Juicing green vegetables can provide several benefits, but may also leave you battling a few side effects. One of the main reasons for juicing vegetables is to enhance your body's ability to detoxify itself. Green vegetables are particularly good because they have an alkalizing effect; on the other hand, most toxins are acidic. Taking a few precautions when juicing green vegetables can make the process healthier and minimize side effects.
Increased Toxin Exposure
Unless you're consuming organic vegetables, you're going to be exposed to environmental toxins such as pesticides and fertilizers. Also, vegetables contain small amounts of natural toxins, which aren't usually a problem when you consume these foods as part of a well-balanced diet and in moderation. However, during juicing you have to use larger amounts of green vegetables just to get one glass of juice. As a result, the amount of toxins you are exposed to is much higher than when you simply eat a plate full of greens. Whenever possible, go organic when you're juicing green vegetables. Also, look for the freshest green vegetables with the least damage.
Bacterial Buildup
One of the benefits of juicing fresh green vegetables is that the final end product doesn't contain any preservatives found in store-bought juices. However, the downside of this is that freshly squeezed juices are very susceptible to harmful bacteria. Make sure you drink the juice right away, or at the very least, store it in an airtight container at a very cool temperature. Also, clean your juicer thoroughly after each use.
Juice Fasting Side Effects
If you are juicing green vegetables as part of a fast, you're likely to experience adverse reactions commonly linked to fasting. They include dizziness, headaches, irritability and fatigue. Also, juice fasting can disrupt blood sugar and insulin levels, which can be dangerous if you're diabetic or have low blood sugar. Taking these possible side effects into consideration, you should not do a prolonged total juice fast; keep it to about two or three days. If you are pregnant or have a medical condition such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer or anemia, do not do a juice fast without consulting your doctor.
Considerations
Even if you're not concerned about your weight, juicing green vegetables to replace one or more meals daily, or for snacks, can cause weight loss. Also, as healthy as green vegetables are, they do not contain enough of certain nutrients --- such as protein and omega-3 fatty acids --- to make them suitable substitutes for well-balanced meals. Also, juicing removes the pulp or fiber, which can lead to constipation and increase feelings of hunger. If you're on a fast, add back in some of the pulp to avoid these complications.
References
- "Juicing, Fasting and Detoxifying for Life"; Cherie Calbom M.S., et al.; 2008
- "The Detox Strategy"; Brenda C. Watson, C.N.C., et al.; 2008
- Food Safety Network: Natural Toxins in Fruits and Vegetables
- MayoClinic.com: Juicing: What Are the Health Benefits?
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