The Pros and Cons of Juicing

We are right in the middle of a juicing craze, as it seems that everybody is jumping on the juicer bandwagon, and stocking up their shopping carts with plenty of fruits and vegetables every single week. But is juicing all it’s cracked up to be? Is it really that good for your health? Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of juicing.

Pros

Raw vegetables are best for you
When you cook vegetables they lose some of their nutrients during the cooking process, which means you do not get the full benefits that any particular vegetable has to offer. When you juice a vegetable, you are doing so when they are raw, which means they still keep most of the goodness which is then transferred to your juice. When vegetables are taken this way, the nutrients are more easily absorbed by the body giving you the maximum health benefits possible.

Easier to consume
Let’s face it, if you want to consume lots of vegetables then it is not a very appealing idea to sit down with a massive plate of carrots, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, celery and beetroot every day. Who has the time to eat all of that?

By juicing all of these ingredients, you make a drink that can be consumed in a couple of minutes, but still carries all of the same health benefits as if you were to actually eat the ingredients. Once you have drank the juice then you are free to carry on with the rest of your day.
Peace of mind

If you have ever actually read the labels on the back of juice cartons then you probably had quite a nasty shock. There are so many added ingredients in juice found at the supermarket, such as added sugar and other additives, that it can be hard to know exactly what you are putting into your body.

When you produce your own juice then you know exactly what you are dealing with. There is no hidden extras or nasty surprises. You are in total control and you can add exactly what you like, while also making sure that every ingredient that you use is as fresh and possible. You can also choose to use organic products if you like.

Cons

Not to the taste of everybody
At the end of the day, not everybody’s taste buds are made the same, and there are some people who just cannot bear the taste of something like spinach, cabbage, carrots and apple mixed into a juice drink. If you are one of these people, and you pull a face at just the thought of drinking some of these juicing recipes, then perhaps buying a juicer and living the juicing lifestyle is not for you.

It is probably a better idea to just enjoy fruits and vegetables as you have always done, by eating them cooked and as part of your meals.

Dangers of raw food
There is always the possibility of raw food carry things such as parasites and bugs, which are still present even after you have juiced the fruits or vegetables. One way to minimize the risk if you are using raw food is to thoroughly wash everything as much as possible, and if a piece of food looks bad then throw it away and don’t be tempted to use it.

Conclusion
As you can see, there are some pros and cons to juicing that make it an interesting topic, and it is certainly worth some prior thought on your part before you decide to go out and buy a juicer and start making your own homemade juices.

Claire Park is a freelance writer

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