That glass of clear, golden apple juice may look tastier than a glass of cloudy, unclarified juice, but researchers say the healthier choice is the less aesthetically appealing one.

A new study shows that cloudy, or unclarified apple juice contains more polyphenols than clear apple juice. Polyphenols are antioxidants found in plants and may fight heart disease and cancer.

The study, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, showed cloudy juices had up to four times the polyphenols of clear juice, and cloudy juice made from Champion apples had the highest polyphenol content. Researcher Jan Oszmianski and colleagues at the Agricultural University of Wroclaw, Poland say the clarification process involved in creating clear apple juice may remove solids and other compounds rich in polyphenols.

Source: Oszmianski, J. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Jan. 15, 2006 online edition. News release, Society of Chemical Industry.