There’s a lot being said about the benefits of juicing fruits and vegetables rather than eating them whole – however, how much truth is there in the statement? Nutritionist Shyla Cadogan, RD, in a recent article pointed out that juicing fruits and vegetables rather than not consuming them at all definitely has benefits. But when fruits and veggies are juiced, it strips away most from the produce. She drew the comparison of consuming whole grains being more beneficial than having them in white bread or refined crackers.

Juicing destroys the fiber content

One of the main reasons for consuming fruits and veggies is for their fiber content which helps in boosting gastrointestinal health and regularising blood sugar levels in the body. However, juicing can completely destroy the fiber content in fruits and vegetables, stripping them of their health benefits. When we juice a fruit or a vegetable, we can still get sugars, water, and a few vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. However, when we consume a whole fruit or vegetable, we can get all of these nutrients, and also the fiber.

Does juicing help with weight loss?

It has always been promoted by the wellness industry that consuming fruit juice and vegetable juice helps in speeding up weight loss. However, the truth is that in order to shed the extra kilos, we need to burn more calories than we consume. When we juice fruits and vegetables, the fiber content is striped off – which means that a person will not be satiated and will have the tendency to overeat. Also, more fruits and vegetables will be required to produce more juice, which means that more calories will be consumed in the process. Fruit sugar is healthy but must be consumed with fiber content. When we have fruit juice without the fiber content, there is a higher risk of blood sugar being unstable.

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