Juicing has taken the world by storm.  Many raw juice shops are popping up all over the country due to the boom in juice cleanse diets.  In fact, many social media celebrities are touting the health benefits raw juice for cleansing the body and promoting health and beauty.

Raw juicing is no longer a “hippie thing” and millions are jumping onto the juicing bandwagon.  Many go on a juice cleanse in order to shed unwanted belly fat and lose weight.  Others embark on their juice cleanse journey in order to rid the body of disease and improve health.

However, the question remains; Are juice cleanses healthy?

The Pros and Cons of a Juice Cleanse

Raw juice cleanses provides the body with immense health benefits.  On the contrary, there are also several downfalls of long term juice cleanses. Below you will find a list of the pros and cons of embarking on a juice cleanse.

PROS

1. Reduces Intestinal Inflammation

Juicing helps reduce intestinal inflammation in the gut by naturally soothing the digestive tract.  Processed foods, poor diet, and antibiotic overuse are the main cause of intestinal inflammation.  Those with inflamed intestines are likely to suffer from digestive disorders, as well as mental health problems (1)(2).

Juicing provides the body with the necessary nutrients required to foster healing in the digestive system.  Also, raw juices contain no hard to digest fiber which can further irritate the gut lining.  They also contain little to no inflammatory anti-nutrients.  It’s for this reason that a juice cleanse is extremely therapeutic and reduces intestinal inflammation significantly.

Once inflammation in the digestive tract is lowered, health can improve dramatically.  This is because hormone production, immune system health, and neurotransmitter production are manufactured in the gut.  When the gut is inflamed, the body will be at a serious health disadvantage.

2. Saturates the Body with Vitamins and Minerals

It’s not surprise the majority of the population is deficient in essential vitamins and minerals.  Many health problems are actually a result of a simple vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  For example, a deficiency in magnesium is extremely common in those with anxiety and depression (3).

Luckily, raw juices, especially ones that incorporate lots of dark leafy greens, are full of essential trace minerals and vitamins.  Minerals such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium are abundant in all raw green juices.  However, raw juices also contain other trace minerals that bring health to the body.  These trace minerals help hydrate the body more effectively and foster clearer thinking.

As well as trace minerals, the body will also be getting huge amounts of vitamins.  Simply consuming carrot juice daily can dramatically increase your intake of beta-carotene.  Beta-carotene helps protect the eyes from degeneration and is excellent at preserving skin health (4).

3. Boost Antioxidant Levels in the Body

A juice cleanse provides the body with amazing amounts of antioxidants.  Unlike cooking which destroys most of these antioxidants, juicing leaves these antioxidants intact in their raw form.  As a result, protection against free radical damage in the body is naturally increased (5).

Also, antioxidants naturally promote healthy aging and longevity in the body.  Juice cleanses can be a great way to refill depleted antioxidant levels in the body.  In fact, many of the recipes in our Juice Me Better Juicing Recipe Book contain extremely high amounts of protective antioxidants.

4. Helps the Body Detox

Juicing helps the body detox at an extremely rapid rate.  Chlorophyll is the main reason for this rapid detox.  Chlorophyll helps build the blood and helps remove waste from the system.  Interestingly, dark leafy greens are the best source of chlorophyll and not fruits.  It’s for this reason that the base of all juice recipes should be composed of darky leafy greens.

Also, a juice cleanse is a form of fasting.  This means the body does not need to break down any food material and devotes all of its time to cleaning up the body.  This process is referred to as macrophage. Those who intentionally fast from food naturally increase the body’s ability to enter this process.  When this occurs, the body’s white blood cells begin to engulf and digest cancer cells and any foreign invader that does not have the same type of protein found in healthy human cells (6).

Juice cleanses are extremely unique in that they provide the body with nourishment, but still induce macrophage in the body.  This is a powerful tool for anyone looking to get the benefits of macrophage without the complete absence of nourishment.

CONS

1. Could Cause Nutrient Deficiencies if Done Long Term

Raw juices are an excellent source of trace minerals and vitamins.  However, there are several essential fatty acids and vitamins that are not present in raw juices.  These essential fatty acids and vitamins include:

• B12
• DHA and EPA
• K2
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D

A long term juice cleanse can put the body at risk of developing a deficiency in these essential nutrients.  In particular, vitamin B12 deficiency is a serious health concern.  Deficiency in this essential vitamin can result in nervous system collapse, psychosis, or death (7).  Unfortunately, fruits and vegetables do not contain vitamin B12.

2. Devoid of Fiber

Juicing removes all the fiber from fruits and vegetables.  Although this is beneficial for inflamed intestines, long term low fiber intake can be problematic.  This is because the microbes in our gut feed off fiber and is needed for a healthy microbiome.

Low fiber intake as a result from a juice cleanse could cause unwanted changes in the microbiome.  The majority of the population needs some form of fiber in order stay regular.  Long term juice fasting can result in unwanted symptoms such as constipation.

3. Could Slow Down Metabolism

Since calories will be low during a juice fast, the metabolism will naturally slow down.  Although this isn’t a problem short term, chronic low calorie intake can be damaging to the body’s metabolism.  This is counterproductive for those doing a juice fast to lose weight.  Consequently, short term juice fasts are typically more beneficial for weight loss than long term juice fasts.

4. It’s Expensive

Theirs is no denying that fresh organic fruits and vegetables are extremely expensive. Unfortunately, a juice cleanse for long periods of time will without question put a dent in your wallet.  One way to overcome this is to buy local produce which tends to be less expensive.  Buying organic fruits and vegetables that are imported is never a good idea when looking to save money.

However, even when all produce is local, prices can quickly add up.  A typically juice recipe contains between 7-9 different fruits and vegetables.  If you consume 4-5 raw juices a day, this can quickly drain your budget.

Conclusion

Depending on your health goals, juice fasts can be an excellent tool.  Always consult with a medical professional before embarking on any type of juice fast.  It’s important that you go through the pros and cons and then make the decision if juice fasting is right for you.  In our opinion, juice fasts should not last more than a couple days.

Below is a quick recap of the pros and cons of performing a juice fast.

• Detoxifies the body
• Boosts antioxidants levels
• Replenishes depleted trace minerals
• Reduces inflammation
• Is very expensive
• Can slow down the metabolism
• Does not provide fiber
• Deficient in essential vitamins

Lastly, if you need a high quality juicer, our comparison and buyers guide page can help.