What Vitamins Are In Juice Plus+?

What Vitamins are in Juice Plus+?

We are often asked what vitamins are in Juice Plus+. The simple answer is that in addition to providing juice concentrates of over 30 different fruits, vegetables and berries, Juice Plus+ capsules and chewables contain provitamin A (in the form of beta carotene from the algae Dunaliella salina), vitamin C (as calcium ascorbate), vitamin E (from natural mixed tocopherols) and folic acid (from lemon peel).

More Than Just Vitamins

Vitamins are defined by Britannica as "any of several organic substances that are necessary in small quantities for normal health and growth in higher forms of animal life." They must be consumed through the diet because they can’t be manufactured by the body. Vitamin pills typically contain isolated vitamins, mostly synthetic, removed from their whole food context.

It’s important to understand that Juice Plus+ is not just a vitamin product. Our Fruit, Vegetable and Berry Blends start with dried fruit, vegetable and berry juice powders.

We believe that the value of Juice Plus+ comes from the vast array of phytonutrients it provides, thanks to the produce we use as our starting material, along with other plant ingredients we include. (“Phyto” comes from Greek and means “plant,” so phytonutrients are health-supporting nutrients that comes from plants.)

We combine our whole-food-based ingredients with just a handful of select vitamins from natural sources. They are included to complement the properties of the amazing phytonutrients in Juice Plus+.

The Power of Fruits and Vegetables

It’s no secret that fruits and vegetables are healthy food and an important part of a balanced diet. You’ve known that since you were a child and your parents hounded you to eat them. (Thanks, Mom!) Consuming plenty of fruit and vegetables is linked to all sorts of positive outcomes.*[1]^{,[2],[3],[4],[5]}

When it comes to eating produce, it’s not just quantity that matters but variety. Different families of fruits and vegetables contain different phytonutrients. That’s why you’re often advised to “eat the rainbow.” Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables in an array of colors provides you with the broadest spectrum of phytonutrients and the most health benefits.

The Fruit and Vegetable Gap

Sadly, most people don’t get enough fruits and vegetables in their diets. In a 2015 report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that only 13% of Americans eat enough fruit (1.5 to 2 cups a day) and only 9% eat enough vegetables (2 to 3 cups a day).[6] Yikes! That’s a pretty big gap between what we should eat and what we actually do eat. Clearly, some dietary changes are needed. One easy way to estimate if you’re hitting the target is to see if fruits and vegetables cover half your plate at each meal.

Juice Plus+ isn’t a substitute for eating a healthy diet, but it can help fill in the gaps. Our Fruit, Vegetable and Berry Blends provide phytonutrients and select vitamins from 30 different fruits, vegetables and berries. Our Omega Blend contains omega-3, 5, 6, 7 and 9 from algae, pomegranate seeds, sea buckthorn berries, raspberry seeds, tomato seeds and safflower seeds. Adding Juice Plus+ to your daily routine simply makes healthy living easier.

What Vitamins are in Juice Plus+?

Juice Plus+ Fruit and Vegetable Blends contain a quartet of vitamins, all derived from natural sources. Each one plays an important role in health and wellness.

• Vitamin A (as beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body) is found in most orange or yellow fruits and vegetables, as well as leafy greens. Vitamin A helps protect cells from oxidative damage and promotes skin health and normal immune function.[7]
• Vitamin C is abundant in most fruits and vegetables. Citrus fruits, berries and broccoli are particularly good sources. Vitamin C is another antioxidant that helps protects cells from oxidative stress. This multi-tasker also contributes to the normal function of the immune system, supports collagen formation, and promotes skin, tooth and gum health.*[8]^,[9]
• Vitamin E can be found in oils such as sunflower, safflower and soybean oil, as well as wheat germ, nuts, and some fruits and vegetables: Think broccoli, spinach, beet greens and mango. It’s also an antioxidant. Vitamin E occurs in eight different forms called tocopherols and tocotrienols. Without getting too technical, alpha-tocopherol is the most common form of vitamin E in supplements, but mixed tocopherols have been shown to be more effective than alpha-tocopherol alone.*[10]^,[11]
• Folate, also known as folic acid or vitamin B9, is found in leafy green vegetables like broccoli, kale and spinach, as well as in beets and citrus fruits. Folate supports healthy concentrations of homocysteine in blood. It’s also essential for healthy brain development early in life and healthy brain function late in life.[12]

Juice Plus+ Berry Blend provides additional vitamin C and vitamin E.

What Phytonutrients are in Juice Plus+?

Now you know what vitamins are in Juice Plus+. But even more special than the vitamins are the phytonutrients it contains. Because Juice Plus+ Fruit, Vegetable and Berry Blends are whole food-based, they are bursting with phytonutrients, including:

• Lutein and Zeaxanthin. This duo belongs to the carotenoid family of phytonutrients, and they are typically found together in spinach, peas and summer squash. Lutein is a brilliant yellow; it’s what gives marigolds petals their happy color. Zeaxanthin is more of a reddish-orange, responsible for saffron’s vivid crimson shade.
• Mixed tocopherols. Part of the vitamin E family, tocopherols are found in safflower oil, sunflower oil and olive oil. They occur in higher quantities in almonds than any other nut. Tocopherols vary in color from light yellow to reddish brown.
• Lycopene. The carotenoid that made tomatoes famous, lycopene is a lovely shade of red. It’s also found in other red-colored plant foods, like guava and watermelon.
• Astaxanthin. Another carotenoid, astaxanthin imparts a deep red color to the algae in which it occurs naturally. Wild salmon, shrimp and lobster are all pink because they eat astaxanthin-rich algae!
• Citrus bioflavonoids. These phytonutrients belong to the larger flavonoid family, which imparts a range of colors to fruits and vegetables. Citrus bioflavonoids are found in oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit.
• Polyphenols. This huge class of phytonutrients, which encompasses the flavonoids mentioned above, is found in all kinds of plant-derived foods and beverages. Some of the most well-known polyphenols are anthocyanins, which give dark berries and purple potatoes their blue-purple coloring. They’re also found in herbs and spices, cocoa powder, nuts, flaxseeds and tea.

An analysis of Juice Plus+ Fruit, Vegetable and Berry Blends published in the scientific journal PharmaNutrition found they contained an impressive 119 polyphenols![13] The researchers noted that there many different polyphenols from 11 different classes represented. They also observed that the way in which the capsules are prepared (carefully!) preserves them from degradation.

What Omega Fatty Acids are in Juice Plus+?

In addition to the phytonutrients and vitamins in Juice Plus+ Fruit, Vegetable and Berry Blends, there’s another important kind of nutrient that’s supplied by Omega Blend: omega fatty acids. Like vitamins, the body needs omegas to function properly but it does not make all of them, so they must be consumed through the diet or supplements.

Different omegas have different actions in the body. Omega-3s, such as DHA and EPA, are particularly well known for supporting brain function, cardiovascular health and vision.*[14],[15],[16],[17],[18]

Most omega-3 supplements are made from fish oil, but Juice Plus+ sources our plant-based omega-3s from algae, which, incidentally, is where fish get theirs. (That’s why we like to say we cut out the middle fish!) Research has shown that when it comes to raising DHA levels, algal oil is nutritionally equivalent to fish oil.*[19]

Next, we add sea buckthorn berry oil, plus oils from pomegranate seed, raspberry seed, safflower seed and tomato seed to create a balanced blend of omega fatty acids:

• Omega-3. The most famous of the omega fatty acids, omega-3 is not just found in fish! It also occurs in algae and seaweed, such as nori, wakame, kombu and dulse. Interestingly, seaweed is the only plant-based omega-3 source to provide DHA and EPA (the forms of omega-3 the body uses).
• Omega-5. Not as well-known as its more famous cousins, omega-3 and omega-6, omega-5 naturally occurs in pomegranate seeds and coconut oil.
• Omega-6. Omega-6 often plays second fiddle to omega-3 in popular culture, but this omega is essential to the human body, just like omega-3. It’s found in nuts and seeds, tofu and whole grains.
• Omega-7. We’re just starting to learn about this omega fatty acid, which is found in sea buckthorn berry oil, avocadoes and macadamia nuts.
• Omega-9. Oleic acid from olive oil is probably the most renowned omega-9, but this beneficial omega is also found in nuts and seeds.

Reap the Benefits of Juice Plus+

Original published clinical research has shown Juice Plus+:

• Is bioavailable, increasing the amount of antioxidants and other nutrients in the blood
• Supports heart health, producing positive effects on several measures of vascular health
• Supports the function of the immune system
• Protects DNA from oxidation, supporting its structural integrity
• Beneficially changes genes that affect lipid, glucose and energy metabolism
• Increases levels of key antioxidants in the bloodstream
• Decreases levels of several key biomarkers of inflammation
• Supports several parameters of healthy lung function
• Improves skin hydration, skin thickness and circulation in skin capillaries
• Aids weight management by supporting healthy cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride metabolism
• Improves markers of phytonutrients and cell health

All these benefits are not just due to the vitamins in Juice Plus+, but from the whole package of nutritional goodness provided by the capsules. Like the old saying goes, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts!”

References

[1] Du H, et al. Fresh fruit consumption and major cardiovascular disease in China. N Engl J Med. 2016 Apr 7; 374(14) 1332-43. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1501451

[2] Aune D, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Int J Epidemiol. 2017 Jun 1:46(3):1029-56. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28338764/

[3] White BA, Horwath CC, Conner TS. Many apples a day keep the bules away—daily experiences of negative and positive affect and food consumption in young adults. Br J Health Psychol. 2013 Nov;18(4):782-8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23347122/

[4] Nguyen B, Ding D, Mihrshahi S. Fruit and vegetable consumption and psychological distress: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses based on a large Australian sample. BMJ Open. 2017 Mar 15;7(3):e014201. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28298322/

[5] Jansen EC, et al. Changes in fruit and vegetable consumption in relation to changes in sleep characteristics over a 3-month period among young adults. Sleep Health. 2021 Apr 8;S2352-7218(21)00013-9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33840631/

[6] Sifferlin A. Only 13% of Americans eat enough fruit. Time. 2015 Jul 9. https://time.com/3950253/fruits-vegetables-intake/

[7] Vitamin A. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University. Oregon State University. 2021. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-A

[8] Vitamin C. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University. Oregon State University. 2021. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-C

[9] Rubinoff AB, et al. Vitamin C and oral health. J Can Dent Assoc. 1989 Sep;55(9):705-7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2676112/

[10] Liu M, et al. Mixed tocopherols have a stronger inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation than alpha-tocopherol alone. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2002 May;39(5):714-21. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11973415/

[11] Liu M, et al. Mixed tocopherols inhibit platelet aggregation in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Mar;77(3):700-06. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12600864/

[12] Folate. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University. 2021. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/folate

[13] Bresciani L, et al. (Poly)phenolic characterization of three food supplements containing 36 different fruits, vegetables and berries. PharmaNutrition. 2015 Apr;3(2):11-19. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S221343441500002X

[14] Bos DJ, et al. Reduced symptoms of inattention after dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in boys with and without Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Neuropsychopharmacol. 2015 Sep;40(10):2298-306. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25790022

[15] Daniell S. Omega-3 levels linked to better cognitive performance. Nutraingredients. 2016 May 16. https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2016/05/13/Omega-3-levels-linked-to-better-cognitive-performance#

[16] Miller PE, Van Elswyk M, Alexander DD. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Hypertens. 2014 Jul;27(7):885-96. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24610882/

[17] Sekilawa A, et al. Long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and incidence rate of coronary artery calcification in Japanese men in Japan and white men in the USA: population based prospective cohort study. Heart. 2014 Apr;100(7):569-73. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3949146/

[18] Hodge W, et al. Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on eye health: summary. AHRQ Evidence Report Summaries. 2005 Jul. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11888/

[19] Ryan L, Symington AM. Algal-oil supplements are a viable alternative to fish-oil supplements in terms of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3;DHA). J Funct Foods. 2015 Dec;19, Part B: 852-58. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464614002229