Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Hold the Kale! 10 Reasons Juicing Can Be Bad for Your Health

Forget about it. The practice is a waste of time and money, because your body doesn't need "cleansing," Dr. Youdim says.

"Our bodies have their own elaborate, elegant detoxification system, called the liver, intestines and kidneys," she explains.

"It's foolish to think the body can't detox on its own," she adds.

7. Juices can be calorie bombs.
If you're downing up to 96 ounces of juice a day to lose weight – which many fasts recommend – stop, USC's Koprowski warns. Juicing for days to lose weight "can be potentially harmful," she says. That's because you're losing out on important nutrients.

And don't expect to get slimmer, says Dr. Youdim of Cedars-Sinai. In fact, you might gain weight, because you're consuming more calories than you realize – mostly from naturally occurring sugar in the fruits and vegetables.

Some juices and smoothies are more caloric than a meal. For example, a large Jamba Juice Razzmatazz Smoothie, made with mixed berry juice, orange sherbet, strawberries and bananas, rings up at 580 calories.

Consume too many, and "you can end up with a few thousand calories of juice a day!" Simon warns.

And still be unsatisfied.

"It can take 10-15 oranges or several pounds of carrots to make a meal of juice," Koprowski says. "Or you could munch on a couple of carrots and feel full."