Are Naked Juices Healthy? - 34% More Sugar Than A Coke

I don't drink this type of beverage, and I think the claim on the label is terribly deceptive. Thank you for your enlightening posts, Snack Girl!

Beth B

This is exactly what I love to find out from you, Lisa. This is a great example of how a label can be "true" and misleading at the very same time. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Thank you for tracking this down.

Jennie

I agree with you - WAY too much sugar. I have personally found that I can control my hunger and appetite by staying away from high sugar foods. If something has over 20 grams in a serving I consider it loaded. 55 is very high and definitely something you would only want as a treat on rare occasions.

Penny

That is not the only reason NOT to drink naked drinks. Look deeper into the ingredients and you will find serious issues with some of the things they use. I will never purchase these juices again.

Niosha

At least a milkshake will fill you up! This looks very watery & seems like it would actually make you hungrier & craving more sweet stuff considering the amount of sugar in it. I can not justify drinking 420 calories & it not fill me up or be good for me if it's going to claim to be healthy

brandy

I'd much rather have a vodka and diet lemon/lime for about 100 calories any day.

Kris

I have never understood the smoothie craze. To me, to drink the amount of calories in any type of smoothie makes no sense. It is gone in no time, and passes right through you. I would much rather eat the fruit and yogurt, or even ice cream for a much more enjoyable treat that lasts longer. But I digress....LOL!

Lauren

That said, I am constantly amazed at the deceptive marketing of these so-called "healthy" products. Which is why I stay away from most processed foods. I'm also trying to teach my 16 year old how to look at labels to detect sugar, artificial ingredients, etc. If we think we can be gullible--consider how easy it is for kids to fall for this marketing!

Lauren

I have a digestive condition and cannot eat or drink anything high in fat. I know I need more protein because I eat minimal meat. What protein smoothies do you suggest? Or what low- to no-fat sources of protein do you suggest?

What are your thoughts on Odwalla and Bolthouse Farms? I've tried Kefirs, but the fat content is high and makes me sick.

Krysta

Krista - use 0% fat plain Kefir. Add 2 T of Polander's Sugar Free + Fiber preserves, protein powder (Design from Trader Joes) and frozen no sugar added strawberries! GREAT homemade smoothie protein drink.

Helene

Snack Girl - please explain the difference between NOT from concentrate and juice from concentrate. Not sure I understand which is healthier.

Helene

Thanks for always having our backs with the research and information you provide about products like this. I've tried Naked smoothies and they never did it for me. I never felt satisfied from them anyway. Now I have even more ammo as to why I should stay away from them.

Kimberly

Any fruit drinks like smoothies or stuff like this has way too much sugar in it. I always look at the sugar content. I would rather eat a whole fruit then drink of fruit. And if I decide to have a smoothie I make it from scratch so I know what's in it. A lot of people when trying to lose weight really do want more protein and I understand that. Read the labels though because you don't need all that added sugar.

Cindy

This is very high in protein and natural sugars from fruit. Are you saying there is not normally sugar in fruit? What you are showing is a 15.2 ounce bottle which is 2 servings.

29 grams of sugar, 16 grams of protein, 450 mg of potassium on the label per each 8 ounce serving ans 220 calories per 8 oz. serving. There is also 100% of Vit. C, 8% iron and 4% calcium per 8 ounces.

In a 15.2 ounce bottle of APPLE JUICE there are 50 + grams of sugar.

One KIND bar has nearly as many calories 210 calories per 40 gram bar, no vit. C, 6% iron, 14 grams of carbs, and half the potassium. Only 5 grams of sugar though, a plus for them.

I am even more concerned about the phytates in soy nd nut products in these products. I am not sure there are soy products in KIND bars because I can't seem to find a full list on their site.

The phytates bind vitamins and minerals to them so how much nutrition are you receiving from either one? Maybe not as much as you think.

The sugar in soft drinks is often refined sugar not sugar from fruit that is assimilated more slowly and thus not raising the blood sugar so quickly and dramatically.

As is often the case I have observed that only half truths are posted and not just by the offending companies.

I_Fortuna

I have had the same question in my mind I_Fortuna concerning the KIND bars. I wonder why it's so hard to find information on their site??? Seems very suspect to me! I'll grad a handful of nuts instead and mix em with whatever I see fit and out them in snack bags. I don't trust these companies!

Tywana

This was good enough for me to share on facebook. What a travesty these beverages are for people. Thank you for enlightening me and all my friends! Beth

Beth Dillman

But...they didn't add any sugar. It's all from fruit. So yes, it's very high in sugar, but I don't think their labeling is deceptive.

Kailey

Thanks Lisa, this was a great post. So many people don't make the connection between fructose and "sugar". As a nurse, I learned years ago that OJ and other juices were as bad for diabetics as cola and other sugar-sweetened drinks. If we reserve drinks like Naked and other fruit drinks as treats and ate whole fruit, we'd be better off. I think the whole smoothie craze is problematic for people who don't bother to do a little research on the nutritional value of food. I'd rather eat my fruits and veggies than drink them. Give me whole foods any day!

Rita

gotta agree with Kailey...the sugar is all from fruit. I do agree that no fiber at all is not good, but what happens when people make smoothies at home, with their juicers> Does anyone know how much fiber nakes it through there? I'd really like to know.

Dee

When the Naked drinks are on sale for 2.50 ea. I will get the Green Machine. I only drink half and sometimes during the day it is so good I finish it off. I usually do not worry about the sugars from fruits and veggies, but all is in moderation and variety,I seem at 60yrs old to maintain a good weight. The Green Machine has wheatgrass and spirulina, which I do not keep at home. I hate that it is not organic. I have been drinking for awhile now and I will have to check out the label again. I want just whole fruits mixed and I do not remember soy being but any soy you eat should be only organic. You know that Starbucks uses organic soy milk, I was excited to hear. Anyway happy drinking.

lenora

I think this article is trying to give a level of trepidation towards fruit smoothies where there should be none. The fact is sugar in the form of fructose is much more easily dealt with in the body that sucrose (sugar cane), the sugar you find in soft drinks. Not to mention all the nutrients in it which soft drinks don't.

It is easy to see the word sugar and think negatively, do you hesitate to question the doctor saying eat five fruits a day? 5 bananas would contain about 60g of sugar.

The fact of the matter is a fruit smoothie (not necessarily 'Naked') are a good way of delivering high amounts of nutrients contained in fruit in a convenient way. Yes it may not be a clean cut as the label reads but fearing the word sugar and comparing it to 11 table spoons of sucrose sugar isn't anything less than scaremongering.

Dav

All fruits have natural sugars in them, but your body can break down these sugars easier then refined Kane sugar or liquid sugar. These smoothies are actually very good for you. You just make sure you stay active. Stop complaining and get off the couch.

Brooks

Brooks - Yes, all fruits have natural sugars and the juice alone goes straight to the blood stream and raises the blood sugar, whereas, eating the whole fruit allows for slower digestion and using some of the carbs in the form of fiber.

Any whole fruit used to make smoothies at home will have fiber. In addition, more fiber can be added. I use flax meal and nutritional yeast to boost fiber and nutrition.

My secret is using berries which are low in sugar and high in antioxidants like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and boysenberries.

Especially good because they contain lutein and other antioxidants especially great for eyesight.

As diabetics, the only time we drink fruit juice is when our blood sugar crashes or drops dramatically. A small glass of fruit juice brings it up quickly to balance our blood sugar. Too much and it can bring our blood sugar up to dangerous levels that can cause death or coma.

The body does not distinguish one sugar from another. Sugar is sugar. What makes sugar less of a problem is fiber.

For some people, the body cannot "break down" or utilize sugar properly. The pancreas may have ceased to work properly to release insulin that processes carbs and sugar.

Beta cell burnout:

"In type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to its insulin and attempts to compensate by producing a higher quantity of insulin. Research has shown that chronically elevated blood glucose levels (chronic hyperglycemia) over a long period of time can lead to beta cells wearing out, referred to as beta cell turnover or beta burnout."

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/body/beta-cells.html

The key here is *chronically* elevated blood sugar. This can occur with too many and the wrong kind of carbs are simple sugars.

Scientists are yet to fully understand the exact cause of the failure of beta cells in type 2 diabetes.

They hypothesise that glucotoxicity may be one factor amongst other potential factors including the effects of lipoproteins, leptin and also cytokines, which are active proteins of the body’s immune system.

I_Fortuna

I think this kind of a bogus article. Yet everyones out to get these companies for every little thing they do. It's a drink. It's going to have some kind of sugar in it, otherwise you could not sell it because it would not be palatable to ones taste. I can only guess that you are wither from Ca or Ny trying to tell everyone how to eat and drink.

fubber1

@fubber - Telling the truth about a product does not mean that anyone is "out to get" a company. And, because a company claims a product is healthy does not mean it is. The bottom line is the dollar for all companies.

It is my opinion that if one reads the research, one will find that foods and drinks loaded with sugar, hidden or otherwise are not particularly healthy.

Too much sugar is responsible for many illnesses such as diabetes with complications, hypertension and high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack blindness, kidney disease as well as many other complications.

When the pancreas can no longer produce the insulin needed to break down sugar, one may develop diabetes and the complications that follow.

29.1 million Americans in 2012 have diabetes.

86 million Americans have prediabetes.

Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S.

If one's perception is that New Yorkers and Californians are "trying to tell everyone how to eat and drink", maybe some of us should be listening.

The cost of health care?

Updated March 6, 2013 $245 billion: Total costs of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2012 $176 billion for direct medical costs

$69 billion in reduced productivity - See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/#sthash.…

Billions of dollars.

No one is forcing anyone to eat a certain way. However, if one reads the labels on most processed foods, one may see that they are loaded with sugar and salt. One serving of some foods contains the daily allowed sodium intake and often more in addition to added sugars.

Yes, certain foods and drinks are not as palatable without sugar or salt, but should we be eating those foods or drinking those drinks? I am sure there are better choices.

"Food is not ordinarily like a substance of abuse, but intermittent bingeing and deprivation changes that. Based on the observed behavioral and neurochemical similarities between the effects of intermittent sugar access and drugs of abuse, we suggest that sugar, as common as it is, nonetheless meets the criteria for a substance of abuse and may be “addictive” for some individuals when consumed in a “binge-like” manner. This conclusion is reinforced by the changes in limbic system neurochemistry that are similar for the drugs and for sugar."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/

The choice is ours but at what monetary and health costs? Everyone ends up paying for the poor choices of others.

I_Fortuna

I'm with Krysta. had my gallbladder out last week and am now stuck on a very low fat diet. I've been drinking these trying to keep my calories up in a "healtyhy" way. a girl can only eat so much ruffage... :/ I've dropped 15 lbs in a month since I started having pains, then the surgery, now I find myself on a restricted diet until my body adjusts.

Krystle

Naked Juice is very misleading, it has too much sugar and calories to be considered healthy.....

Tim

ya no each naked has different nutrition facts and just because one of the drinks has sugar in it doesn't mean they added it fruit has sugar in it😒 ,and the silly comparison to the coke (which is obviously a coke zero or low cal) can be disregarded considering the berry flavor is the equivalent of "pouring 11tsp sugar into your mouth" The coke would be about 10tsp of sugar. Maybe some "people" don't know this but fat is essential in the development of the brain. Also who are talking about protein berry. Protein which typically comes with fat,carbs, or other "unhealthy" factors. If you want a low cal drink with the nutrition of a few meals try a different naked such as the greens or reds.

David

This article is very misleading. You can not eat or drink any fruit without sugar. The sugars come from the fruit. It is the processed sugars you should be worrying about. once again... fruits have natural sugars. That is what is in the nutrition facts. Even veggies have sugars. very unprofessional.

tkd

Thank you SO much for this enlightening information! No benefit of the fruit fiber, owned by pepsi, and what it "fruit puree" actually is. I needed to know! Thanks! I'll be sticking to real fruit!

Alysha

What would be a good alternative to Naked juices then? Because I need something quick I can grab, but I obviously want something healthier than the Naked juices!

Amanda

I think you are confusing calories with overall being healthy... Just because something has more calories doesn't mean it isn't healthy. Its about the vitamins, which you totally left out. And yeah, if you're drinking fruit juices there's going to be sugar. News Flash, sweetheart, there's sugar in fruit. So I guess you'll take Taco Bell over some apples and blueberries, huh. Try an education.

trish