What is an easy way to get some of the vitamins and minerals your body needs? Drinking fruit juice, of course.

Eating more fruits and vegetables helps reduce the risk of cancer, high blood pressure and possibly heart diease. But as we all know by now, most people don’t get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. While it would be better to eat fruit, drinking fruit is better than nothing. A six-ounce glass of juice counts as one serving of fruit.

With the hundreds of drinks on the market today, how do you know which ones are the best? Here is a big tip–anything that is 100% is by far the best. It is a federal law that the percentage of juice be listed on the label.

When the words “ade,” “beverage,” “cocktail” or “drink” are included in the product’s name, chances are you are getting something other than 100% juice. Canned, bottled or concentrated juices have most of the fruits’ original vitamins, minerals and phythochemicals. This makes them better than other fruit drinks on the market.

Juices may also contain ingredients that will help prevent disease. Some of these include the following.

• Drinking 10 ounces of cranberry juice a day reduces the chance of getting a urinary infection. And the cranberry components, flavonoids, may help in battling cancer and gum disease.
• One 8-ounce glass of orange juice provides 25% of the recommended daily amount of folic acid, which is needed to prevent birth defects. The same amount of juice provides the recommended daily amount of vitamin C. Some orange juices now contain calcium and higher vitamin C levels, which are a bonus.
• Beverages made from red grapes contain resveratol, an anti- inflammatory agent that may help prevent early cancer cells from growing. Grape juice also has some heart-protecting benefits.
• Citrus juices are important for vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and calcium, if fortified. The top four most nutritious juices are orange, grapefruit, prune and pineapple.

While storebought juice is what most of us drink, the best kind of juice is homemade, of course. A citrus juicer is great for juicing oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits. To make juice from something other that citrus, try a juice extractor. A whirling disk chops food into tiny pieces, which are then spun rapidly to separate the juice from the pulp. This works on fruits and vegetables, including apples and carrots.

With all the juice and fruit drinks on the market today, shopping for juice that is nutritious has gotten complicated. But by being an informed consumer, you won’t be fooled by the claims of the companies’ marketing departments and you’ll be able to choose the best juice for your needs.