Juices have evolved significantly, offering a wide array of options from cold-pressed blends marketed for detoxification to vegetable-packed concoctions promising body cleansing. While incorporating juice can be a convenient method to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, it's crucial to recognize that not all juices are equal, and the promised outcomes may not always materialize. Moreover, relying solely on liquids for an extended duration may not be the most beneficial approach for various reasons.
However, fresh juice can be a valuable addition to a balanced diet. According to nutritionist Karyn Duggan, CNC, consuming predominantly vegetable-based juice as a supplement to an already healthy diet can provide a "nutritional boost."
Getting Started with Juicing
To embark on your juicing journey, you'll need a juicer (or, in some instances, a blender), a selection of your preferred produce, and some recipe inspiration. The following seven recipes are easy to make - simply juice all ingredients and enjoy.
1. Beet Detox Juice
Beets are believed to have anti-cancer benefits, thanks to their unique combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Ingredients:
- 1 large beet, peeled
- 1 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled
- 1 cup of tightly packed fresh spinach/green of choice
- 1 medium apple, cored
- 1 medium carrot, peeled
2. Kale Cleanse Juice
Duggan recommends this kale-centered recipe and promises the results are delicious and nutritious. Leafy greens like kale are full of vitamins, minerals, and cholesterol-lowering fiber.
Read also: Explore the pros and cons of fruit juice detoxes.
Ingredients:
- 5 - 6 large leaves of lacinato (dino) kale
- 2 - 3 stalks of celery
- 1/2 medium cucumber
- 1 Meyer lemon, peeled
- 1 small pear
3. Ginger Zinger Juice
Ginger has been used throughout history as an effective treatment for gastrointestinal issues, and can help quell nausea and motion sickness. According to One Life editor Nikki Jong, "This bright orange juice is sweet and spicy, and especially warming during the winter months."
Ingredients:
- 5 large carrots
- 2 apples
- 1 knob of ginger, about four inches long (add more ginger to taste)
4. Parsley Power Juice
Duggan recommends that juicing newbies try this refreshing blend with a splash of naturally carbonated water. The volatile oils in parsley have been shown to counteract certain types of carcinogens and inhibit tumor growth in animal studies.
Ingredients:
- 1 large bunch of parsley
- 1 large bunch of mint
- 1 whole cucumber
- 1/2 medium apple, cored
5. Cabbage Crusader Juice
Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage have been hailed as cancer-preventive foods thanks to their high concentrations of antioxidants.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 - 1/2 medium red cabbage
- 1/2 small beet, peeled
- 1 medium-large cucumber
- 1/2 - 1 medium apple, cored
6. Fennel Fresh Juice
Fennel is an excellent source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage. This recipe makes about two to four servings. Michelle Konstantinovsky is an experienced writer, regularly producing content on a variety of wellness-oriented topics ranging from breaking health news to fitness and nutrition. Michelle has a master’s degree from UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and has written extensively on health and body image for outlets like O: The Oprah Magazine, Slate, SPIN.com, xoJane.com, and The Huffington Post.
Ingredients:
- Fennel
- Vitamin C
7. Additional Recipes
- Green Juice: Spinach, green apple, ginger, lemon, and water. Spinach is rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, and folate. Green apples provide vitamin C.
- Carrot and Ginger Juice: Carrots, ginger, lemon, and water. Carrots are a source of carotenoids, which are converted into vitamin A. Ginger can help reduce occasional bloating and gas and contains antioxidants.
- Apple and Kale Juice: Apple, kale, celery, cucumber, and water. Kale is low in calories and rich in nutrients, and cucumbers are a source of vitamin K, vitamin C, and potassium.
- Beetroot and Berry Blast: Beetroot, strawberries, raspberries, lemon, and water. Beetroot juice may improve athletic performance, prevent muscle soreness, and support heart and metabolic health. Berries can support healthy blood sugar levels and help with weight management.
- Citrus and Celery Juice: Orange, celery, cucumber, and water. Oranges contain vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant. Celery provides a boost of vitamin K, folate, and potassium.
- Pineapple and Spinach Juice: Pineapple, spinach, apple, lemon, and water. Pineapple is a rich source of manganese, which supports bone formation, a healthy metabolism, and the immune system.
- Watermelon Mint Juice: Watermelon, mint leaves, lime, and water. Watermelon provides potassium, and mint leaves contain natural essential oils with antioxidant properties.
The 21-Day Juice Fast: A Closer Look
The 21-day juice fast involves consuming only or mostly juice for a certain period of time. Juice cleanses are often marketed as a way to ‘detox’ the body, boost energy, and promote quick weight loss,” says Michelle Routhenstein, a New York City-based cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com. Some juicing programs even claim to help “jump-start healthy habits,” “reset cravings,” or “get back on track after overeating,” says Gabby Zeagler, a weight loss dietitian and diabetes care specialist based in Brooklyn, New York. “Honestly? Run far, far away,” she advises. “That messaging is super ironic because juice cleanses often do the opposite.
Read also: Juice Cleanse: Benefits and Risks
How it Claims to Work
Online, you'll find various guidelines for a 21-day juice fast. Some plans, often promoted by juice companies, advocate for consuming only fruit and vegetable juices for the entire 21 days. However, most plans suggest a phased approach:
- Phase 1 (7 days): Consuming only freshly made fruit and vegetable juices and water. Homemade juices are recommended to avoid added sugars or ingredients.
- Phase 2 (3-7 days): "Light" eating, including low-calorie, plant-based foods like soups, salads, and smoothies. This phase helps the body readjust to solid foods.
- Phase 3 (Remaining days): "Raw" eating, with about 75% of intake from fresh, raw foods and the other 25% from cooked foods. Meat and poultry are typically discouraged.
Reasons for Adoption
People choose a 21-day juice fast for various reasons:
- Weight loss: Significantly reduced calorie intake can lead to weight loss.
- Detoxification: To rid the body of heavy metals and harmful substances.
- Spiritual practice: Seeking mental clarity through fasting.
Foods to Include and Avoid
Foods to Include (Juice-Only Phase):
- Apples
- Berries
- Bananas
- Citrus fruits
- Kiwi
- Pomegranate
- Pineapple
- Lemon juice
- Watermelon
- Bell peppers
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Fresh herbs
- Leafy greens (kale, spinach, chard)
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts)
- Carrots
- Zucchini
Foods to Avoid:
- Meats (chicken, pork, beef, lamb)
- Dairy (cheese, milk, yogurt)
- Beans and legumes
- Grains (bread, pasta, rice, oats, quinoa)
- Nuts and seeds
- Added fats (cooking oils, salad dressings, mayonnaise)
- Sugar-sweetened beverages
- Alcohol
Potential Benefits (and Why They May Not Last)
- Weight Loss: The reduced calorie intake will likely lead to weight loss. However, this may be mainly due to water and muscle loss.
- Detoxification: There is no scientific evidence that a juice diet helps you detox. Your kidneys and liver do that job 24/7, so the best way to remove toxins is to support these organs with a healthy, balanced diet high in whole fruits, vegetables, and other high-fiber foods, and low in salt and added sugars, especially in ultra-processed foods and alcohol.
- Mental and Spiritual Clarity: More scientific evidence is needed. Studies suggest that each person will have a unique mental, emotional, and spiritual response to fasting.
Risks to Consider
- Nutrient Deficiencies: Fruits and vegetables are lacking in protein, fat, and certain micronutrients like vitamin B12.
- Elevated Blood Sugar: Fruit juice is very high in sugar, which can cause high blood sugar in someone with diabetes or prediabetes.
- Undesirable Changes from Low Fiber: Juice diets lacking in fiber caused harmful changes to oral and gut bacteria after just three days. Low fiber intake could slow down your digestion, causing constipation.
- Unsustainable Weight Loss: Rapid weight loss isn’t usually lasting weight loss, and could lead to a cycle of yo-yo dieting.
- Lack of Scientific Evidence: Scientific evidence doesn’t support juicing’s claim to detoxify the body or individual organs.
- Social Isolation: The restrictive nature of a 21-day juice fast could mean three weeks of difficulty socializing over meals.
Juicing for Weight Management
Unless you are also limiting calories, juicing will not directly lead to weight loss; however, juices can provide nutrients that are important for a balanced diet. Some people may be concerned that the sugar in juice can cause weight gain. When enjoyed in moderation, 100% juice without any added sugars may be a healthful part of your weight management plan. In contrast, the added sugars often found in processed foods and beverages can lack the beneficial nutrients and fiber that accompany natural sugars in fruits and vegetables.
The Nutritional Benefits
Juices made from fruits or vegetables can be high in vitamins and minerals (micronutrients). A published review found that fruit juices provided micronutrients at similar levels to those of whole fruits (but with less fiber, compared to the whole fruit alternative). This review paper found that fruit and vegetable juices may have cardiovascular health benefits, including lowering blood pressure and improving lipid levels. While juice typically contains less fiber than whole fruits, prune juice can actually be a good way to get a concentrated dose of fiber.
Points to Consider When Juicing
While juicing can be a way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet, it's important to approach it with caution and consider the following points. One of the main drawbacks of juicing is the loss of fiber. When fruits and vegetables are juiced, the fiber-rich pulp is typically discarded. Fiber plays a crucial role in digestion, helps regulate blood sugar levels, and promotes feelings of fullness. Without fiber, the sugars in juice are more rapidly absorbed by your body, which can lead to blood sugar spikes.
Read also: Renal Diet Guide: Navigating Orange Juice Consumption
Juice Diets: Claims vs. Reality
Juice diets have become increasingly popular as ‘quick fix’ programmes, promising dramatic weight loss in a relatively short timeframe, as well as claiming other health benefits such as ‘detoxing’ the liver, enhancing the skin and improving mood.
How Juice Diets Work
Whether they're labelled as a juice fast, cleanse or detox, all juice diets are based around consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables in their liquid ‘juiced’ form. Many juice diets involve abstaining from eating other foods and only drinking juice, while some involve eating particular solid foods in conjunction with juices. Whichever approach you adopt the calorie intake is typically very restrictive.
The most extreme juice diets are usually limited to a short period of time - often between three days and one week. Juice diets which permit some solid foods and more calories are sometimes followed for a longer duration. Juice-only diets are usually vegetarian and can also be vegan, although some plans allow you to add honey or yogurt to the juice.
Is the Juice Diet Healthy?
The very action of juicing whole fruit and vegetables eliminates certain nutrients - dietary fibre is an obvious one as well as other beneficial nutrients which are found in or just under the skin and in the seeds. An example is the white pith of citrus fruits like oranges, which is a useful source of protective flavonoids.
The mineral iron, important for supporting energy levels, and fats, including the essential omega-3 variety, are key nutrients which are likely to be missing from a juice-only diet. Fats are essential for hormonal production and balance, as well as for us to think clearly. Another important macronutrient which is likely to be lacking is protein. We need protein to maintain muscle and to support growth and repair as well as for hormone production.
High in Sugar
Juices made from fruit are high in sugar. This is because juicing releases the sugars in fruit - making them ‘free’ sugars, the type we are advised to cut back on - and at the same time it removes the fibre, this results in the sugar being more quickly absorbed into the blood stream.
The combination of a rapid rise in blood sugar levels and lack of fibre may result in hunger and cravings on a juice-only diet. Some experts have expressed concern that drinking fructose in liquid form may impact the liver, and could potentially fool our brains into thinking we are still hungry, which may also increase appetite and cravings. The British Dental Association has also confirmed a link between juice consumption and tooth decay.
Juicing for Weight Loss, Better Skin, and Mood-Boosting
Most people are likely to lose some weight following a juice diet because it involves cutting out sources of fat and protein and significantly cutting calorie intake. However, the weight loss is unlikely to be sustainable in the longer term once you return to your regular eating habits.
Raw fruit and vegetables are excellent sources of skin supportive nutrients like collagen-supportive vitamin C and skin-friendly beta-carotene (vitamin A). However, some of these beneficial nutrients like vitamins A, E and K need fat for them to be absorbed - the lack of fat in a juice diet may, therefore, impact how well we access these vitamins.
There are some reports of a general improvement in mood when combined with lifestyle changes. This may be more to do with the other dietary changes implicated, such as cutting back on processed and junk foods, as well as eliminating alcohol, caffeine and refined sugars.
Who Should Avoid Juice Diets?
If you have a medical condition or are on prescribed medication, consult your GP before making any drastic changes to your eating patterns. The high consumption of natural sugars implicit in juicing can cause blood-sugar levels to fluctuate, so those with diabetes or blood sugar management issues should avoid juice diets.
It is also advisable to avoid juice diets if you: are pregnant, or breastfeeding, are elderly, or under 18, are recovering from surgery, have kidney or liver conditions, have epilepsy, have anaemia, or low blood pressure, have a history of eating disorders.