Is Juicing Beneficial?

Do you see a juicer in this kitchen (1800's)? Traditional cultures did not have juicers, but they did crush certain foods to produce lacto-fermented beverages in a process similar to digestion that creates a large amount of enzymes. These drinks helped to promote a healthy digestive system.

Today we have a wide variety of diet books, holistic practitioners and websites touting the benefits of juicing.  Many of these diet programs involve fasting on juices made from mostly vegetables and some fruit as a way to lose weight and/or heal from a variety of health issues.  Juicing provides enzymes, and "cleanses the colon, liver, and cells.” And then there are the individuals like me who have discovered that we must chew our food into juice in order to turn it into a natural healthy juice and realize that juice-fasting can be detrimental to one's health in the long run. 

Like many people, I was intrigued by the idea of being able to get the daily requirement of fruits and veggies by juicing. I admit that I jumped the gun to purchase a juicer, but had I only used a bit more common sense regarding juicing, I might have saved myself some money and time.  After purchasing the juicer, I began questioning the health benefits of drinking vegetables and fruits from which the fiber had been extracted.  I remember thinking how whole are vegetables and fruits if the fiber has been removed? How wholesome could it be now that we have tampered with Mother Nature, who must have put the fiber there for a reason?  The whole idea is to eat WHOLE FOOD, or is it? I began researching the subject and quickly learned that we need fiber for two reasons - 1) to slow down the absorption of sugars, and 2) to help eliminate waste.

Most of us were taught that chewing actually begins the digestive process by mixing food (particularly carbohydrates) with saliva. The process of chewing and tasting our food also sends signals to the digestive tract about what to expect in terms of nutrients as well as which enzymes will be needed to assimilate them.   Now here is where you need to pay attention. Juicing bypasses these signals which results in poor digestion! 

Juicing green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables blocks mineral absorption and depresses thyroid function. When vegetables are cooked, those substances are neutralized. Cooking actually makes the minerals in vegetables much more available.

Also, there are very few enzymes in most fruits and vegetables used in juicing recipes. Foods that contain a lot of enzymes are mostly foods that have been lacto-fermented.

I lacked a basic understand of biochemistry so, like many, I was easily persuaded into thinking that juicing was beneficial. Since buying a juicer, I have studied the basic chemical composition of living matter and of the chemical processes that go on in living organisms; I now better understand that the best way to eat all food is whole.

Removing toxins from the body is an ongoing process, involving numerous enzyme systems.  The best way to help the body cleanse is to consume a lot of bone broth, which provides the liver with certain amino acids involved in the process of clearing the residues of metabolism.

Juicing can lead to low blood sugar and serious nutrient deficiencies.  The body is likely to interpret a juice fast as starvation, thereby slowing down the metabolism and allowing the pounds to be packed on very quickly, likely as soon as the fast is over.  Having fasted myself I speak with experience. 

The right strategy:

• Eat whole foods 

• Eat vegetables and fruits that are in season 

• Buy local produce

• Learn how to make homemade broth

• Eat organic whenever possible

In health and happiness

Gloria P.

PS:  IC patients should avoid all store bought juice even if it is pear or blueberry. If you would like to have a little juice fresh squeeze or a blended smoothies is the way to go. Drink and eat all foods in moderation.