Is Juicing Vegetables Good For You?

Diet

Posted on February 06, 2014 by Jenny Cromack

We know that the body can derive the important nutritional enzymes from whole vegetables and fruits. And we know why fruit and vegetables are good for us: they can help boost our immune systems, they provide carbohydrate to supply us with energy and they provide vitamins and minerals to help maintain our bodily functions.

But some people struggle to consume their 5 a day and for these people it may be worth considering drinking their vegetables! But whilst consuming 200g veg is probably easier to drink than eat it is worthwhile considering the question – is juicing vegetables good for you?

Pros:

  • Solid foods go through the body’s digestive tract which can take several hours. However, juices are absorbed very quickly into the blood stream without taxing the digestive system
  • Juicing works to “pre-digest” the vegetables, meaning you’ll get optimum benefit and quicker absorption
  • This also reduces the amount of work the digestive organs have to do and according to some research this has been shown to increase kidney and liver health
  • Juicing can introduce a range of vegetables (and fruit!) into the diet
  • For busy people juicing vegetables is an easy way to add a greater variety of foods into their daily diet with minimal effort.
  • Cooking, heating and processing food can damage or destroy some nutrients by altering their chemical composition
  • “Juice therapy” has been used to help treat a whole range of health problems
  • For centuries plants have been used for their medicinal qualities.
  • Vitamin and mineral deficiency can be made up much more quickly by drinking fresh juice then by eating raw vegetables
  • Supplement oils can be added to the juice to optimise their effectiveness i.e. flaxseed, evening primrose or coconut oil
  • Examples of juices which are seen to be beneficial for specific ailments are:
    • Watercress: contains vitamins A, B, C & E. This is a natural remedy for excess mucous and can prevent the onset of flu or a cold.
    • Cucumber: contains vitamin A&C, calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon and sodium. Encourages healthy skin, hair and nails. Tests have also shown that it could control fluid retention and potentially aid bladder problems.
    • Beetroot: contains iron, magnesium, phosphorous and sodium. Beetroot is amazing for digestive problems such as constipation.
  • Freshly squeezed juices contain naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and enzymes making them more superior to synthetic tablets/supplements or juices in tins or cartons.

Cons:

  • Vegetable Juices are not a complete meal – they have very little protein and virtually no fat. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re being healthy by having a vegetable juice instead of a meal, you are missing out on key essential macro-nutrients
  • Not all vitamins are easily absorbed as juice.
  • Juicing will lose the fibre content and some of the nutrients which are normally found in the skin and pulp of fruit and vegetables.
  • Juices can lead to raised insulin levels which is not good if you are trying to lose weight or drop body fat. This includes most fruits and beetroot
  • In some instances the person considering the addition of fruit juices to their diet, they should seek medical advice first eg. if the person is suffering from high blood pressure
  • The majority of fruit and veg can be juiced, but be warned some juices will not taste as nice as others…you need to experiment. You will also need to test various juices to find the right strength of juice.
  • Juicing takes time! Putting your veg into a pan and stri frying it may take as long as juicing!
  • It is often recommended to drink freshly juiced fruit and vegetables immediately i.e. as soon as they are made. If preparing your juices ahead of time, the juice should be refrigerated and stored in an airtight glass jar or container that’s full in order to minimize oxidation.
  • Juicers need to be cleaned…..the boring side of juicing!
  • Beware of shop bought juices as these can be very processed and therefore the nutritional content is largely lost and the healthy enzymes are killed.

Related articles

http://www.herbal-home-remedies.com/benefits-of-vegetable-juices.htm

http://www.helpwithcooking.com/healthy-eating/benefits-vegetable-juices.html

http://www.internethealthlibrary.com/Therapies/juice-therapy.htm

http://www.healingdaily.com/juicing-for-health.htm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/2705-facts-health-benefits-vegetable-juice/

http://juicing.mercola.com/sites/juicing/juicing.aspx