5 Portions

[MORELLO]

Why is it that although one glass of fruit juice is classed as one portion of fruit and veg, every glass thereafter isn't? This was part of an answer to a previous post, but has bugged me for ages! Why, if 200ml of juice contains X amount of vits etc, 400ml doesn't have twice the amount? It doesn't equate.

[natalie_1982]

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/healthydiet/fruitandvegq/#A218497

It's explained in this site somewhere.... I'll have a read and paste the relevant bit i a while.

[natalie_1982]

This is because you don�t get the same nutritional benefits from juice as you get from whole fruit and veg. When juice is extracted from the whole fruit or vegetable, it reduces the fibre content and releases a type of sugar from the fruit or veg that can damage teeth, especially if you drink it frequently.

This is why it�s better, particularly for children, to keep fruit juice to mealtimes and stick to either milk or water between meals.

[MORELLO]

Thanks natalie_1982, I appreciate you taking the time to look and reply. I still don't get though, reduced fibre / increased sugar, whatever, why two glasses doesn't have twice the benefit of one.

[natalie_1982]

I guess you could call it 'negative goodness' like 'negative calories', for example a carrot contains calories, but the energy your body uses to digest the carrot counteracts the original calorific value thus making it's calorie value negative. 

You'd get goodness from one glass, but the sugar would negate the goodness as it would damage your teeth?

I don't know that for sure but that's what i assumed from reading the article.

[Loosehead]

Further to Natalie's research, I think there is also the variety angle. I mean would 5 apples count ? I think they are just trying to make you have 5 different pieces of fruit and veg. You're right Morello 2 glasses of OJ are better than one but 5? 10? starts to become too much of a good thing. Now if your 5 are say apple, Banana, baked potato, helping of peas, glass of OJ.... magic!

[Gef]

natalie - your body does not use more energy digesting a carrot than you get from the carrot.

loosehead - potatoes do not count in the 5 portions rule.

[Loosehead]

I'm surprised that no form of potato counts Gef, I can understand chips and roasties etc but a baked potato is supposed to be quite good. Still I have'nt done the detailed research. You see what I was getting at though.

[brachiopod]

I think the whole point of the 5-a-day scheme is to try to promote healthy eating of a variety of fruits and veg.

By deliberately discounting "multiple consumptions" (to use a phrase !!!) or certain veg (like potatoes), the intention is to prevent people thinking they have satisfied the 5-a-day criteria by having two bags of chips and three glasses of Sunny-Z.

[natalie_1982]

Is there really such a thing as 'negative calorie foods'?

ALL foods contain some calories, but it is believed by many (including some doctors) that some foods take up more caloric energy to digest then the calories that are in them resulting in what is called the "negative calorie effect".  The more "negative calorie effect" foods you eat, the more you may lose! 

http://www.healthrecipes.com/negative_calories_list.htm

Gef, I have read this on various sites and have also read about it in magazines, I admit I haven't actually measured the energy used or directly researched it myself but the site above is good enough for me.

[Gef]

loosehead, I, too, was surprised to learn this about potatoes and I think the advice is that they are a great source of carbs but don't count them in the 5 portions - to encourage variety?

natalie, I have looked at the site and think it is a bit of a con. If you want the details you have to pay! I think it is saying that if you lived only on carrots (or cabbage soup) you would lose weight because your metabolism uses more calories to keep the body going than you can get from carrots alone.

To both of you, sorry for my previous short answer - it was not meant to be offensive.