Juices have become an increasingly popular nutritional choice in recent years. With the rise of juicing diets and cleanses, many people are now replacing traditional meals with a glass of juice. But is this actually a healthy practice? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of replacing meals with juice.
Pros of Replacing a Meal with Juice
There are some potential benefits to swapping a meal for a fresh juice:
- Increased vegetable and fruit intake – Juices often contain a concentrated amount of produce like spinach, kale, carrots, apples, and berries. This can help increase your daily vegetable and fruit consumption.
- Floods your body with nutrients – When you juice fruits and veggies, you’re removing the fiber but keeping all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This nutrient-dense drink can provide your body with a wealth of beneficial plant-compounds.
- Easy to digest – Since the insoluble fiber has been removed, juice may be easier on your digestive system than eating whole produce and meals. This makes it a good option if you have gastrointestinal issues.
- Low in calories – Replacing a meal with juice can reduce your overall calorie intake for the day, which may aid weight loss. However, this depends on the ingredients.
- Convenient – Juices are portable and require minimal prep, making them an easy grab-and-go option when you don’t have time to sit down for a full meal.
Cons of Replacing a Meal with Juice
However, there are also some downsides to consider when substituting juice for a meal:
- Lacks protein and healthy fats – Juice contains very little protein or fat. Skipping meals can cause you to miss out on these important macronutrients.
- High in sugar – Even with vegetable-based juices, the juicing process concentrates natural sugars. Drinking juice spikes blood sugar levels more than eating whole fruits and veggies.
- Low in fiber – The fiber is removed when produce is juiced. This is problematic since fiber provides many health benefits and promotes feelings of fullness.
- Nutrient deficiencies – Going long periods drinking only juice can lead to deficiencies in important micronutrients that are found in other foods like meat, seafood, eggs, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
- Hunger and low energy – The lack of protein, fat, and fiber may leave you feeling unsatisfied after a juice, leading to hunger, low energy, and overeating later.
- Blood sugar crashes – Your blood sugar may spike then rapidly crash after drinking sugary juice, resulting in irritability, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.
Nutrients Lost During Juicing
Juicing strips away many of the beneficial nutrients found in whole fruits and vegetables. Here is a comparison of the nutrients lost from juicing versus eating the whole food:
| Nutrient | Lost During Juicing |
|---|---|
| Fiber | Yes, all insoluble and soluble fiber is removed |
| Protein | Yes, all protein is removed |
| Fat | Yes, all fat is removed |
| Vitamin C | Minimal loss unless juice sits before drinking |
| Iron | Up to 80-90% lost |
| Calcium | Up to 60% lost |
| Potassium | Up to 80% lost |
| Magnesium | Up to 65% lost |
| B Vitamins | Up to 80% lost |
As you can see, juicing causes significant losses of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. While juice still provides beneficial plant compounds like antioxidants, you’ll be missing out on many nutrients your body needs by removing meals.
Downsides of Juice Cleanses
Some people do short-term juice cleanses, which involve drinking only fruit and vegetable juices for 3-5 days in a row. This is an extremely unhealthy approach that should be avoided. Here’s why juice cleanses can be harmful:
- Severe calorie restriction – Juice cleanses provide very few calories, usually only around 600-1200 calories per day compared to the 2000-2500 calorie requirement for most adults.
- Nutrient deficiencies – Not only are you missing out on nutrients from whole foods, but nutrient deficiencies can develop rapidly when calorie intake is inadequate.
- Blood sugar disruptions – Going long periods without protein, fat, or fiber while consuming high sugar juices can severely destabilize blood sugar levels.
- Loss of lean body mass – The lack of protein can lead to breakdown of muscle tissue.
- Headaches, fatigue, cravings – Due to the incredibly low calorie and nutrient intake, juice cleanses lead to side effects like headaches, fatigue, nausea, and intense cravings.
- Weight regain – Juice cleanses are unmaintainable. Any weight lost is typically just water weight and rapidly regained after resuming normal eating.
For these reasons, health experts strongly advise against juice fasts and cleanses. These behaviors can promote disordered eating habits and an unhealthy relationship with food.
Who Should Not Replace Meals with Juice
While juice can be part of a well-balanced diet, there are certain groups who should avoid substituting meals with juice:
- Children and teens – Because this age group has high nutrient needs, they require adequate protein, fat, calories, and fiber at meals for proper growth and development.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women – Higher calorie and nutrient needs during pregnancy and lactation make juice an unsuitable meal replacement.
- Those with diabetes or blood sugar disorders – The sugar spikes from drinking excessive juice can destabilize blood glucose levels.
- Individuals with kidney problems – The high potassium and oxalate content of some juices may cause issues for those with kidney damage or kidney stones.
- People taking certain medications – Some medications like lithium, diuretics, laxatives, and insulin require consistency in nutrient and fluid intake.
These populations should emphasize balanced whole foods at meals and limit juices to occasional snacks.
Healthy Ways to Include Juice
There are better ways to incorporate juice into your diet if you want to take advantage of the nutrients without the drawbacks:
- As a snack between meals
- Blended into a fruit and vegetable smoothie
- After a workout to refuel and rehydrate
- Diluted with water to cut sugar content
- Limited to 4-6 ounces per serving
- Paired with protein, fat, and fiber-rich foods like nuts or yogurt
- Homemade and fresh instead of store-bought pasteurized juices
Using juice to complement a diet of whole foods, rather than as a meal replacement, allows you to get nutritional benefits without the risks.
The Verdict
While juices can be a healthy addition to your diet, relying on them too heavily can lead to nutrient deficiencies and health issues. Juice cleanses and replacing meals with juice frequently should especially be avoided.
For most people, it is better get nutrients from eating whole fruits, vegetables, proteins, fiber-rich carbs, and healthy fats. Drinking vegetable and fruit juice is fine in moderation, but it is best accompanied by solid food at meals. Focus on creating balanced, nutritious meals to get a full range of macro- and micronutrients your body needs to thrive.
