What vegetable juice good for?

Juicing vegetables is a great way to get a concentrated dose of nutrients. Vegetable juices are low in calories and rich in vitamins, minerals and plant compounds that may offer health benefits. Here’s an overview of the top 8 health benefits of vegetable juicing, plus some tips on how to add more vegetable juice into your diet.

1. High in Nutrients

Juicing is an excellent way to get a concentrated dose of nutrients. Vegetables are low in calories but high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. The juicing process removes fiber from vegetables, leaving only the juice behind. This results in a liquid concentrate that contains all of the vitamins, minerals and plant compounds from the vegetables with very few calories.

One study found that drinking vegetable juice provided the following daily nutrient intakes from just 300 ml of juice (1):

Nutrient	Percentage of Daily Value
Vitamin A	45%
Vitamin C	50%
Vitamin E	12%
Vitamin K	60%
Folate	12%
Potassium	20%
Magnesium	15%

Consuming vegetable juice is an easy way to increase your nutrient intake and meet your daily recommended values.

2. Support Immune Function

Drinking vegetable juice may strengthen your immune system. This is partly due to the high concentration of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, including beta-carotene, vitamin C, zinc and selenium.

These nutrients play important roles in immune health. For example, vitamin C boosts the production and activity of white blood cells, your body’s main line of defense (2).

Meanwhile, vitamin E supports immune function by stimulating the production of natural killer cells, which work by attacking infected or cancerous cells (3).

Vegetable juice also provides antioxidants, which help prevent cell damage caused by molecules called free radicals. This cell damage is linked to chronic inflammation and diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes (4).

Juicing vegetables regularly can improve antioxidant status, reduce oxidative stress and support your immune system (5, 6).

3. Reduce Inflammation

Chronic inflammation contributes to a long list of common diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and arthritis (7).

The antioxidants and polyphenols found in vegetables have powerful anti-inflammatory effects (8).

Vegetable juice contains high amounts of antioxidants and polyphenols that can help reduce inflammation. Several studies have found lower markers of inflammation in people who drink vegetable juice (9, 10).

Specifically, vegetable juice may reduce inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein, IL-6, TNF-α and adiponectin. Higher levels of these markers are associated with increased disease risk (11).

The anti-inflammatory compounds in vegetable juice can support health and may help reduce symptoms of inflammatory diseases like arthritis, gout and irritable bowel disease (12).

4. Reduce Oxidative Stress

High levels of oxidative stress caused by free radicals can result in cell damage and increase disease risk. Vegetable juice is rich in antioxidants that neutralize free radicals.

Drinking vegetable juice can significantly increase your intake of antioxidants, which reduce oxidative stress. In fact, some studies show that consuming vegetable juice may increase antioxidant levels by up to 30% (13, 14).

In one study, 12 healthy people drank 300 ml of beetroot juice, which is high in beneficial plant compounds called nitrates and polyphenols. Consuming the beetroot juice led to a significant reduction in markers of oxidative stress (15).

Another study had 35 women drink 300 ml of mixed vegetable juice daily for two weeks. Regularly consuming vegetable juice led to increased plasma antioxidants and reduced oxidative stress markers (16).

The combination of antioxidants, polyphenols and vitamin C in vegetable juice makes it a great choice for defending your cells against damage from oxidative stress.

5. Support Heart Health

It’s also important to limit foods high in added sugars, salt, saturated fats and trans fats, as these may negatively impact heart health when consumed in excess.

Many studies have shown that vegetable juice may support heart health due to its high content of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.

In a 2003 study, 31 middle-aged and elderly subjects at risk of cardiovascular disease drank 330 ml of mixed vegetable juice for four weeks. Drinking the vegetable juice led to decreased markers of oxidative stress and inflammation (17).

Additionally, a recent review showed that drinking beetroot juice, which is high in nitrates and antioxidants, reduced blood pressure, blood clotting and oxidative stress. These effects may reduce heart disease risk (18).

Vegetable juice may also have a positive impact on cholesterol levels. One study found that drinking 500 ml of beetroot juice daily significantly decreased LDL and total cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol in healthy people (19).

The beneficial plant compounds, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in vegetable juice can reduce heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure and poor cholesterol levels.

6. May Aid Weight Loss

Replacing high calorie beverages with vegetable juice can help promote weight loss.

Vegetable juice is low in calories with around 100 calories or less in 16 ounces (480 ml). Choosing low calories beverages like vegetable juice is an easy strategy to decrease calorie intake.

Drinking vegetable juice in place of sugary drinks like soda, juices with added sugar, sports drinks, or sweetened coffee and tea can dramatically reduce daily calorie intake, which may aid weight loss. A 12-week study in 24 adults found that drinking 16 ounces (480 ml) of low-sodium vegetable juice was associated with significant reductions in body weight and belly fat, compared to the control group (20).

Additionally, vegetable juice is high in water and nutrients, keeping you full with minimal calories. Juicing vegetables also leads to an increased vegetable intake, which is linked to lower calorie consumption (21).

Overall, vegetable juice is an excellent, low-calorie beverage choice that can help reduce calorie intake and may aid weight loss when replaced with high calorie beverages.

7. Prevent Chronic Disease

Insufficient vegetable intake is associated with a higher risk of conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity and more.

Because juicing significantly increases vegetable consumption, it may lower disease risk. Several studies have directly linked vegetable juice intake to improved health and disease prevention.

One study tracked 1,574 people for 13 years. Those who regularly consumed vegetable juice were 76% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than non-consumers (22).

Juicing has also been linked to improved heart health, diabetes management and lower body weight — all of which may help prevent chronic disease (18, 20, 23).

Though more research is needed, replacing sugary drinks or low nutrient foods with vegetable juice may reduce disease risk and promote better health.

8. Easy to Add to Your Diet

Juicing makes it easy to consume vegetables. Many people struggle to meet the recommended daily vegetable intake of 2–3 cups per day (24).

Juicing allows you to consume a concentrated dose of vegetables in one glass. Choosing vegetable juices high in essential minerals like potassium and magnesium can help you meet your daily needs.

Because juicing removes the fiber, drinking vegetable juice may not make you feel as full compared to eating whole vegetables. However, its high nutrient content can promote satiety and reduce hunger (25).

Try replacing calorie-rich processed foods and snacks with vegetable juice to increase nutrient intake, without drastically increasing calorie consumption. Opt for low sodium vegetable juices to reduce sodium intake.

Juicing also allows you to include a wider variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices in your diet that you may not normally eat on a regular basis.

Potential Downsides to Juicing

There are a few potential downsides to juicing that are important to keep in mind:

• May lead to excess calorie intake if large amounts are consumed
• Higher cost compared to whole vegetables
• Potential food safety issues if improperly stored
• Loss of fiber content
• High in sugar when sweet fruits are used

For the most health benefits, consume moderate amounts of vegetable juice and vary the ingredients. Juicing is not a replacement for eating whole vegetables and fruits.

How to Add More Vegetable Juice to Your Diet

Here are some tips to help you enjoy more vegetable juice in your diet:

• Try a small glass (6–8 oz) daily and gradually increase the amount.
• Substitute sugary sodas, juices or sports drinks with vegetable juices.
• Mix your favorite greens with sweeter vegetables like carrots or beetroot.
• Add fresh herbs like mint, parsley, basil and ginger to add flavor.
• Store vegetable juice for up to three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Try making your own juice at home using a juicer or blender.
• Look for low sodium vegetable juices.
• Freeze juice into ice cube trays for a slushy, refreshing treat.

Conclusion

Vegetable juice is a low calorie beverage that provides concentrated nutrients and antioxidants that may boost immunity, reduce inflammation, improve heart health, aid weight loss and more. Replacing high calorie drinks with vegetable juice can decrease calorie intake and increase vegetable consumption.

For most health benefits, drink moderate amounts of various vegetable juices and focus on juices lower in sugar and sodium. Adding more vegetable juice to your diet is an easy way to optimize nutrition.