Should You Try a Juice Cleanse? Benefits, Downsides, Safety

The premise of juice cleansing is simple. Drink only fruit and vegetable juices during the designated period to lose weight and “detoxify” the body.

The duration of juice cleansing depends on the type selected. They generally last from 3 days to 3 weeks everywhere.

Juicing involves supplying the juicer with fruits and vegetables to separate the juice from the pulp. The machine applies some pressure to extract the juice.

Nutrients, vitamins, and phytonutrients (antioxidant compounds) are all contained in juice, so it’s easy to get a lot of nutrients quickly.

However, juice has much less fiber than whole fruits and vegetables. This can be either an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on your needs.

Some studies suggest that limiting fiber makes it easier for the body to process and absorb nutrients in juice, but others have found that fiber is important and has some health benefits. Claims to have the benefits of (1, 2, 3).

Eating such a limited amount of fiber as part of juice cleansing does not harm the diet of most people for several days, but it can make you feel hungry. That’s because the fibers help you feel satisfied.

Juice cleansing is popular because it claims to provide a quick way to lose weight and improve overall health.

In addition, strong marketing, celebrity support, and anecdotal evidence from those who have tried them contribute to their popularity.

Overview

Juice involves extracting juice from fruits and vegetables, resulting in loss of dietary fiber. Juice cleansing claims to help detoxify the body and lose weight. Their popularity stems from strong marketing and celebrity support.

Current evidence suggests that most Americans eat far more super-processed foods than before.

Super-processed foods include soda, packaged baked goods, breakfast cereals, reconstituted meat products, and candy bars.Four).

Studies show that consumption of ultra-processed foods has steadily increased over the last two decades, while intake of minimal processed foods has declined significantly (Five).

Super-processed foods are low in nutrients but often high in energy density and are high in sugar, fat, salt and refined (highly processed) carbohydrates. All of these are associated with adverse health effects.

A review of 43 studies showed that ultra-processed foods are associated with heart disease, higher weight, cancer, type 2 diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and death from all causes. None of the 43 studies linked super-processed foods to improving health (6).

Other sources have also endorsed these findings (Four, 7).

Juice lovers claim that juice provides an easy way to get the vitamins and minerals that many people miss, especially when eating highly processed foods.

In addition, juices may provide a hassle-free way to nourish whole fruits and vegetables at once, rather than chopping them up and eating them all day long.

However, before searching for “juice cleansing methods,” consider some of the following evidence.

Juice for health

Fruits and vegetables are rich in various active compounds that help with general health and prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease.

They are one of the most abundant sources of phenolic compounds with antioxidant, immunostimulatory, and antibacterial properties (8, 9).

Fruit and vegetable juices (especially a mixture of the two) can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, according to one review of randomized controlled trials and epidemiological studies (especially a mixture of the two).Ten).

These benefits are believed to be derived from compounds found in fruits and vegetables that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce blood clotting ().Ten).

However, you don’t have to turn fruits and vegetables into juice to get these health benefits.

Juice for weight loss

People who do juice cleansing may have a high amount of healthy gut bacteria associated with weight loss.

In one small randomized study, a short juice-only diet for three days altered the gut microbiota in 20 healthy individuals and showed significant weight loss. Weight loss continued even after the study was completed (9).

Researchers concluded that weight maintenance may be due to changes in the gut bacteria of the participants (9).

A detox juice diet can lead to weight loss, which may be due to participants not eating enough (and therefore burning less calories).

In addition, it is worth noting that many juice-related studies are sponsored or linked by the juice industry when it comes to supporting the idea that juice may help meet your nutritional needs. increase. This raises concerns about potential bias.

Juice to “detox”

There is a lack of scientific evidence to support the idea that juice purifies your body by washing away toxins.

Although some commercial detoxification therapies have been shown to improve liver detoxification and remove environmental pollutants from the body, these clinical studies have significant methodological flaws and a small number of participants. ((11 11).

Moreover, much of the facilitated evidence comes from animal studies and may not always be applicable to humans.

Overall, it is difficult to determine the effectiveness of a human detox juice diet due to lack of solid evidence.

Our bodies are usually good at washing away harmful compounds themselves. The liver, kidneys, lungs, intestines, and skin are important organs for eliminating toxins from the body. Frankly, your body’s detoxification pathways are always on duty and keep you alive.

However, you can support these organ systems so that they function at their best. Whole foods, complemented by regular physical activity, and plant-powered diets (including vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains) can improve the body’s ability to detoxify.

Juice for skin health

According to one study, citrus juices may help maintain skin health by reducing oxidative stress and accelerating skin aging (“12).

Similarly, pomegranate juice has been shown to help prevent signs of skin aging (13).

However, both of these were animal experiments. In other words, we need to reproduce the results in humans before we can draw conclusions.

It is advisable to consult a medical professional before embarking on a new diet or juice cleansing.

Overview

Juice lovers claim that juice is an easy way for many to get the vitamins and minerals they lack, but there is insufficient evidence to support these claims. Whole fruits and vegetables are usually more advantageous, thanks to their fiber content.

Most people who do juice cleansing do not eat enough solid foods to meet their energy needs.

Think about how it feels after 10 days of cleansing. It can lead to fatigue, headaches, irritability, or other problems due to hunger or energy limitations.

In addition, juice is deficient in fiber, so it has less fiber than whole fruits and vegetables. Many of the juices purchased at the store are also high in sugar and artificial additives.

These factors can make it easier to consume large amounts of juice in a short period of time. As a result, consuming too much juice can result in more sugar than intended.

Dietary fiber has many health benefits, so it is important to get enough fiber in your diet. It promotes glycemic control, heart health, bowel health, and is associated with a reduced risk of developing colorectal cancer (“3).

Juice may increase the risk of eating disorders

Juice is not always a safe method. It can affect your relationship with food.

For example, if some people start to think of a particular food as “good” or “bad” rather than recognizing that a balanced diet can contain all kinds of foods. there is. Some people can also develop chaotic feeding patterns.

Obsession with health-promoting foods such as fruits and vegetables and avoidance of foods that are considered “poor” can lead to orthorexia neuropathy, a restrictive eating disorder (“14).

In addition, some studies suggest a link between juice purification and eating disorders (15).

Juice cleansing is not recommended. Frequent reliance on such restricted diets is especially problematic.

In fact, these diets are not long-term sustainable, and the potential benefits are not impressive, especially when considering the price tags of juices purchased in stores.

Instead, you may want to try some of these strategies to support your health:

• Limit sugar intake by focusing on fiber-rich fruits and vegetables as a whole. Vegetables are usually low in sugar, so if you drink juice, increase the ratio of vegetables to fruits.
• If you’re a drink lover, consider smoothies as they have more fiber than juice.
• If your current diet is focused on fast or super-processed foods and convenience foods, overhauling it may seem overwhelming. Instead, you can add one fruit or vegetable daily so that it becomes part of your daily work and accumulates from it.
• Focus on finding food to enjoy, rather than trying to drastically change what you eat overnight. For example, combining new foods with familiar favorites can make the experience less difficult.
• Be careful when emotions and situations cause an emotional diet. Then you can learn how to manage these in other ways.
• Practice a careful diet by paying attention to the clues of your body’s hunger and satiety. This is a more sustainable way to handle cravings and manage potion sizes.
• Let’s take a closer look at the relationship with food. Are there any signs of eating disorders (such as diet obsessive-compulsive thoughts, behavioral restrictions or purges, food fears, or food-related stress)? If so, seek professional help.
• Eat lots of vegetables all day long. Fill half of the plate with vegetables at mealtime and treat raw vegetables and fruits when a hunger strike occurs. You can cut them out in advance and make it easier to grab them quickly!
• If you’re not a fan of vegetables, try new recipes to find something that appeals to your tastes.

A nutritious diet filled with complete foods is the key to optimal health and disease prevention. Juice can complement your diet, but should not replace solid foods.

There is no scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of juice cleansing.

Juice lacks fiber and has many health benefits. Dietary fiber has been shown to help control blood sugar levels, protect the heart, and reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

Juice cleansing is not suitable for everyone and can lead to unhealthy food relationships and eating disorders.

You can support your health in other ways. For example, you can reduce sugar, increase the amount of vegetables, enjoy whole fruits more often, limit super-processed foods, and practice eating carefully.