Juicing For Weight Loss: Pros, Cons & Recipes 2024

Juicing is the act of extracting liquid from plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Juices contain only the nutrient-infused water but not the plant’s seeds, skins, or pulp. Many people turn to juice for weight loss, whether by drinking juice instead of eating meals or by adding juices to an already healthy diet.

While juices contain concentrated amounts of the plant’s vitamins and minerals, fiber^[1] is lost during juicing. Inadequate fiber can lead to increased hunger, blood sugar spikes, and other health consequences^[2] that may work against weight loss. 

This article will discuss the health benefits of juicing for weight loss, juicing pitfalls to watch out for, and healthy juicing recipes for weight loss.

Health Benefits Of Juicing For Weight Loss

Juicing is good for weight loss because it offers concentrated nutrition with fewer calories, with more convenience. However, juicing should not be relied on alone to lose weight. Adding a juicing practice to a healthy diet and exercise routine is best. Even light walking has been shown to help reduce belly fat. 

Juicing can be a beneficial part of weight loss because it adds:

Convenience

Preparing healthy meals can take time and effort. However, what you ingest matters for weight loss. Juices are an excellent addition to a weight loss diet and are simple and quick to make. Juices require little preparation or equipment — just a juicer and whatever produce you wish to juice.

Alternatively, fresh juices can be purchased at juice stands and cafes if you don’t have time to make juice yourself.

Nutrition

Though juices do not contain any protein, fat, or fiber, they have a high concentration of nutrients that will not increase body weight.^[3] The juice from oranges, for example, maintains 100% of its vitamin C after the fruit is juiced.

When considering what to juice, remember that fruits are higher in sugar^[4] than vegetables and that there is no fiber in the juice to slow down the body’s absorption of sugar. Excess sugar consumption has been linked with obesity.^[5] Including green apples, pineapples, and other fruits in juices is okay, but opting for a higher vegetable ratio is more beneficial for weight loss.

Additionally, all juices vary in nutritional content depending on the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices used in the juice. Experts recommend alternating^[6] different types and combinations of juices to get the most nutritional benefit.

More Water But Less Calories

Juices are composed primarily of water,^[7] which means they hold fewer calories than many foods. Occasionally replacing foods with juices can help you reduce caloric intake while keeping your body hydrated. However, replacing all meals with juices is not recommended, as this could lead to nutritional deficiencies and health complications.

Detoxification

People who juice often experience a detoxification or cleansing effect on the body. The liver, like the kidneys, is a detoxifying organ. Liver health is necessary for successful detoxification, Some signs of liver health include more energy and focus, clearer skin, and improved digestion.

It has been suggested that giving the body a break from solid food and ingesting hydrating juices instead can help flush out the body of toxins. This has been suggested to allow our organs to refocus their efforts on better overall health. However, there is no direct scientific link between juicing and detoxing.

Beet juice, in particular, is a liver-supporting^[8] juice, making it one of several healthy liver detox drinks. Others include green tea, milk thistle, and lemon water. Regularly drinking vegetable juices and other liver-supporting drinks can gently maintain liver health. If additional support is needed, speak with your doctor about taking supplements for liver detox. These enhance the antioxidation effects of liver metabolism.

Best Juice Cleanse For Weight Loss

A cleanse^[9] is an informal term for detoxification, the intended purpose of which is to flush out toxins from the body, improve health, and lose weight. Cleanses can be done via changes to diet, fasting, detox supplements, sweating, and juicing. Some of the best juice cleanses for weight loss are:

Celery Juice

Celery juice is made by juicing celery and nothing else. Celery has been used medicinally for thousands of years for its healing antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory^[10] properties. Much of the wear and tear of living is due to inflammation.^[11] Hydrating first thing in the morning with pure celery juice is an excellent way to support detoxification and weight loss.

Green Juice

Green juices do not contain fixed ingredients. Rather, green juices combine a variety of green vegetables and sometimes green fruits. You can mix and match based on your preferences. For example, spinach, kale, parsley, celery, cucumber, green apple, and zucchini can be added to green juice.

Leafy green vegetables are low in calories, making them a solid weight-loss choice. Consuming them adequately may improve health in many ways, including slowing cognitive decline.^[12]

Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate juice is high in antioxidants and can help improve glucose levels^[13] and insulin sensitivity. This protects against metabolic disorders, which often correlate with weight gain, such as type 2 diabetes.

Carrot Pineapple Juice

For a thicker, tangier juice, use carrots with a little ginger. Carrots are rich in vitamins and minerals and can help with weight loss, and ginger stimulates and improves digestion^[14] which can enhance detoxification.

Cucumber Mint Juice

Cucumbers comprise over 95% water,^[15] making them an excellent source of hydration and cleansing. Adding juiced mint to cucumber juice will help invigorate the juice while providing additional digestive support.^[16]

You may wish to include other ingredients along with the cucumber and mint for added benefits, such as lemon or cilantro. Lemon juice improves digestion and detoxification by stimulating bile and urine flow. Cilantro can be effective at pulling heavy metals^[17] out of the body.

Juicing Recipes For Weight Loss

Try the following juice recipes for weight loss:

Simple Celery Juice

Just one ingredient — celery! Juice one whole bunch of organic celery and enjoy!

Great Green Juice

• One-half bunch of celery.
• 1 handful of kale.
• 1 handful of spinach.
• 1 green apple.
• 1 cucumber. 
• 1 zucchini.
• 1 lemon.

Carrot Beetroot Ginger Juice

• 6 large carrots.
• 2 beets.
• 1 small piece of ginger.

Pineapple Kale Juice

• 1 bunch of kale.
• Several large slices of pineapple.
• Optional: one small piece of ginger, one handful of parsley, cilantro, or one cucumber.

Be sure to wash and cut the produce before juicing.

What To Eat While Juicing For Weight Loss

If you plan to do a strict juice cleanse, you should not eat or drink anything other than juice and water during the cleanse. However, this sort of restrictive eating approach can be dangerous if done for more than a few consecutive days. In fact, this is such a radical departure^[18] from day-to-day nutrition that you should consult with your doctor before doing it.

If you are juicing for weight loss and plan to add juices to your diet rather than replace meals with them, then maintain a healthy diet while juicing. You can eat any whole food you choose. This is a safer approach. If you need additional support losing weight, you may wish to add in weight loss supplements and fat burners with your doctor’s approval.

Juicing Cons

Health Consequences

Before juicing, understand the potential dangers^[19] of being on a strict juice cleanse for long periods. Long-term caloric restriction can tax and harm the body, such as renal failure. Grapefruit juice, in particular, may lead to the formation of kidney stones.^[20]

Whole Foods Are More Nutritious

Despite the many health benefits of juicing, whole^[21] fruits and vegetables are higher in nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants than their juices. For example, whole blueberries^[22] have more nutritional value than juiced blueberries. Plenty of foods for liver health should be eaten rather than consumed in juice form.

Weight Loss Takes Time

It can take several months to lose weight healthily. Consuming juices exclusively may cause initial weight loss, but this sort of quick weight loss can harm the body. Additionally, neglecting your protein loses muscle mass rather than fat.

The safer route to promote weight loss is to add juices to a healthy diet and incorporate other healthy lifestyle activities such as exercise and walking.

Conclusion

This article explains how to lose weight healthily by juicing. Choosing vegetables over fruits and adding juice as an adjunct to, rather than a replacement for, meals are key components. Juicing provides hydration, nutrients, and detoxification, which can help assist in weight loss.

Frequently Asked Questions