DUBAI: Guess which is the best-selling juice in local cafeterias? Orange? Avocado? Mango? Pineapple? All likely favourites but the answer is Anemia Juice.
Also known as Iron Booster, the beetroot, apple, carrot and spinach mix is the most sought after juice in the UAE today with some cafeterias serving up to 50 orders daily.
“At Dh14 per glass it’s a tad expensive than an orange or avocado juice yet it sells more than them,” said Niyas Shamshuddin of Jabal Al Noor Cafeteria which has four branches in Dubai.
ABC drink
At Juice World, which operates three outlets in town, the iron-fortified concoction goes by the name of ABC (apple, beetroot, carrot) juice and costs Dh15 for a small glass.
The popularity of the juice is not hard to explain.
Anemia prevalence is high in the UAE with nearly 40 per cent of the population suffering from iron deficiency. People with anaemia feel tired, weak, cold and short of breath and often take diets rich in iron and other vitamins essential to haemoglobin and red blood cell production, said Dr Murtuza Bandkuwala, senior Dermatologist at Cosmocare Medical Centre in Satwa.
“A couple of months back my wife’s haemoglobin levels dropped to an alarming 5.8. Among other things, the doctor recommended her a pint of beetroot juice daily to fight the iron deficiency. As it turned out, the cafeteria near my house had a special iron-booster juice on its menu. It worked wonders,” recalled Ritesh Singh, 37, a resident of Bur Dubai.
Capitalising on the trend, Flow Dubai, a vegan café in Emirates Towers, has come up with beetroot lattes. The bright pink creation, which is a blend of coffee and superfood, is priced at Dh30.
