The key benefits of juicing
Is anyone really eating the right amount of fruits and vegetables? According to the Dietary Guidelines 2015–2020, adults should eat 3 to 4 servings of vegetables, and 2 to 2.5 servings of fruit a day. The majority are not. Is juicing the answer?
Well, the Mayo Clinic says there’s no sound scientific evidence that extracted juices are healthier than those you get by eating the fruit or vegetable itself. But if you’re not eating enough, a glass of fresh, nutrient-dense juice sure beats a can of empty-calorie soda.
So, what are the benefits of juicing?
1. Juicing helps meet nutritional needs.
It’s a fun and efficient way to add fresh fruits and veggies to your diet to get your daily dose of nutrients. Try varieties you usually don’t eat, and experiment to find your favorite combination. (Drink fresh-squeezed juice right away, as it can develop harmful bacteria.) Juicing gives you live, raw food, with vitamins and minerals in a form that’s quickly assimilated into the body. Get started with the juicer (choose from three kinds) you prefer.
2. Juicing promotes variety.
Juicing isn’t about finding the perfect superfood or everything you need in a single glass. Rather, it’s about enhancing, not replacing a complete diet. Rotating the types of food for variety captures the many vitamins and minerals they afford, and juicing makes this a breeze. The possibilities for both flavor and nutrition are endless. Drink more veggies than fruits, though, as fruit is high in sugar that might cause an insulin spike; use pesticide-free produce; and choose organic when available.
3. You absorb all of the nutrients.
Foods aren’t as nutritious as they once were, thanks to all the GMOs, pesticides, herbicides and depleted soil from commercial farming. Increases in sugar intake don’t help either. Over time, these food choices have even impaired the ability to properly digest raw, fresh foods and absorb their micronutrients, phytochemicals and enzymes. That’s where supplementing the diet with juicing comes in.
Fresh juices allow you to absorb all the nutrients, including a plant’s phytochemicals — compounds with antioxidant, antibacterial and enzyme-stimulation effects that prevent diseases like cancer — and enzymes, essential for digestion, absorption of food, and energy. You can retain a plant’s fiber content in juice by using a blender-type machine that blends all the edible parts of a fruit or vegetable, rather than just extracting its juice.
4. You enjoy better health.
Getting your recommended daily allowance of nutrients through juicing brings surprising benefits to your body and quality of life:
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Detoxifies |
Stronger bones |
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Energizes |
Less stress |
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Hydrates |
Better sleep |
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Maintains body’s alkalinity |
Brain power |
Get started with five popular juices:
Apple: Vitamins A and C, flavonoids, phenolic acids (antioxidants), iron. Lowers cholesterol. Good for your skin.
Beet: Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C; calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron; lutein, zeaxanthin (good for your eyes). Cleanses toxins from the body.
Carrot: Vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D, E, K; potassium, calcium; beta-carotene, lutein. Helps with dry skin, acne and other skin conditions. Improves your immune system.
Celery: Vitamins A, B, C; 3-n-butylphthalide (lowers blood pressure); acetylenic, phenolic acid, phyto nutrients (fight cancer); polyacetylene (prevents inflammation). Low-calorie. Lowers cholesterol.
Pineapple: Vitamins A and C, bromelain (promotes digestion; anti-inflammatory), manganese, beta carotene.
Learn more about What Happens to Your Body on a Juice Cleanse.
Sources:“Benefits of Juicing: Your Keys to Radiant Health,” Mercola
Katherine Zeratsky, RD, LD, “Is Juicing Healthier Than Eating Whole Fruits or Vegetables?” Mayo Clinic
“The Benefits of Juicing,” Living and Raw Foods
Jim Corkern, “Benefits of Juicing: A Practical Beginners Guide,” Sunflower Press
“Top 11 Benefits of Juicing for Better Health,” Bembu
“A Comprehensive Guide to Juicing for Healthy Living – The Real Benefits of Juicing,” Benefits of Juicing
