Is Naked Juice Healthy? Benefits and Downsides

Naked Juice gets its name from its products’ absence of preservatives, added sugars, and artificial flavors.

Some of its drinks are supplemented with vitamins or health foods, such as spirulina.

Nutrition facts

A 15.2-ounce (450-ml) serving of Naked Juice’s Green Machine provides (1):

• Calories: 270
• Carbs: 63 grams
• Sugar: 53 grams
• Fiber: 1.3 grams
• Protein: 4 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Vitamin C: 50% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Vitamins A, B2, and B6: 25% of the DV

However, other products, such as Blue or Red Machine, pack as many as 320 calories and 76 grams of carbs per 15.2-ounce (450-ml) bottle.

High in sugar, low in fiber

Despite having no added sugars, Naked Juice beverages are still high in sugar from naturally occurring sources like fruits. What’s more, they’re low in fiber, as most of this nutrient is removed during the juicing process.

Keep in mind that the American Heart Association recommends a maximum daily intake of 9 teaspoons (37.5 grams) of sugar for men and 6 teaspoons (25 grams) for women (2).

A 15.2-ounce (450-ml) bottle of Green Machine naturally provides an amount equal to a whopping 13 teaspoons (53 grams) — far exceeding these recommendations.

Proponents of juicing often point to dietary guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which suggest having 2 servings of fruit per day, either from whole fruits or 100% fruit juice (3).

Still, since fruit juices are lower in fiber, the USDA emphasizes that at least one serving should come from whole fruits.

Thus, you may need to limit your juice intake to make sure you’re also eating whole fruits.

Summary

Naked Juice may not be as nutritious as you think. Like most juices, it’s high in sugar and low in fiber.

Naked Juice products may provide several benefits.

Research shows that moderate consumption of 100% fruit and vegetable juices, such as Naked Juice drinks, may help people meet their daily antioxidant needs (4, 5, 6).

What’s more, fruits and vegetables may safeguard against certain chronic diseases due to their antioxidant content (7).

Antioxidants protect your body from damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules that may cause oxidative stress.

One 14-week study in 49 people found that drinking fruit and vegetable juices significantly increased blood levels of antioxidants and folate, compared with a control group (8).

A 4-week study in 60 people observed similar results. Those who drank a fruit and vegetable concentrate daily showed a 528% and 80% increase in blood antioxidant levels for beta carotene and lycopene, respectively, as well as a 174% increase for folate (9).

Summary

Naked Juice drinks may help you meet your daily fruit and vegetable requirements, as well as increase your blood antioxidant levels.

Although Naked Juice drinks may offer some health benefits, they’re low in fiber and high in sugar.

Excessive sugar content

Even 100% fruit and vegetable juices may provide too much sugar, as they pack multiple servings of whole fruit in drinking form.

For example, a 15.2-ounce (450-ml) bottle of Naked Juice’s Red Machine is made from almost 2 apples, 11 strawberries, half of a banana, 13 raspberries, 2/3 of an orange, 7 grapes, 1/4 of a pomegranate, and 3 cranberries.

High sugar intake is associated with an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes (10, 11).

In an 18-year study in 71,346 healthy women, eating whole fruits and vegetables significantly decreased their risk of type 2 diabetes — while drinking fruit and vegetable juices increased their risk (12).

Furthermore, a study in 187,382 adults determined that replacing fruit juice with the same amount of whole fruit lowered diabetes risk by 7% (13).

Low in fiber

Fruit and vegetable juices, including Naked Juice, have most of their fiber removed during the juicing process.

Fiber plays an essential role in weight management by promoting feelings of fullness, thus regulating your appetite and food intake (14).

Fiber is also linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. What’s more, it helps stabilize blood sugar levels and insulin secretion, potentially preventing blood sugar spikes — a risk factor for type 2 diabetes (15, 16).

Yet, fruit and vegetable juices may increase both blood sugar and insulin levels due to their lack of fiber (15).

May lead to weight gain

Drinking Naked Juice may lead to weight gain.

Since Naked Juice beverages are 100% fruit and vegetable juice, their sugar content is mostly fructose, one of the naturally occurring sugars in fruit.

Scientific evidence suggests that consuming too much fructose may lower your calorie expenditure and fat metabolism. It may also promote insulin resistance while increasing your calorie intake and levels of belly fat (10, 17, 18, 19).

In a 10-week study in 31 adults, those who drank fructose-sweetened beverages had a lower fat-burning rate and resting calorie expenditure than those who drank glucose-sweetened beverages (20).

Moreover, liquid calories — like those in fruit juice — are less likely to make you feel full compared with calories from food, potentially leading to higher calorie intake (17, 21, 22, 23).

In a study that gave 40 adults an equal number of calories from either apples, apple sauce, or apple juice, those who received the juice reported feeling hungry sooner than those who received the whole fruit or apple sauce (24).

Summary

Naked Juice products are high in sugar, low in fiber, and may lead to weight gain over time.

Despite containing no added sugar, preservatives, or artificial flavors, Naked Juice drinks are still high-calorie, high-sugar beverages.

Though they may provide antioxidants and some vitamins and minerals, they’re low in fiber and may lead to weight gain over time.

You’re better off eating whole fruits and veggies, as these provide more fiber and less sugar. However, if you decide to drink Naked Juice, be sure to do so in moderation.