Juicing consists of the ingestion of liquid material extracted from the pulp of fruits and/or vegetables (1). Removal of fruit and vegetable pulp does not compromise the delivery of vitamins, minerals, and other phytochemicals when pure vegetable and/or fruit juice is consumed (1, 3). Aside from these essential compounds, other phytochemicals are often present in fruit and vegetable juices which may change cellular function for other health benefits (3). Phytochemicals, such as polyphenols and/or flavonoids, may interact with certain metabolic pathways involved in the development of lifestyle-related chronic diseases (3, 11).
Considering all of the aforementioned regulations and benefits of fruit and vegetable juices, we present a summary of the most important benefits which have been documented to date of not only drinking these fruit and vegetable juices alongside other foods but of juicing.
WHY JUICING MAY BE AN IDEAL STRATEGY TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH
The importance of juicing is very much related to its very own capability to detoxify, reset and reduce gastrointestinal exposure to environmental factors which may harm correct intestinal functioning. This harmful exposure is mainly related to the modern diet, which is often contaminated with toxins, heavy metals, pesticides, and herbicides such as glyphosate, which have been shown to change intestinal microbial composition involved in the development of certain diseases (12-13).
INCREASED CONSUMPTION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THROUGH JUICING
Juicing makes it easier for anybody to squeeze more fruits and vegetables into their everyday diet (CDC recommendation is for everybody to eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day) (1). Juicing allows for increased daily ingestion of antioxidants, soluble fibre, vitamins and minerals, which are all essential compounds needed for the correct functioning of the human body (1).
JUICING MAY CONTRIBUTE TO A LOWER RISK OF OXIDATIVE STRESS, ANAEMIA, AND DYSLIPIDAEMIA
- Depending on the different varieties of juices that can be mixed together, you can obtain different health benefits, such as the following (1, 2, 8):
- Decreased oxidative stress from drinking carrot juice due to augmented ingestion of antioxidants (such as β-carotene), which reduces your risk of certain types of cancer.
- Increased consumption of vitamin C (easily obtained from any fruits and vegetables), which further results in increased iron absorption and lower risk for iron-derived anaemia.
- Improved lipid levels (e.g., kale juice), reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease, derived from dyslipidaemia.
ENHANCE YOUR GASTROINTESTINAL MICROBIOTA
Increased consumption of fruit and/or vegetable juice may alter the human microbiota due to its high phenolic content, making it more similar to that of lean individuals (i.e., Increases the Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, and Verrucomicrobia phyla and decreases the Firmicutes phyla) (3, 6). Augmented consumption of phenolic compounds through juicing, has been shown to possess antioxidative, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial activities, all of which may be beneficial for human health (3, 4). Juicing also increases the ingestion of soluble fibre which is often implicated in the overall improvement of gut microbiota (1, 5).
JUICING MAY BE USEFUL FOR ACHIEVING YOUR IDEAL BODY WEIGHT
Juicing every day and every morning may be a great way to include all of the healing antioxidants, which often aid in the overall health of human beings. Drinking high volumes of liquids on an empty stomach may be a great way of reducing hunger since a mechanical expanding of the stomach muscular walls occur, which leads to neurochemical responses involving neurotransmitters and hormones such as ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide (GLP) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) which are associated with reducing hunger and thus improving health components which are associated with very high consumption of calories (9).
On the other hand, drinking vegetable and/or fruit juice can also help to reduce weight by chelating other food molecules (such as fatty acids, simple carbohydrates, starches, etc.), forming chemical bonds and physical reactions which are unbreakable by intestinal enzymes. This will lead to reduced intestinal absorption of dietary calories, reducing caloric intake indirectly and contributing to weight loss (9).
Benefits of juicing are mostly linked to the phytochemical and mechanical functions of the compounds found on fruits and vegetables. Prevention of metabolic diseases are the main target of fruit and vegetable compounds found in juicing. It is important though, to emphasise that it is best to drink all of these juices as fast as possible after they have been formulated; it is also best to make them by yourself and to avoid adding any extra sugars or buying heavily processed versions of fruit and/or vegetable juices.
- Publishing H. Juicing — Fad or Fab? – Harvard Health [Internet]. Harvard Health. 2015 [cited 30 January 2021]. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-eating/juicing-fad-or-fab#:~:text=Some%20juicing%20proponents%20suggest%20that,a%20regular%20diet%20with%20juices.
- Office of Dietary Supplements – Vitamin C [Internet]. Ods.od.nih.gov. 2020 [cited 6 September 2020]. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
- Henning S, Yang J, Shao P, Lee R, Huang J, Ly A et al. Health benefit of vegetable/fruit juice-based diet: Role of microbiome. Scientific Reports. 2017;7(1).
- Li A, Li S, Zhang Y, Xu X, Chen Y, Li H. Resources and Biological Activities of Natural Polyphenols. Nutrients. 2014;6(12):6020-6047.
- Simpson H, Campbell B. Review article: dietary fibre-microbiota interactions. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics. 2021.
- Turnbaugh P, Ley R, Mahowald M, Magrini V, Mardis E, Gordon J. An obesity-associated gut microbiome with increased capacity for energy harvest. Nature. 2006;444(7122):1027-1031.
- Mahan L, Raymond J. Krause’s food & the nutrition care process. 14th ed. St. Louis (Mo.): In: Nutrition in Weight Management; 2017: 392.
- Heyman M, Abrams S. Fruit Juice in Infants, Children, and Adolescents: Current Recommendations. Paediatrics. 2017;139(6):e20170967.
- Ross C. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. In: Chapter 42. Nutritional Physiology of the Alimentary Tract; 2014: 545-546.
- Benton D, Young H. Role of fruit juice in achieving the 5-a-day recommendation for fruit and vegetable intake. Nutrition Reviews. 2019;77(11):829-843.
- Abuajah, C.I., Ogbonna, A.C. & Osuji, C.M. Functional components and medicinal properties of food: a review. J Food Sci Technol 52, 2522–2529 (2015).
- Defarge N, Spiroux de Vendômois J, Séralini G. Toxicity of formulants and heavy metals in glyphosate-based herbicides and other pesticides. Toxicology Reports. 2018;5:156-163.
- Rheumatoid arthritis – Symptoms and causes [Internet]. Mayo Clinic. 2021 [cited 9 February 2021]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20353648