The word “juice” always used to remind me of my childhood, when my classmates and I would get hyped up on sugar via juice boxes during snack time. However, recently the concept of “juice” has been revamped. Out with juice from concentrate and in with fancy “cold-pressed” juice made out of real fruits and vegetables, which gleam with the promise of instant health.
Companies have been advertising cold-pressed juice as almost elixirs of health. However, what does “cold-pressed juice” even mean? Cold-pressed juice means that the juice was created in a cold press juicer that crushes and then presses the fruits and vegetables without producing very much heat. When juicing, heat can diminish the ingredients’ nutrients, which defeats the whole purpose of drinking these fresh fruit and vegetable juices.1
iCold-pressed juice’s predecessor was fresh juice made in a centrifugal juice extractor. These juices are made with a fast-spinning metal blade that spins against a mesh filter to separate the juice and the fruit skin. Critics of this type of juicer state that the metal blade generates too much heat and destroys some of the nutrients in the produce.2 On the contrary, traditional juice that you are used to finding at your big super markets is “pasteurized,” which means it is heated to a high temperature for a short amount of time, depending on the fruit. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulate this process because the high heat kills any potentially harmful bacteria that may exist in the fruit.3
Cold-Pressed Juice Pros
There is no denying that drinking a glass of fresh-squeezed juice is a rejuvenating experience. In addition, the number of servings of fruit and veggies you can pack into a glass of juice is quite amazing. Tim Jonze, writer for The Guardian, reflected, “By throwing in the odd apple as a sweetener you can ingest half a bag of spinach for breakfast as if it’s no big deal.” However, he goes on to remind the reader, “It’s not a substitute for eating the stuff – you lose the added benefits of their complex fibres – but it’s an excellent way to get a burst of nutrients.”4
Cold-Pressed Juice Cons
Many are skeptical of this cold-pressed craze. Dieticians point out that most fruits and some vegetables (e.g. carrots and beets) are high in sugar. Since juice is metabolized faster than a whole fruit, your body experiences quick spikes in blood sugar after drinking juice. Therefore, drinking this type of juice on a regular basis is not a healthy practice for diabetics.5 Some see drinking cold-pressed juice as a pathway to weight loss. Again, the high sugar levels and calories make some doubt this claim. In addition, juice does not contain fiber, which is what stretches our stomachs and signals to our brain that we’re full. Without the role of fiber, the potential to overeat is much greater.6
Aside from some problematic issues concerning sugar and fiber, cold-pressed juice’s biggest hurdle is price. As I have perused the cold-pressed juice section in my local Whole Foods, I have noticed that the majority of the brands are $8-$12. Thinking back to my Juicy Juice days, I can’t believe that 16 oz. of juice is now $12. If you choose to make your juice at home, the cold press juicer is also pricey—many of the brands are over $300. Although, depending how into the trend you are, buying your own juicer may pay off in the end.7 The flip side is that at Starbucks you can now purchase a glass of cold-pressed juice at very close to the same price as their other fancy beverages, so I would count that as a win!
Cold-Pressed Juice Cleanses
Some people have taken drinking cold-pressed juice to a whole other level by doing juice cleanses. A “juice cleanse” is a short-term, all-liquid diet made out of fresh fruits and vegetables with the goal of removing toxins from the body and/or losing weight.8 While BluePrint, a popular juice cleanse brand, states that “the only potentially severe side effect of this program is finally fitting into your ‘skinny’ jeans,” juice cleansing is certainly not for everyone.9 Before deciding to do a juice cleanse, you should always consult your physician. Doctors also remind people that your liver and kidneys were created for a reason—it is their job to remove toxins for your body. For most people, their liver and kidneys are efficient and effective on their own.10
Celebrities have been quite taken with the juice cleanse fad. Several years ago, actress Gwyneth Paltrow did the Master Cleanse, a well-known juice cleanse regimen, for 10 days and began to hallucinate. After that experience, she warned that juice cleanses can crash your metabolism, which can cause future weight gain.11 However, Beyoncé apparently used the Master Cleanse to lose 20 pounds in preparation for her role in the film Dreamgirls, so there’s that!12
The bottom line is that whether you are ingesting fruits and vegetables whole or juiced, you are on the right track to a healthy lifestyle. While your wallet may suffer from this trend, as long as you’re not diabetic, you could certainly do much worse.
