Want To Boost Your Metabolism? Drink Slower, Experts Say

It's no secret that a cup of pure fruit juice is probably better for your overall health than an artificially sweetened beverage. But even with fruit juice, loads of natural sugar hitting your bloodstream can still impact your metabolism in a not-so-positive way.

Johnson refers to a 2021 research study he led along with a team of experts, where they tested whether drinking sugar-sweetened beverages over the course of an hour (rather than downing it quickly) could help mitigate its negative impacts. 

This study, published in the journal Nutrients, found that fast ingestion of 500 milliliters (or about 2.5 cups) of apple juice within five minutes causes a significantly greater metabolic response1, which may be associated with negative long-term health outcomes. "There's a huge difference in terms of the biology," Johnson says.

The reason behind this has to do with the sugar composition found in fruit juice. See, fruit contains two types of simple sugars: glucose and fructose. Your cells use glucose as fuel for energy, but only your liver can metabolize fructose. 

When ingested in high amounts, fructose (even from fruit), gets stored in the liver and can contribute to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)2, a growing epidemic and leading cause of liver failure.

Unfortunately, fructose can also feed yeast overgrowth in the gut, negatively impacting your metabolism and overall gut health. 

What's more, fruit juice gets stripped of the wonderful fiber and nutrients found in the flesh and skin of the fruit, so sugar is one of the only elements left.