In many ways, juicing seems the ultimate solution to living an active, healthy life which includes everything you need in your diet to stay super fit and well. It allows you to consume multiple fruits and vegetables in one sitting, gets to the heart of the raw fruit for maximum benefit, and bypasses the digestive system for easier absorption. Every fitness guru and Instagram model is urging you to rush out and purchase a new appliance, with hoards of best juicer reviews everywhere you look.
There is, however, a darker side to juicing which is so often neglected by these self-appointed gurus. These side-effects could have negative consequences for your health, so do your body a favor and explore the possible disadvantages of juicing.
Juice Contains A Lot Of Sugar
Though healthy, fruits contain a large amount of naturally occurring sugars, and many doctors and dieticians will advise patients to consider this when planning a healthy diet. In addition, juicing allows the sugar to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream, and this can result in a sudden sugar spike. These spikes can result in mood swings and variations in your energy levels.
An excess of sugar can also damage your liver. The naturally occurring sugar found in fruits is called fructose and can usually be absorbed and processed by the liver without too much trouble. In extremely high quantities, however, the organ begins to struggle and can turn this sugar into liver fat. The results of this can be catastrophic, including heart disease and liver damage.
Juice Lacks Protein
Protein is a crucial part of our diets, helping us to build and maintain muscle, as well as helping the body to repair and restore tissues, hormones, enzymes, and other essential chemicals in the body. If it is missing, your body will attempt to rectify this by drawing protein from the muscles, and this can cause issues with your metabolic rate. Not only does this render weight loss and muscle building effectively inefficient, but it also has potentially serious repercussions long term.
Juicing Can Lead To Calorie Deficiency
A juice diet is usually lower in calories than eating normally, and this can result in a vast calorie deficiency. This impact can cause the body to go into starvation mode, which comes with risks and dangers. A starvation diet puts extra stress on all areas of the body, including vital organs, and elevates levels of cortisol—the stress hormone. This can put a physical and mental strain on the body and could have devastating effects.
Raw Juice Can Change The Ph Of Your Stomach
Our bodies were designed to eat food, not drink it. Using juicing as a method of meal replacement alters the pH levels of the intestines and stomach, and can result in a host of unwanted health issues such as gallstones, leaky gut, IBS, ulcers, and trouble digesting regular foods which can be difficult to rectify at a later date.