Today we are going to answer one simple question: is juice a health food? If you want to know my thoughts on juices and where they fit in your diet, then read on! I’ll be listing the pros and cons and give you my two cents. Are you ready? Then let’s get to it!

How Juice Is Made

Whether it’s a fruit or vegetable, the juice is made by separating the solid, fibrous parts from the liquid. Some juices contain the pulp and others don’t. It depends on the way it’s made. Almost any type of plant can be converted into juice. Kale, beets, parsley, apples, broccoli, ginger- you get the idea here. 

The Pros of Juice

Here are the good things to say about juice:

• You get a ton of nutrients in a small serving size. These include vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
•  If made at home, cleanup is usually minimal.
• Convenient; most markets sell veggie juice, while fruit juice is a long-celebrated drink
•  They’re made from whole foods; there’s no such thing as a “diet soda” fruit!
•  Contains natural sugar; no sucrose, aspartame, or corn syrup!
•  A great way to get some nutrition for people with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or trouble handling fiber.
•  Quick absorption. Since there’s no fiber, your body can easily take in its nutrients.

The Cons of Juice

Unfortunately, juice does have a few drawbacks:

• Sugar bombs. Yes, while it is a good thing that the sugar is natural, it’s still a huge amount. Instead of eating one orange, you’re consuming multiple oranges to fill your cup. They’ll often resort to using high-sugar fruits too, like mangos, pineapple, pears, and bananas. Have you seen the nutrition facts for some of these juices? Some go as high as 52 grams- that’s more than regular soda! [1] [2]
•  High in carbs. Carbs are not evil. Let’s get that straight. But there is too much of a good thing! Most juices at the store today are not only loaded with sugar but also carbs. If you’re keto or low carb, then these drinks are not going to work for your diet. For my keto folks, a full glass of orange juice is going to knock you right out of ketosis! 

•  Zero fiber. If I had to choose between juice and smoothies, I’d go for the smoothies. Why? Because they contain fiber. Fiber is what’s going to slow down blood sugar spikes, feed your good bacteria (supporting digestion), and keep your digestion running smoothly. Juices are essentially fiber-free. Great if you have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or trouble breaking down fiber, bad from a nutritional standpoint

•  Empty nutrients. Unless you’re preparing the juice fresh (either at home or a juice bar), it’s most likely been pasteurized. What does that mean? To prevent bacteria and yeast from contaminating it manufactures heat their juices in a process called pasteurization. Although this keeps you safe, it, unfortunately, leaves you with nothing but sugar, carbs, and destroyed nutrients. 

•  Poor quality food. You also need to question the quality of your food. How long do you think it’s been sitting on the shelf? 

•  Wasteful. Unless you find a way to use the pulp, most people end up tossing it out. You’re missing out on the benefits of the whole plant and focusing only on the juice. In some cases, there are more nutrients in particular parts of the plant, including the leaves, stem, and seeds.
• Doesn’t keep you full. Since when are juices satiating anyway? If you want a snack to keep you full between meals, go for smoothies. The fiber isn’t only for gut health! It takes a while to break down and digest. 

•  Not a meal. I’m sorry, but unless you’re mixing in things like protein powder or coconut oil, you’re not getting the most bang for your back when it comes to nutrients. A pitcher of green juice is not the same as a meal containing proteins, fats, and other fibrous veggies and fruit. Ask yourself- where am I getting protein? How much fat (if any) is in this? From a calorie standpoint, is this enough to keep me going? If you had to go with smoothies, at least those allow you to add more nutrients (protein, fat). 

•  (Potential) vitamin deficiencies. Here’s something that many juice cleansers get wrong. Absorption. Specifically, the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients. Aka, nutrients that need fat to be adequately absorbed. These include Vitamin A, E, and K. If you juiced a bunch of carrots and sweet potatoes, your body isn’t going to absorb their nutrients fully. Not unless you include fat from oil, nuts, seeds, or avocado. [3] [4]

•  Overdosing. By the way, you can OD on juice. Not because it tastes good, but because it contains certain compounds that, in excess, cause problems. Things like goitrogens, from cruciferous vegetables (kale, broccoli) and oxalate (spinach). Goitrogens interfere with thyroid function and promote goiters (swelling of the thyroid). Oxalates promote kidney stones. If you’re juicing pounds of veggies and drinking many servings throughout the day, you could be overdosing on certain things without even knowing it! (Exhibit A: Celery juice– too much of a good thing!) [5] [6]
•  Expensive. Juicing can be a costly habit for some. The fresh, organic, top quality kind usually cost at least $6 (or more) per 16 oz. When making them at home, you have to buy pounds of produce to make a few cups. What if you plan on making enough for the entire week? The money adds up!

My Thoughts

Does this mean that all juice is terrible? No… but’s not off the hook. In my opinion, when buying, say, green juice, you must first read the labels. Check to see that there’s no extra sugar in the ingredient list. Second, see how it was made. If it was pasteurized, then it’s been stripped of its nutrients. Still ready to buy a bunch of fruit-flavored sugar water?

OK, all kidding aside, here’s what to look out for when buying juice. Always, always read your labels. Make sure that it doesn’t contain maltodextrin, cane sugar, or corn syrup. Second has to do with green juices. Avoid ones that contain fruit (apples, oranges, grapefruit, etc.); it should be all green- spinach, kale chard, cabbage, celery, cucumber. The third is if you can, order or make them fresh. Avoid the sketchy pasteurization and go for the real thing. When it’s fresh, the juice has all of its nutrients intact. To make it easier to drink, add extra lemon or cucumber. Otherwise, know what you’re in for. It’s green juice, not dessert.

I’d like to hear your thoughts. Do you think juice is healthy? How do you like your green juice? Let me know down in the comments below!

Sources:

[1] https://www.odwalla.com/products/smoothies/citrus-c-monster
[2] https://www.coca-colaproductfacts.com/en/products/coca-cola/original/12-oz/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218749/
[4] https://www.livescience.com/52851-low-fat-diet-facts.html
[5] https://www.verywellhealth.com/thyroid-disease-goitrogens-diet-3233164
[6] https://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/kidney-stones-food-causes#1