Juicing has become a popular health trend in recent years. Drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices provides a concentrated dose of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Many people juice to increase their intake of nutrients, lose weight, or detox their bodies. Juicing every day may provide benefits, but there are also some downsides to consider. This article will explore what happens to your body when you juice daily.
Introduction
Juicing extracts the juice from fruits and vegetables, removing the fiber. This allows you to consume a larger serving of produce in one sitting. While juice contains many beneficial nutrients, it lacks the gut-healthy fiber of whole fruits and vegetables. Juicing separates the water-soluble vitamins and plant chemicals from the insoluble fiber.
Drinking only juice can cause your blood sugar to spike since fiber slows digestion. Juice is also lower in protein, fat, and other essential nutrients compared to whole produce. While juicing can be a healthy practice in moderation, replacing whole fruits and vegetables with only juice may deprive you of fiber and other nutrients.
Weight Loss
Many people start juicing to lose weight. Since juice is low in fiber and rich in fruit sugars, it gets digested rapidly and can lead to hunger and weight gain if consumed in excess.
However, adding low-sugar vegetables like cucumbers, celery, spinach, kale, and carrots to your juices can help increase fiber and nutrients while reducing calories. Having a vegetable juice before meals may also reduce your appetite and calorie intake.
To lose weight while juicing, focus your juices on low-calorie vegetables rather than fruits. Also, limit your juicing to no more than one meal replacement per day. Eating whole fruits and veggies for other meals and snacks will provide more fiber and nutrients for weight loss.
Detoxification
Detox, or cleansing juice diets, involve drinking only fruit and vegetable juices for 3-7 days. Proponents claim this flushes toxins from your system and reboots your health. However, there is little evidence that juice cleanses work. Your body already detoxes itself through the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract.
That said, drinking antioxidant-rich juices can support your body’s natural detox processes. Focus on low-sugar veggies like cucumber, celery, kale, spinach, and parsley. Avoid fruit-only juices which can spike blood sugar. Replacing meals with juice may help briefly reduce calorie intake as well, but not eating solid food for several days can leave you feeling tired, hungry, and lightheaded.
Juice cleanses are generally safe for healthy people in the short-term. But they do not provide lasting or meaningful detox effects. You’re better off eating plenty of whole fruits, veggies, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats.
Nutrient Absorption
Juicing makes the nutrients from produce more bioavailable and rapidly absorbable. Without fiber, the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals in juice can enter your bloodstream and be used by your body very quickly.
This means juicing can provide a concentrated boost of nutrients. However, the lack of fiber also means you may not feel full from drinking juice. By pairing juices with fiber-rich solid foods, you can enjoy the nutritional perks of juicing while staying satiated.
Certain nutrients in juices are especially beneficial:
| Nutrient | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Vitamin C | Boosts immunity and skin health |
| Potassium | Reduces blood pressure |
| Folate | Supports cell growth and DNA |
| Magnesium | Promotes bone strength and nerve function |
| Vitamin K | Builds strong bones and prevents calcification of arteries |
| Beta-carotene | Antioxidant that converts to vitamin A for healthy vision and cell growth |
By juicing fruits and vegetables, you can flood your system with their powerful vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This can provide health advantages if you still eat plenty of solid foods as well.
Energy Levels
Since juice gets absorbed rapidly, many people notice an initial energy boost after drinking it. The spike in blood sugar gives you ready energy and alertness. However, this energy surge can be followed by an energy crash as your blood sugar plunges.
The best way to maintain consistent energy levels is to have juice along with solid food. Protein, fat, and fiber will slow your juice’s digestion and prevent blood sugar spikes. Having juice as a snack instead of as a meal replacement can provide an energy lift without the subsequent crash.
Dental Health
Juicing large amounts of fruits and acidic produce like citrus can erode tooth enamel over time due to the acids. If you notice tooth sensitivity after juicing, consider reducing acidic fruits and adding alkalizing greens like kale and spinach.
Also, juice is lacking the fiber of whole produce that helps cleanse your teeth with each bite. Be sure to still chew high-fiber foods to support dental health. Finally, sip juice through a straw to minimize contact between juice and your teeth.
Bioavailability of Nutrients
Here is a comparison of the bioavailability of nutrients in juices versus whole produce:
| Nutrient | Bioavailability in Juice | Bioavailability in Whole Produce |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | High – rapidly absorbed without fiber | Lower – fiber slows absorption rate |
| Folate | High – juice exposes folate for quick uptake | Lower – trapped inside whole produce cells |
| Beta-carotene | Medium – some stays bound to plant fibers | Low – fiber greatly reduces absorption |
| Iron | Low – removed with fibers during juicing | Low – fibers inhibit absorption |
| Calcium | Medium – slower absorption without oxalic acid | Low – oxalic acid in produce binds calcium |
As you can see, juicing increases absorption of some nutrients, especially water-soluble vitamins like C and folate. But juices are lower in insoluble fiber and associated nutrients like iron. Overall, enjoying both whole produce and the occasional juice can provide optimal nutrient intake.
Gut Health
Fiber is crucial for good gut health and regular bowel movements. While juices contain minimal fiber, the nutrients they provide can still benefit your gut. The antioxidants and phytochemicals in produce juices help reduce inflammation in the GI tract. Juices also contain electrolytes like potassium that hydrate your gut.
However, replacing too many whole fruits and veggies with juice can deprive your gut of fiber. This may result in digestive issues like constipation. To support your gut microbiome and bowel regularity, be sure to also eat plenty of high-fiber foods and consider limiting juice to one meal per day.
Diabetes Risk
The fiber, fat, and protein in whole produce help regulate the release of fruit sugars into your bloodstream. These nutrients slow digestion and prevent blood sugar spikes.
However, fruit and vegetable juices get digested very rapidly. The juicing process eliminates the fiber holding the sugars. So juice consumption can cause quick surges in blood sugar levels in people with diabetes or prediabetes.
To minimize glycemic impact, choose low-sugar veggies for juicing rather than fruits. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime to veggie juices for flavor instead of juicing sweet fruits. You can also pair juices with protein- and fat-rich foods to help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Kidney Health
Your kidneys filter waste from your bloodstream. The high nutrient density of produce juices provides antioxidants that can reduce kidney damage from free radicals. Juices also supply fluid to keep you hydrated. This further supports kidney health and function.
However, juices rich in oxalic acid, like beet, spinach, and soy milk juice, may contribute to kidney stones in those already prone to them. If you have a history of kidney stones, limit high-oxalate produce when juicing. Always drink plenty of water as well to flush kidneys.
Cancer Prevention
Many whole fruits and vegetables have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic effects that may help prevent cancer. Juicing concentrates these beneficial plant chemicals. This includes antioxidants like vitamins C and E, beta carotene, lutein, and lycopene.
Research shows mixed results on juicing and cancer:
| Study | Findings |
|---|---|
| 12-week study of 25 people | Drinking vegetable juices significantly increased antioxidant status in blood and urine |
| 2-week study of 30 women | Drinking watermelon juice increased plasma carotenoids, especially beta-carotene |
| 6-month study in nearly 1,500 people | Consuming fruits and veggies, but not juice, linked to lower cancer risk |
While evidence is limited, juices may support cancer prevention as part of an overall healthy diet focused on whole plant foods. More research is needed on actual cancer outcomes. Talk to your doctor about specific produce juices to incorporate if you have increased cancer risk.
Juicing vs. Blending
Blending keeps the fiber of whole fruits and veggies intact, while juicing removes it. Here’s how they generally compare:
| Factor | Juicing | Blending |
| Fiber content | No or low fiber since it’s strained out | Retains 100% of fiber |
| Nutrients | Assimilates some nutrients better without fiber | Provides complete nutritional profile |
| Sugar content | Higher glycemic impact from lack of fiber | Fiber helps control glucose response |
| Fullness | Less satiating due to low fiber and chewing | More filling from fiber and thicker texture |
| Prep time | Typically faster | Can be slower |
| Shelf life | 3 days maximum | Up to 5 days |
For the benefits of produce with fiber, consider blending some smoothies along with juicing. Alternating between the two methods provides a balance of fiber plus concentrated nutrients.
Potential Downsides
While juicing has many benefits, there are some potential downsides to consider:
– Lacks fiber for satiety, gut health, and stable blood sugar levels
– High sugar and low protein if focused heavily on fruit juices
– Rapid nutrient influx may cause unpleasant symptoms in sensitive people
– Possibility of contaminants and foodborne illness from unpasteurized juices
– Oral health damage if consuming large amounts of acidic juices
– Time-consuming and makes a mess requiring cleanup
– Oxidation and nutrient loss if juice sits before drinking
– Produce and juicing machine can be costly
To maximize benefits and minimize risks, include plenty of solid produce in your diet and limit juices to 12-16 ounces per day. Prioritize veggie juices over fruit-based ones. Drink freshly made juices right away to avoid oxidation. Always thoroughly scrub produce and clean juicer parts.
Conclusion
Drinking small-to-moderate amounts of homemade fruit and vegetable juice can provide concentrated nutrition as part of a healthy diet. Juice is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that may benefit health and wellness. However, replacing too many solid foods with juice can deprive you of fiber, protein, and other nutrients.
For the greatest nutritional boost without drawbacks, consume no more than one 12-16 ounce serving of juice per day. Focus your juicing on low-sugar vegetables rather than fruit. Always pair juices with fiber- and protein-rich whole foods. Alternating juicing with blending smoothies allows you to integrate both extracted juices and the complete nutrition of produce.
With a balanced approach, taking advantage of fresh juices as well as whole plant foods, you can enjoy juices’ concentrated nutrition without the downsides of quitting solids. Aim for at least 2-3 servings per day of vegetables and 1-2 servings of fruit for optimal nutrition. Juice in moderation as a supplement to fruits and veggies, not a replacement.
