Apple Juice: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Apple juice is the liquid pressed from apples, Malus domestica (family Rosaceae). It is sold clear and bottled, cloudy or unfiltered, and as fresh-pressed cider. It is a common first juice for young children. This page covers the drink. It keeps apple juice apart from whole apples, from juice "drinks" with added sugar, and from lab studies of apple plant compounds. Information only.

Read this first

• It is a sugar drink with almost no fiber. One cup has about 24 g of sugars and about 114 kcal. [1] WHO counts sugars in fruit juice as free sugars. [2] The NHS counts juice as at most one 5 A DAY portion, 150 ml a day. [3]
• Contaminants are watched. FDA set a non-binding action level of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for inorganic arsenic in apple juice (final guidance, June 2023) and proposed 10 ppb for lead in apple juice in draft guidance (April 2022). FDA says apple juice is the juice young children drink most. [8] [9]
• Medicines: FDA says the allergy medicine fexofenadine may work less well with orange or apple juice, and one small study found apple juice sharply lowered blood levels of an HIV medicine. [11] [12]
• Unpasteurized cider and juice can carry harmful bacteria. FDA says children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness. [13]
• Evidence in one line: one trial found dilute apple juice worked at least as well as an electrolyte drink for children with mild stomach flu. Observational studies link a lot of juice to slightly higher weight and diabetes risk. There is no good evidence that apple juice treats disease.

What is in it (USDA values)

The values are for apple juice, canned or bottled, unsweetened, with added ascorbic acid (USDA FoodData Central item 167771, SR Legacy). [1] The serving column is the USDA household portion of 1 cup (248 g). The vitamin C is the added vitamin; apple juice without it has almost none. Cloudy and fresh-pressed juices may differ.

% Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values. The serving figures are the 100 g values multiplied by 2.48. [1]

Plant compounds: a small crossover trial of 20 adults compared a vitamin C-rich apple juice with a polyphenol-rich one. The polyphenol-rich juice raised insulin and an insulin resistance marker and lowered a glutathione marker; the effects on cholesterol were trends only. [15] This is a very small study in people, and it does not show a benefit.

What research says

The stomach flu trial used juice diluted with water in a clinic setting. The paper does not turn it into advice for a sick child at home; ask a pediatrician. We did not find a pooled trial showing apple juice prevents heart disease, cancer or any other illness ("Proper evidence not found in the sources we read").

Eaten as food vs taken as juice. Whole apples keep their fiber. In one small study, a whole apple was more filling than juice at 30 minutes. [14]

How much is a normal serving

The USDA household portion is 1 cup (248 g), about 8 fl oz, with about 114 kcal. [1] The NHS says no more than 150 ml of juice, smoothies or vegetable juice combined counts toward 5 A DAY in a day, and suggests drinking juice with meals. [3] WHO says free sugars should stay under 10% of daily energy, and fruit juice counts. [2] The American Academy of Pediatrics (2017) says juice sugar can add calories and raise tooth decay risk, and that juice lacks protein and fiber. [4] This is information, not a prescription.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Arsenic and lead: FDA's 10 ppb action level for inorganic arsenic in apple juice is non-binding; FDA says it will consider enforcement above 10 ppb and plans to revisit the level. [8] The 2022 lead guidance was a draft: 10 ppb for apple juice and 20 ppb for other juices, estimated to cut children's lead exposure from apple juice by up to 46%. [9] See heavy metals and contaminants in foods.
• Patulin (a mold toxin): WHO says apples and apple juice made from moldy fruit are the main source. In people, reported effects are nausea, stomach upset and vomiting. WHO says it is considered able to damage DNA but a cancer risk has not been shown. The Codex limit for apple juice is 50 micrograms per liter. [10]
• Medicines: FDA says fexofenadine may be less effective with orange or apple juice. [11] A small study found apple juice cut the peak blood level of elvitegravir by 67% compared with a protein drink. [12] Ask a pharmacist about any medicine you take. See medicine interactions with foods.
• Sugar, weight and teeth: see the research table and the AAP and NHS statements above. [3] [4]
• Diabetes: one cup has about 28 g of carbohydrate. [1] Ask a clinician or dietitian. See foods for blood sugar control.
• Kidney disease: for people with kidney disease who also have diabetes and a low blood sugar, NIDDK suggests apple, grape or cranberry juice instead of higher-potassium juices such as orange juice. [16] One cup of apple juice has about 250 mg of potassium. [1] We did not read other kidney advice on apple juice; see foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: FDA lists pregnant women among those at higher risk from untreated juice and cider. [13] We did not read other apple-juice-specific advice.
• Babies and children: the AAP says juice has benefits and drawbacks; we read its abstract, not its numeric age limits. [4] See foods for babies and toddlers.
• Allergy: apple allergy exists, but we did not read a source on how common it is. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911 (or your local emergency number). See food allergy basics.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Look for "pasteurized." FDA says packaged untreated juice must carry a warning label, but juice sold by the glass does not need one. [13]
• Do not use juice made from moldy or rotten apples; WHO's general advice is to inspect food for mold, discard suspect items, keep food dry and cool, and avoid long storage. [10]
• "100% juice" is not the same as a juice "drink" or "cocktail," which may have added sugar; check the label.

Related pages

• Fruit juice vs whole fruit
• Apples
• Heavy metals and contaminants in foods
• Foods and medicine interactions: vitamin K, grapefruit and others
• Foods for babies and toddlers
• Orange juice