The dark side of juicing
You could be doing yourself a disservice by drinking too many fruit and vegetable juices.
FEATURE
With juice bars being all the rage now, it’s almost a slap on the face to hear that fruit and vegetable juices aren’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
After all, not too long ago, proponents of juicing said drinking instead of eating your fruits and vegetables increased nutrient absorption, helped rid the body of toxins, boosted the immune system, aided digestion and yes, helped in weight loss too.
Yet, experts today remind us there is no real scientific evidence to back these claims. In fact, you could be doing yourself a disservice by drinking too many fruit and vegetable juices.
Precious nutrients dumpedA lot of a fruit’s nutrient content is embedded in its skin. With juicing, pulp and skin is discarded and all that you do consume is the juice itself. If you ate an apple, pear, strawberry or fig, you’d most likely eat its skin too. In an orange, the albedo or ‘white skin’ is loaded with phytonutrients that we don’t consume if the orange is juiced instead. The same applies to vegetables like cucumbers and carrots that have high concentrations of nutrients is its skin. If you think about it, the nutrient loss from juicing is almost a crime.
Dangerous blood sugar spikes
The very process of juicing separates all-important fibre from a fruit or vegetable. Why is this dangerous? Fibre slows the digestion process and without it, you will experience a spike in your blood sugar levels after you’ve had a juice. This is not healthy in any sense of the word no matter how many nutrients are more easily absorbed into your system. Because of the blood sugar spikes, juices are especially dangerous for diabetics and others with blood glucose disorders.
Nutrient overloadWhile we’re on the subject of nutrients, it must be pointed out that getting too many nutrients is just as detrimental to your health as getting too little. Considering our bodies have a limited capacity for nutrients, having too much turns toxic instead resulting in aches and pains. What’s more excess nutrients that your body does not need, is stored in your fat cells. Honestly, do we really need to feed these cells any more than we’re doing already?
Possibility of weight gainSpeaking of fat cells, juices are mostly devoid of fibre but packed with calories. Experts say fibre is important because it gives you the feeling of being full, thereby discouraging you from overeating. If you are a juice freak, you may actually find you are gaining weight because your system does not register that you are full, making you turn to food instead. All that means is more calories than your body needs.
Digestive distress
Fruits like prunes, pears, sweet cherries, peaches and apples contain sorbitol that when juiced into a more concentrated form, result in stomach discomfort. According to the Baylor College of Medicine the consumption of these fruit juices can cause gas, stomach cramping and diarrhoea in some individuals, with children being the biggest victims.
A case of carotenemiaIf you’re sporting a tan that is a tinge too yellow or orange, you’re probably overdosing on carrot juice. Drinking fruit and vegetable juices high in beta carotene may lead to this condition called carotenemia, caused by high carotene levels in the blood. Check the palms of your hands and soles of your feet – if its too orange, stop the carrots.
Lack of hygieneJuices are made with raw fruits and vegetables, leaving the door open for disease-causing microorganisms that can lead to food-borne illness. We’re talking serious pathogens responsible for cyclosporiasis, E. coli, hepatitis, salmonellosis and bacillary dysentery. So beware especially when drinking juices from a juice bar.
At the end of the day, it is best to do things in moderation. An occasional fruit and vegetable juice is great for health. It’s when we become too ambitious in our quest for health that we ironically run into problems despite our good intentions.