What is V8 juice?
V8 Juice is originally a trademark name for a vegetable beverage product that is marketed worldwide. This is a concoction of 7 different vegetables in addition to tomatoes or it can be a mixture of 2 vegetables, tomatoes and other types of fruits. These 7 vegetables are specifically made up of beets, celery, lettuce, parsley, watercress, carrots and spinach. However it is the tomato that comprises most of the beverage and makes up approximately 87% of the total drink. The owner of this trademark name is none other than the Campbell Soup Company, which has now created several varieties of this drink which includes Spicy Hot, Lemon, Picante, Low Sodium, Organic and the original flavor. This V8 vegetable juice was first developed by W.G. Peacock and is now currently used in many different ways such as in cocktail drinks particularly the “bloody eight” or the “eight ball”. Fortunately, we don’t have to constantly purchase this healthy beverage in the grocery stores since it is possible for us to make our very own V8 juice right at home. Below are some of the steps of the homemade V8 juice recipe.
Benefits of V8 Juice for your Health
Before we discuss the different steps in whipping up our very own V8 juice, let us first identify the different benefits the V8 juice can offer to our health. The V8 vegetable drink contains the juice and extracts of a variety of vegetable such those mentioned above. Tomato juice for one is an excellent source of nutrients since it contains high amounts of lycopene and carotenoid, which are essential substances that helps reduce the risk of certain diseases and types of cancer, specifically prostate cancer in men. Aside from these, totatoes are also rich in antioxidants that help boost the immune system of the body. The juice of tomatoes are also excellent sources of vitamins A, C and K as well as other minerals including potassium, which is an effective element in controlling or maintaining the blood pressure of the body. In addition to these, the other vegetables included in this drink can also offer a variety of nutrients and benefits for the body making the V8 juice a perfect health enhancer. In other words, the V8 juice is an improvised version of the tomato soup in terms of its taste and health benefits.
What is even better about the V8 juice is that it is fat free and is significantly low in calories. An 11.5 ounce of this drink only contains 70 calories, which is really great compared to other types of juices. Aside from this, the V8 juice also supplies the body with twice the daily recommended intake or dose of Vitamin C and more than half of Vitamin A. phytonutrients are also present in this beverage making it a great food for promoting health in the body. This is the reason why V8 is considered an excellent way of serving vegetables without the need to munch on all the different types of glow foods.
Downside of V8 Juice
Unfortunately, cons when it comes to consuming the V8 juice are also present. This mixture is considerably high in sodium, which comprises a third of the daily recommended allowance of sodium for an average sized body. This makes it not a good choice for people suffering hypertension and other cardiac problems. Nevertheless, the company is already manufacturing low sodium juice drinks, which have lesser negative effects on health but are unfortunately quite bland in taste. Another negative thing about the V8 juice is that it undergoes a process of “reconstitution”, which is a method wherein the water is removed and then added back in. No harm or hazard can be seen in this process; however, many people claim that the phytonutrients that are essential for the body are lost while doing this kind of process. Aside from this, V8 juice also contains different natural flavors, which some experts claim includes the addition of MSG.
Weighing Good over Bad
However, the V8 juice is still a highly recommended juice drink compared to other types of beverages like colas and sweetened and carbonated soft drinks, which do not even contain any health advantages for the body. Nevertheless, this should not be used as a substitute to a healthy and balanced diet that contains all the necessary nutrients from the food pyramid. So how can we make our very own homemade V8 recipe?
Homemade V8 Recipe
What is great about homemade V8 juice, aside from saving more money in buying the branded ones, is that we become totally aware of what ingredients are used in making the concoction. For a raw v* juice concoction, we will require the following items:
- 6 medium sized carrots
- 1 small beet (washed thoroughly)
- 3 large tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- A bag of baby spinach
- 1 green bell pepper
- ¼ slice of sweet onion
- 3 stalks of celery
- ¼ head of fresh cabbage
- Half clove garlic
- Kale leaves, chili pepper and salt to taste
Once all the ingredients are prepared, we can now place them all in the juicer before adding the salt to add a little taste. Once done then we can already enjoy our very own homemade V8 juice. We can also add Tabasco sauce (optional) in order to enhance its spiciness and can also be substituted with the chili pepper.
Written by Roscoe Salazar
