With people like Gwyneth Paltrow and Millie Mackintosh raving about its benefits, juice cleansing has become big news in the healthy eating world.
But is surviving on nothing but juice good for you?
The good news is a juice cleanse can deliver a massive amount of beneficial vitamins.
The bad news is that it can also deprive your body of other important things that your body needs to function properly, like protein and carbs.
Check out the video to see what the detox really does to your body before you hit the juicer.
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It Can Be Dangerous(01 of09)
People undergoing chemotherapy, diabetics, people with nutritional deficiencies and people with kidney disease should not try a juice fast. The high sugar consumption involved in juice fasts can skyrocket blood-sugar levels in diabetics, which can result in fatigue, unexplained weight loss, blurry vision, excessive hunger and thirst, and wounds or infections that heal more slowly than usual.According to USA Today, the high levels of potassium and minerals from excessive juice consumption can build up in the blood to hazardous levels in those with kidney disease. And the high levels of antioxidants and low levels of protein can be dangerous for those undergoing chemo.
Not Better Than Whole Fruits And Vegetables(02 of09)
While the juice form does hydrate and supply nutrients, registered dietitian Jennifer Nelson says there's no reliable scientific research to support claims that juicing your produce is healthier than eating it whole. Actually, the fiber and some of the antioxidants found in the skins and seeds of fruits and vegetables are often eliminated in the juicing process. For example, the white pulp in an orange provides flavonoids, but that's usually left behind.Because juice doesn't offer the fiber contained in fruits and veggies, the body absorbs fructose sugar more easily, which can affect blood-sugar levels, according to Food Republic. If you do decide to try a juice cleanse, drink more veggie juices (carrots and beets not included) and limit fruit juice to one glass a day in order to avoid this potential side effect.None of this means you shouldn't drink juice. It simply means, instead of drinking only juice for weeks, a healthier route might just be including juices in a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains. (Photo courtesy of Flickr/plindberg) (credit:Flickr:plindberg)
Juice Is Less Filling Than Whole Fruits And Veggies(03 of09)
You're not going to feel as satisfied and full if you drink your meals instead of chewing them, Livestrong.com explains. Additionally, the fiber that's been left out of the juice would have helped slow consumption and make you feel more sated.
Juice Fasts Can Leave Out Nutrients(04 of09)
You should always be skeptical when a diet requires extreme restrictions and cuts out entire food groups. There's a reason dietary guidelines include various categories of food: You can't get all of your essential vitamins and minerals out of just one.Livestrong.com explains that juice fasts frequently lack substantial amounts of protein and fat. "Few fruits contain significant amounts of fat and protein, and vegetables that contain these macronutrients -- such as avocados, beans and lentils -- do not lend themselves to juicing," Livestrong says. "Without sufficient protein, your body has no raw materials with which to build new tissue. A lack of fat leaves your skin and hair in poor shape and contributes to malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins."Extend your juice fast, and you might just cause serious damage. Dr. Glenn D. Braunstein, chairman of the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, says that longer fasts could result in electrolyte imbalances. Additionally, if you're not getting enough calories, your body could start using muscle tissue instead of fat for energy.(Photo courtesy of Flickr/Arenamontanus) (credit:Flickr:Arenamontanus)
Not Effective Way To Lose Weight And Keep It Off(05 of09)
Will you lose weight? Probably -- you're cutting out all of the fat from your diet and drastically lowering your caloric intake. But you'll most likely put it right back on after the fast."There's nothing wrong with going on a juice fast for a few days," said Dr. James Dillard, assistant clinical professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, on WebMD. "But it's not a great way to lose weight, because you'll gain it all back -- you yo-yo. It's just like the Atkins diet. The weight you lose is water weight." And Dr. Braunstein (of Cedars-Sinai) says this type of deprivation can also result in dizziness, nausea, constipation, fatigue and irritability.Additionally, if you do this to your body enough, you could permanently lower your metabolism -- as if it's not tough enough to lose weight as it is. New York Times writer Judith Newman tried a juice cleanse and wrote about her experience: "This kind of cleansing puts a lot of stress on your body," she wrote. "Your body wants and expects food. And as with most crash diets, which is really what this is, your body thinks it's starving. It doesn't know it's going to get more food. So it lowers your metabolism, and if you do this enough, it can lower your metabolism permanently."
There Isn't Much To Detox(06 of09)
Don't get me wrong: A "detox diet" to rid my body of all the crap I've recently put in it sounds convincing, even to me. Who wouldn't want to "cleanse" their body of all the chemicals, fat and alcohol they've consumed? The fact is, though, our body does an excellent job of this already; our liver, kidneys and intestines filter the unwanted things we ingest and expel them through urine, bowel movements, breath and sweat. We don't need to punish ourselves with strict juice-only diets to eliminate the bad stuff.People were talking about detoxification back in the early 1900s, according to QuackWatch. Supporters of the process claimed that "intestinal sluggishness causes intestinal contents to putrefy, toxins are absorbed and chronic poisoning of the body results." Scientists abandoned this theory, though, in the 1930s, and these mysterious "toxins" that everyone keeps trying to get rid of have never been discovered."Our bodies are very good at eliminating all the nasties that we might ingest over the festive season," said Dr. John Emsley, a chemical scientist quoted in the Washington Times in a story about the potential of detox diets to get rid of all the junk we put in our bodies over the holidays. The idea of detoxing our bodies by "drinking fancy bottled water or sipping herbal teas is just nonsense."(Photo courtesy of Flickr/lululemon athletica) (credit:Flickr:lululemon athletica)
It's Not Cheap(07 of09)
The weight loss industry is a business -- a booming one at that. As of February 2011, the weight loss market was valued at almost $60 billion, including bariatric surgery, diet soft drinks, health club revenues and more by Marketdata Enterprises. BluePrintCleanse, a popular New York-based manufacturer, will charge you $65 a day for its cleansing package of juices. Los Angeles-based Pressed Juicery offers three different cleanse packages, each providing five juices and one almond milk for a total cost of $70 a day.Want to juice at home? Get ready to put down some money. Juicers range from $30 to $300. And since you shouldn't be saving unpasteurized juice for later, you might want to buy one for the office while you're at it.(Photo courtesy of Flickr/Andrew Stawarz) (credit:Flickr:Andrew Stawarz)
It's Not Going To Cure Cancer(08 of09)
Proponents of the juice fast claim it will cure your case of the sniffles and even treat cancer. There has been no scientific evidence suggesting it will do anything but help increase your vitamin intake -- which, yes, could benefit your health, but the calorie restriction and lack of protein might actually slow healing. Your body needs all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients it can get to heal. The best thing you can do with your diet is to make sure you're not depriving it of an essential nutrient and eat balanced, well-portioned meals.As for cancer, the American Cancer Society states that current scientific research does not support fasting (including juice fasting) to treat it. Additionally, as previously stated, those undergoing chemotherapy should not attempt a juice fast because of the risk posed by the high levels of antioxidants and low levels of protein.
"But My Friend Said It Was Amazing!"(09 of09)
It's true. Many people who try these detox diets report having more energy and feeling more focused. However, as Mayo Clinic explains, this could be due to the belief that they're doing something good for their bodies.That said, you could also argue that there's nothing wrong with a placebo effect if it does the job. As the NYT writer who tried one of these cleanses wrote, "What's so bad about feeling a little better, even if there's no demonstrable proof that you actually are better?"