A juice cleanse is a short-term detox diet that involves consuming only juices from fruits and vegetables. Advocates claim that juice cleanses can help clear toxins from their body, improve their skin condition, aid in weight loss, and offer other health benefits. However, there is very little research to support these benefits, and there may even be risks associated with juice cleansing. This article will discuss the science behind juice cleanses, their potential benefits and downsides, and alternative ways to help support your health.
Potential Benefits of Juice Cleanses
Let’s look at some of the potential health benefits of juice cleanses.
Juicing for Health
Fruits and vegetables are high in various active compounds that benefit general health and help prevent chronic conditions. For example, they’re 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, a 3-day juice-only diet altered the gut bacteria in 20 healthy adult participants. They experienced substantial weight losses that lasted after the study ended. The researchers concluded this may be due to changes in the participants’ gut bacteria.
However, it’s important to note that the participants only consumed 1,310 calories per day. This is below the number of daily calories recommended by the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025” for weight maintenance, which is at least 1,600 calories for adult females and 2,000 for adult males. As such, being in a calorie deficit could lead to rapid weight loss.
Read also: Explore the pros and cons of fruit juice detoxes.
Juicing to ‘Detox’
Some detox treatments have been shown to improve liver detoxification and remove environmental pollutants from the body. However, the authors of a 2015 review suggest that these clinical studies have significant flaws in methodology and low participant numbers. Much of the promoted evidence also comes from animal research, which can’t necessarily be applied to humans.
Juicing for Skin Health
However, these are both animal studies. More studies with humans are needed before any conclusions can be drawn.
Risks and Downsides of Juice Cleanses
There are several risks linked to juice cleanses and little evidence to their benefits. Here are some of the potential risks and downsides of juice cleanses:
Lack of Sustained Weight Loss
Proponents of juice cleanses claim that it can aid weight loss. However, a 2017 review found that while juice cleanses may cause initial weight loss due to calorie restriction, they will lead to overall weight gain once a person resumes a full, healthful diet. Studies also show that weight loss from juice-based diets may be “physiologically harmful” to participants. Researchers have also observed links between liquid diet trends and eating disorders.
Gut Bacteria Changes
Proponents claim that juice cleanses can alter a person’s gut bacteria. However, research shows that juice-only diets have a limited effect on gut bacteria composition. A study from Northwestern University says juicing isn’t healthy if you’re not eating anything else. For this research, scientists studied three groups of healthy adults with different diets over the course of three days. Group one drank only juice. The scientists used gene-sequencing techniques to track bacterial changes through cheek swabs and stool samples taken before, during and after meals. Group one, which had only juice for three days, had significant increases in the type of bacteria linked to inflammation and gut permeability (how well your gut absorbs nutrients and blocks toxins). Group two that had juice plus whole foods experienced some adverse bacterial changes but less severe than the juice-only group. Group three, the one that ate plant-based whole foods, had beneficial bacterial changes. The study suggests that juicing, which strips the dietary fiber from whole foods, may have a negative impact on your microbiome. Your microbiome is the community of bacteria, fungi and viruses that naturally live in and on your body.
Read also: Juice Cleanse: Benefits and Risks
Detoxification Claims
Advocates of juice cleanses often claim that the programs can help remove toxins from a person’s system. An increase in fluid consumption can help kidney function, and some nutritional compounds may help in the removal of non-organic waste products in the body. However, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that juice cleanses or other detoxification diets impact the ability to remove toxins. The science of detoxifying is still being researched, so don't fall for the marketing ploys that juice cleansing companies are trying to sell you.
Nutritional Deficiencies
A person on a juice cleanse may not consume enough proteins or fats. Both of these are crucial to physical health, healing, and brain function. Eliminating food groups for extended periods may also lead to malnourishment. Most people who do juice cleanses don’t eat enough solid food to meet their energy needs.
Low Blood Sugar
Consuming an insufficient number of calories can cause a person to experience symptoms relating to low blood sugar, including fainting, weakness, dehydration, headaches, and hunger.
Dehydration
If a juice cleanse includes laxatives or other methods of bowel stimulation, a person could lose too many nutrients in their stool. This can lead to dehydration and imbalanced electrolytes.
Kidney Health Risks
Many fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients that can assist in the good working of the kidneys. Increasing fluid consumption can also be beneficial for kidney function. However, some foods are high in oxalate, a compound that can increase a person’s risk of kidney problems when consumed in high quantities. Foods high in oxalate include spinach and beets. People living with chronic kidney disease may be at risk of oxalate nephropathy. In rare cases, healthy people may also be at risk of this. Oxalate nephropathy is a condition in which the body cannot excrete enough oxalate through urine, causing it to build up in kidney tissue. In rare cases, this can cause kidney failure. Anyone with kidney disease should not undergo a juice cleanse.
Read also: Renal Diet Guide: Navigating Orange Juice Consumption
Other Potential Side Effects
Juices also have less dietary fiber than whole fruits and vegetables. Some research suggests that less fiber facilitates your body to process and absorb the juice’s nutrients. However, dietary fiber also has many health benefits. It promotes blood sugar management, heart health, and gut health and is associated with a reduced risk of developing colorectal cancer. weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay can also occur.
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.
Risk of Eating Disorders
Juicing may increase the risk of eating disorders. For example, an obsessive preoccupation with health-promoting foods and an avoidance of foods considered “less healthy” can lead to orthorexia nervosa.
Muscle and Bone Loss
It may lead to muscle and bone loss. The weight loss you may see is mostly due to the lack of food in your GI tract and the loss of muscle experienced during a juice cleanse.
Juice Cleanses and Weight Loss: What to Expect
It’s possible to lose weight on a juice cleanse. However, this is likely to be water weight, rather than fat. It’s important to note that after a few days of juice cleansing, you may also start to lose muscle mass. Maintaining muscle mass during weight loss is very important for your general health. The authors of a 2017 study found that participants lost up to 1.2kg after a 3-day juice cleanse.
How much weight can you lose on a 3-day juice cleanse? This may vary for every individual and will depend on several factors, such as how much you weigh, how active you are, and how many calories you’re consuming.
Alternatives to Juice Cleanses
There is insufficient evidence to assess the efficacy of juice cleanses. Someone wishing to lose or maintain a healthy weight and support their body’s natural processes can try the following alternatives:
Balanced Diet
Eating a balanced diet and staying adequately hydrated are the best ways to maintain a healthy weight and support the body’s removal of toxins. Instead, focus on eating whole foods, including veggies, fruits, beans, nuts and whole grains.
Plant-Based Diets
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.
Intermittent Fasting
This involves abstaining from eating for limited periods and eating a regular diet at other times. Reviews have linked intermittent fasting with weight loss and improvements in insulin sensitivity.
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.
Mindful Juicing
If you love juicing, consider blending instead to keep the fiber intact, or pair juices with whole foods to balance the impact on your microbiome. It’s OK to have juice, but in moderation.
Important Considerations
A person should also be wary of pre-packaged juice cleanses that promise significant results, such as reversing diseases or providing dramatic health benefits. There is usually a lack of research to support these claims. A person should only adhere to juice cleanses or restricted liquid diets under medical supervision.