and flavorings. Some also contain acids such as citric acid. The exact ingredients must be on the package. The content of the fruit varies according to the variety, the average sugar content is twelve percent.

Graduate ecotrophologist Dr. Astrid Tombek, Head of the Diabetes and Nutrition Counseling Department at the Mergentheim Diabetes Center
© W&B/Bernhard Kahrmann
Disappointment
It all comes down to food. It is important not to eat too much sugar at all. If you eat healthily, you can also drink a glass of water every now and then – preferably diluted with water.