Healthy home-made juice drink recipes

 A glass of 250ml of dark purple bettroot juice helps to relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure. Beetroot also provides salicyclic acid. This is a relative of aspirin which calms inflammation. Fresh beetroot can be grown in the garden or bought from any supermarket.

Try to drink the cloudy versions of apple juice because they are very rich in fibre and contain more super nutrients called flavonoids. A high intake of flavonoids results in better heart health and they also contain lots of vitamin C. Beware of high concentrate juices which lack nutrients.

Orange juice made from concentrate actually contains more nutrients than fresh juice because it uses the whole fruit, pith and all. Medical research has also shown that orange juice slowed several viruses including herpes. Great for the immune system as it contains lots of vitamin C.

Drinking just 120ml of this juice everyday for a year may decrease fatty cholesterol build-ups in arteries. It is believed that this effect comes from red pigments known as anthocyanins. Ready-made pomegranate juice is available from shops or the fruit can be juiced at home.

Grapefruits are a type of citrus fruit that contain D-glucaric acid which lowers LDL cholesterol. The fruit also has beneficial lycopene - also found in tomato ketchup. However, grapfruits can clash with certain types of statin drug so beware of this.

 Black grape is packed with antioxidants which gives us catechins plus resveratrol. When combined, these two nutrients give us four times the antioxidant power of orange juice. Research has shown that this can help to keep arteries elastic.

Carrot contains beta carotene which may reduce the risk of cateracts in later life. Drinking carrot juice also floods our system with alpha-carotene which is a potential cancer-fighting super nutrient. Try adding sugar to the juice to improve taste.

 Curly kale is a little known vegetable that is rich in the antioxidant lutein which has been shown to reduce the risk of age-related blindness. Kale also helps to beat the effects of ageing such as wrinkles by having a protective effect against sun damage.

 Cranberry juice tastes great and is known to ward off the bladder infection cystitis. The juice works by giving the bladder and urinary tract a non-stick coating which prevents bacteria from getting a grip. Cranberry juice is available at most supermarkets and shops.