Here's Why Juicing Is Wasteful And Unnecessary
But if you believe the hype, juicing - and juice fasts especially - will cleanse your body of "toxins," boost your energy, help you lose weight, and basically heal whatever is ailing you.
Sound too good to be true?
That's because it is, writes Albert Einstein College of Medicine nutritionist and dietitian Keith T. Ayoob on KevinMD.com.
Many people know that while green juices have essential nutrients, juice fasts can be dangerous.
But Ayoob adds another layer of argument against juicing: It's unnecessary - and a total waste.
Putting aside the fact that relying on juices for all your nutrients means you're missing out on protein and likely dropping muscle weight, many juicers and blenders leave behind the best parts of the food. Ayoob writes:
The other down side of juicing isn't what you end up drinking, but what you don't. That pulp the juicer leaves behind isn't bad stuff at all. Indeed, it's loaded with vitamins and minerals - and fiber.
"But I use whole vegetables," you say. "That's fine," Ayoob writes, but:
Just remember - your digestive tract IS a juicer. It just works more slowly. That's okay. We don't need to be in a hurry here. I actually trust the digestive tract more than any mechanical juicer. By the time your GI tract gets through with the fruits and vegetables, you can trust that whatever's left over truly needs to go.
There's no question that eating more vegetables is a good thing, and a short juice fast probably won't hurt most healthy adults.
But if you think you're doing your body a favor, remember that your body is already pretty well-designed to digest food and clean out toxins. You might be better off just letting it do its job - no $500 juicer required.