Juice cleanses have become a popular short-term dietary trend, with people turning to them to lose weight, clear toxins from their bodies, and improve their skin. These cleanses typically involve consuming only fruit and vegetable juices for a specified period. However, the purported benefits often lack scientific backing, and there may be inherent risks associated with this practice.
Understanding Juice Cleanses
A juice cleanse is a type of "detox" diet where an individual consumes almost exclusively fruit and vegetable juices for a period ranging from one to ten days, or even just a day or two. It's often viewed as a natural way to boost fruit and vegetable intake while temporarily eliminating less healthy foods.
Potential Benefits of Juicing
Juicing involves extracting the liquid from fresh fruits and vegetables, which contains most of the vitamins, minerals, and plant chemicals found in the whole produce. Amanda Beaver, a wellness dietitian at Houston Methodist, notes that fruit and vegetable juices can increase levels of important vitamins and antioxidants, such as folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene. In theory, this makes juice cleanses helpful for those who struggle to eat enough fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are rich in active compounds that benefit general health and help prevent chronic conditions. They are a good source of phenolic compounds, which have antioxidant, immune-supporting, and antibacterial properties. Fruit juices may also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Juicing for Weight Loss
Juice cleanses may help increase the number of healthy bacteria in your gut, which has been linked to weight loss. In a 2017 study, participants on a 3-day juice-only diet experienced substantial weight losses that lasted after the study ended, possibly due to changes in gut bacteria. However, this study involved a low daily calorie intake (1,310 calories), which is below the recommended amount for weight maintenance. This calorie deficit could lead to rapid weight loss, but it may not be sustainable or healthy in the long term.
Read also: Fruit smoothies on a ketogenic diet
Juicing for Detoxification
Some detox treatments have been shown to improve liver detoxification and remove environmental pollutants from the body. However, a 2015 review suggests that clinical studies on detox treatments often have significant flaws in methodology and low participant numbers. Much of the promoted evidence also comes from animal research, which cannot necessarily be applied to humans.
Juicing for Skin Health
Raw fruits 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 to be absorbed. The lack of fat in a juice diet may impact how well we access these vitamins.
Downsides and Risks of Juice Cleanses
While juice cleanses may seem appealing, they come with several downsides and potential risks:
Nutritional Deficiencies
Juice cleanses don't provide enough nutrition and may lead to muscle and bone loss. Fiber, which is stripped out during the juicing process, is essential for regulating blood sugar, managing cholesterol, and supporting gut health. Juices also lack other nutrients like protein, whole grains, and heart-healthy fats.
Unsustainable Weight Loss
While it’s possible to lose weight on a juice cleanse, this is likely to be water weight rather than fat. After a few days, you may also start to lose muscle mass, which is important for general health. Rapid weight loss is unhealthy and doesn't last. The weight loss you may see is mostly due to the lack of food in your GI tract and the loss of muscle.
Read also: Juice Cleanse: Benefits and Risks
Potential Side Effects
Most people who do juice cleanses don’t eat enough solid food to meet their energy needs. This may lead to increased hunger and energy restrictions that could cause symptoms like tiredness, headaches, and irritability.
Blood Sugar Imbalances
Juices made from fruit are high in sugar. Juicing releases the sugars in fruit, making them ‘free’ sugars, the type we are advised to cut back on. At the same time, it removes the fiber, resulting in the sugar being more quickly absorbed into the blood stream. This combination of a rapid rise in blood sugar levels and lack of fiber may result in hunger and cravings on a juice-only diet. All that sugar causes your blood pressure to spike and then rapidly drop, which can give you a burst of energy but then leave you feeling even more tired, as well as interfere with how your body uses insulin.
Kidney Problems
Anyone with kidney disease should not undergo a juice cleanse. Some juices are made from foods like spinach and beets, which are high in oxalate. In rare cases, healthy people may also be at risk of oxalate nephropathy, a condition in which the body cannot excrete enough oxalate through urine, causing it to build up in kidney tissue and potentially leading to kidney failure.
Risk of Eating Disorders
Juicing may increase the risk of eating disorders. An obsessive preoccupation with health-promoting foods and an avoidance of foods considered “less healthy” can lead to orthorexia nervosa.
Lack of Scientific Evidence
There is a lack of scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of juice cleanses. They’re also not suitable for everyone, and they might lead to an unhealthy relationship with food or to eating disorders. There's little evidence that juice and "detox" cleanses are beneficial.
Read also: Renal Diet Guide: Navigating Orange Juice Consumption
Healthier Alternatives to Juice Cleanses
Instead of relying on juice cleanses, focus on sustainable and healthy habits:
Balanced Diet
A nutritious diet filled with whole foods is key for optimal health and disease prevention. A balanced diet and staying adequately hydrated are the best ways to maintain a healthy weight and support the body’s removal of toxins.
Plant-Based Diet
Opt for a plant-based diet with high-fiber foods, healthy fats, and nutrient-dense meals. Based on minimally processed foods, these diets are naturally rich in fruit and vegetables and are associated with reduced body weight. With good planning, a plant-based diet can provide all the nutrients necessary for good health. Reintroduce foods closest to their natural form.
Regular Exercise
Incorporate regular exercise into your routine. Aim for three to four workouts a week.
Hydration
Focus on hydrating with unsweetened tea and water throughout the day. You can also drink unsweetened tea and water all day long.
Mindful Eating
Be gentle with yourself if you feel like your diet is off track. It's perfectly OK to enjoy a glass of wine or a sweet treat now and then. Limit processed food, but be gentle with yourself.
Smoothies
One delicious way to get the potential benefits of juicing, plus the natural fiber from these foods, is to enjoy fruits and veggies in smoothie form. Try blending your favorite fruits and veggies with some Greek yogurt or soy milk for protein. For a green smoothie, pair kale or spinach with a frozen banana. Unlike pressed juice, smoothies are made by blending ingredients, using whole fruits and vegetables.