Is It Worth Drinking Green Juice?

Green juice has more than one benefit for the human body, but there are good and bad ways to maximize its benefits.

Some people debate whether green juice is healthy. By producing green juice, you lose the plant fiber. So if you get your fiber from other foods, yes, you should drink green juice. 

Green juice is rich in nutrients and water and is easily absorbed into the digestive system, especially when taken on an empty stomach. 

To make sure you still have enough fiber, it is a good idea to swap your healthy smoothies with a fresh green juice every other day.

Suppose you continue to drink freshly squeezed vegetable juice every day. In that case, you will have more energy, your skin will be more luminous, and everything around you will feel better.

What is Green Juice?

Green juice is a beverage made of vegetable extract.

There is no specific guideline, but traditional ingredients include cabbage, broccoli, kale, lettuce, wheatgrass, cucumber, cilantro, and mint.

As the green juice tastes bitter, some recipes add some fruits to sweeten and enhance its overall taste. Popular fruits include apples, blueberries, kiwi, lemons, oranges, and grapefruit.

If you like green juice, you can purchase fresh organic juice from particular juice cafés.

Although some versions contain artificial ingredients to reduce the nutritional density, commercial green juice is affordable.

Besides, many bottled green juices are pasteurized. To kill dangerous contaminants and prolong their lifespan, this method heats the juice. It can eliminate a few of the heat-sensitive and plant-based components present in fresh juice.

Potential Health Benefits

A nutritious and organic diet is not a substitution for a freshly made green juice. However, it has many benefits from eating more fruits and vegetables.

An outstanding source of several useful vitamins, nutrients, and botanical extracts is green veggies and their extracts. For example, chard and kale are rich in vitamins A and K, and wheatgrass provides plenty of vitamin C and iron.

Research has shown that consuming leafy greens daily can reduce the risk of inflammation, heart disease, and age-related intellectual decline.

There is also evidence that some compounds in freshly-squeezed juice can be used as prebiotics to provide nourishment and support for the beneficial bacteria that live in the digestive tract.

Taking prebiotics regularly can have many benefits, such as reducing constipation, maintaining weight, and improving immune function.

Many people also find that drinking vegetable and fruit juice is an easy and effective way to increase their valuable nutrient requirements.

After all, some people, like those who have had stomach or bowel surgery, can benefit from green juice because it is easier to digest. For these people, a short-term juice diet during the regeneration process is an option.

Regularly consuming veggies can decrease cholesterol and enhance the well-being of the brain and heart. 

Fresh juice can promote healthy digestion. Also, some groups of people may benefit from short-term juicing while they recover.

Possible Downsides

While drinking green juice is a good way to increase your intake of several important nutrients there are some shortcomings that should be considered before it becomes popular.

Juicing fruits or vegetables will remove most of the fiber.

Fiber is essential in a healthy diet. Adequate fiber intake helps control blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol levels, thus contributing to heart health. 

Certain stomach problems, such as gastric/acidity, ulcerative colitis, and gastrointestinal ulcers, can also be alleviated.

The Institute of Medicine suggests 25 grams a day for women, and men, 38 grams per day.

Since the fiber content of green juice is not high, it should not replace a vegetarian or fruit meal.

If you consider adding green juice to your routine, do not skip meals, including plenty of fresh fruits and veggies.

Fruit juice might not be the best choice if you have diabetes or other health issues that trigger low blood sugar regulation.

These drinks are low in fiber and protein, and these two nutrients can balance your blood sugar levels.

Green juice made only from vegetables is low in carbohydrates. It is unlikely to harm blood sugar levels. However, if you choose to consume green juice with added fruits, natural sugar will cause a sudden spike in your glucose levels.

You may reduce this impact by mixing fruit juice with meals that contain protein and dietary fiber, such as cheese crackers, veggie sticks with salad, or oatmeal with unflavored organic milk and almond butter.

Insight

In other words, be especially careful with store-bought green juices, as those can be filled with added sugar. Check the packaging to ensure that the fruit or vegetables are the only ingredients.

You can also check if sugar has been added to the nutrition label, which should be zero. This is different from the “total sugar,” which accounts for the natural sugars in fruit.

Drinking green juice in moderation can increase your intake of many nutrients, but consuming too much can cause serious side effects.

Green veggies contain oxalate or oxalic acid, considered to be a rich source. Oxalic acid is considered anti-nutritional because it binds to minerals in food and prevents them from being absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract.

In a healthy diet, the quantity of oxalate which you usually eat from veggies is not injurious. However, green juice is often a highly concentrated source of oxalate.

Some recent acute kidney failure cases are found, caused by excessive consumption of oxalate in green juices and smoothies in wash programs or empty stomachs.

While juicing, detoxing, and fasting are popular trends, you never need to rely on green juice or any other juice as your primary food source, and it can harm your health.

If you plan to add a green juice to your diet, consume it safely by following a moderate and well-balanced diet (including various whole foods).

Eating green juice in moderation is healthy, but it lacks some important nutrients, like fiber.

Conclusion

Maintaining health is a major concern nowadays. Green juice is among the easiest ways to maintain a balanced body. 

They contain a range of nutrients that can enhance immune function, increase resistance, improve energy levels, and maintain digestive health, detoxification, and more. 

Last but not the least, consult a doctor or a nutritionist if you have certain health issues.