The Juicing Craze: Good for your Health or Just a Hollywood Hype?

By: Cindy G Castillo

Juicing has taken the health world by storm, and millions of people are now gulping down pounds of produce by the glassful. Tons of celebrities, including Salma Hayek, Megan Fox, and Jennifer Lopez have jumped on the juicy wagon for its convenient approach to clean eating. 

But – does the trend truly promote health or is it just a hype? Like most Hollywood fads, these fashionable beverages have their pros and cons. 

Flickr Creative Commons

First things first, here’s what you should know

The plus side:

Juicing is an easy way to feed your body with concentrated amounts of vegetables and fruit packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Plus, these drinks are automatically low in ingredients you want to avoid, like toxic fats, added sugars and salt, which is exactly what you don’t need. 

Sylvia Klinger, MS, RD, LDN, CPT, founder of Hispanic Food Communications, Inc., emphasized the importance of obtaining your daily necessary nutrients.

“The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans consume a minimum of 2-1/2 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruits each day in any form – fresh, frozen or canned in their own juice,” she explained. “I can’t emphasize enough what a life-saving tool this habit brings. This is an easy way to eat your recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, prevent chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, digestive problems, etc.”

Now, here’s the downside: 

It is important to know that juicing shouldn’t stand as an individual dietary program. Most juicing programs leave gaping nutritional holes in your diet. 

The majority of the calories in these juice beverages come from carbs, including high amounts of natural sugar from fruits and some vegetables. Additionally, these plans are low in protein, a key nutrient that helps you maintain your lean muscle mass and boosts your metabolic burn. When  you follow a low-protein diet, you lose a higher proportion of weight as muscle tissue (as opposed to fat), which slows your metabolism and reduces your strength.

And finally, liquid calories do not have the same fill power as whole, solid foods, which makes it hard to stick with a juice-only plan for longer than a few days without it affecting your mood and making you feel groggy.

All in all, let us go back to the basics – moderation and balance are key. Juicing is an easy way to take in the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables your body needs daily. However, your body still needs the necessary fuel from proteins, so following a strict all-juice diet isn’t recommended as a permanent option. 

If you do decide to try juicing, Klinger suggests, “choosing them [your fruits and veggies] based on their attributes, taste, satisfaction, seasonal availability and affordability. Orange, green, yellow, red or white – a variety of vegetables and fruits will deliver potassium, fiber, antioxidants, Vitamin A and D, to name a few.” 

Here is her go-to favorite juicing recipe

2 to 3 large carrots

1 to 2 apples

1 teaspoon lemon juice

If you don’t have a juicer, use the blender!

Sylvia Meléndez-Klinger, MS, RD, LDN, is founder of Hispanic Food Communications, Inc, a nutrition and food communications consulting company, visit her website at hispanicnutrition.com