Pros and Cons of Juicing

Juicing sounds great, but is it all that good for you?

We've lost count of how many times we've seen promotions of fruit and veggie detoxes or cleanses around the internet. There have even been several documentaries talking about the benefits of juice cleanses.

There are some great benefits from juicing, but there are also some downsides to it.

Sure, it's an excellent way of getting all of your recommended fruit servings if you struggle to eat them daily. The problem with this method is that you end up consuming more calories and absorbing too much sugar, which actually makes your blood sugars spike, causing your pancreas to release more insulin. Over time, your pancreas will produce less and less insulin, which can cause type 2 diabetes.

Lack of proof

There are no current studies that prove juicing will detoxify our bodies. After all, that's why we have organs like the liver, kidney, and intestines to do the detoxing.

Another point to consider is, if you're taking certain medications, you may be putting yourself in more danger by juicing since some medicines will interact negatively with certain juices. Discuss your options with your physician if you're taking medications to make sure none of them will adversely interact with the fruits you use to juice.

If you're prediabetic, you run the risk of increasing your chances of getting type 2 diabetes by 16% with each increasing 1/2 cup of juice daily.

The importance of fiber

The benefit of juicing is that you're absorbing the vitamins quicker because the fiber is removed. However, our bodies need certain types of fiber to keep bowel movements regular as fiber absorbs water and increases the volume and flow of your stool through the intestine.

Juicing is great when you add it to your diet. Don't juice to replace a meal or several meals because you'll end up consuming way more sugar and calories than you'll want or need. Balance out your juicing with more leafy green veggies than fruits, so you consume less sugar.

Lack of important nutrients

You can have some negative symptoms when you juice for long periods of time, like dizziness, diarrhea, and fainting. Our bodies need essential nutrients like protein to build healthy muscles. When you juice, you'll lose weight, but you might be losing muscle mass instead of fat.

You won't find most doctors jumping for joy when you go in and mention you're doing a juice cleanse because they're highly unlikely to promote such a program.

Do this instead

Most people go on a juice diet because of the weight loss that is associated with juicing. Instead of doing a juice fast, we recommend trying a well-balanced diet that will incorporate healthy fats, carbs, and proteins. You may not see results instantly by going this route, but it's the most sustainable way of losing weight and keeping it off.

Not only is a well-balanced diet the long-term way to go, but it's also less expensive than doing an all juice diet. It takes a significant amount of produce each day to juice one cup, plus it's not something you want to juice in advance as the liquid is prone to grow bacteria faster.

Our takeaway

Juicing is excellent when done once in a while. The goal of living a healthy life is incorporating both healthy food options and exercising together, so you can enjoy a balanced, healthy lifestyle.