Popular diets come and popular diets go. It’s hard to go any length of time without hearing about another unusual eating plan. One of the more popular ideas that is catching fire is juice fasting; this is when you only drink the juice of fruits and vegetables for a certain amount of time.
While there are a lot of fads out there, there’s some evidence this may actually be good for you. Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles and the Center for Human Nutrition have been researching to see if this diet was only promoted by juicing companies or if this is something that actually benefits your health. The results were surprisingly positive when the juice fasting was done correctly.
The idea of juice fasting is to go for a brief period of time consuming only juices and other liquids.
To “fast” means to refrain from something, eating certain things in this case. A fast can be done for health, religious and cultural reasons, and can be personalized based on your needs. You can determine what foods to skip and what time frame works for you.
The term “juicing” refers to the liquids that are extracted from fruits and vegetables. However, the method to achieve this juice status is significant. The skin and the pulp are removed and the liquid is extracted. Juicing is different from pureeing your food or putting it into a blender for an extended period. The goal is to get only the liquid and nothing else.
Some fruits like lemons and oranges are easy to juice by hand, but others like apples and pineapple require a juicing machine. Most vegetables are tricky as they have large amounts of pulp (like tomatoes), thick skin (like cucumbers and squash), or contain less liquid (like kale, ginger, cabbage, and beets).
One study by Susanne Henning and others followed twenty people who agreed to do a 31-day juice and fasting rotational-based diet. They agreed to do 14 days of a regular monitored diet, then a juice fast for three days followed by 14 days of their regular diet and exercise with post-study evaluations. The results showed that when they finished the three days of juice fasting, there was a decrease in weight and body mass index, which the participants were able to maintain through day 17 of the study.
The study showed that nitric oxide in the blood increased. Nitric oxide in the body works to help relax and widen (or dilate) the blood vessels. This widening is known as vasodilation, and it is helpful to decrease blood pressure and improve heart health because the heart does not have to pump as hard. To increase nitric oxide in juice fasting, green leafy vegetables and beetroot are helpful as both of these ingredients have high levels of nitric oxide.
One very positive benefit from the study was the multiplication of healthy gut bacteria. Typically, the most prevalent bacteria species in the gut are Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. The Firmicutes species make up 40-60% of the bacteria and is found with those who have increased body weight, while Bacteroidetes is found 20-40% of the time and is more prevalent with low body weight. In the study, the presence of Firmicutes dramatically decreased while Bacteroidetes increased. The Bacteroidetes species are a stronger bacteria family and can deal with plant fibers and sugars from fruits and vegetables. Because these bacteria can help to digest the foods better, in turn, the body’s cholesterol and blood pressure were also decreased.
Some good changes in cholesterol were also found as a result of the juice fasting for the body’s metabolism. The LDL (bad cholesterol) initially increased but then decreased as other fats were signaled to supply energy instead of the LDL stored. Cholesterol can be reduced for about a week after the fast ends.
Other positive health benefits noted from a juice fast was the higher levels of fermentable fiber. This type of fiber has been shown to help prevent heart problems, blood sugar dysregulation, and even some cancers.
Finally, the juicing was found to be healthier if five or more fruits and vegetables were used. The antioxidant and micronutrients levels rose in the body to better levels.
One of the negatives for a prolonged juice fasting session is the lack of protein and amino acids. Eating solid foods and proteins are helpful to give that full feeling, and without the feeling of being full, sticking to a juice fast can be very difficult. Some people have cravings for fatty and filling foods, which can be hard to overcome without cheating on the fast.
Fruits have more sugars than vegetables, and it can also be easy to get way too much sugar during a juice fast. Typically, recipes call to mix fruits and vegetables in your juice. However, if you are adding two or three apples, a handful of grapes, and an orange to your drink, that can be a lot of sugar. In contrast, it would be difficult to consume all that fruit in one sitting. While the amount of juice may appear small, the quantity of sugars in that cup is substantial and drinking it can lead to big swings in your blood sugar with high spikes and sharp drops. It is recommended that you do one part fruit to four parts vegetables to help prevent a sugar overload.
The body also struggles to deal with this extra sugar as the liver, the primary organ to filter the fruit sugar (fructose) out of the blood, can get overwhelmed and turn the sugar to fat. So if you struggle with blood sugar issues, it is strongly encouraged that you do not do this without the supervision of your healthcare provider.
Another unexpected negative result from juice fasting is a false loss of weight. This weight loss may look nice on your bathroom scales, but the scale does not show what was lost. If you are doing a fast that does not include protein, lean muscle mass can be lost instead of fat. This muscle mass quickly returns when the fast is over and so does the number on the scale.
Finally, buying the necessary fruits and vegetables for this fast can be painful in a financial way. It is costly to purchase the necessary items, as you will need to purchase three to four times more dietary produce than what you would typically buy.
If you are experiencing a lot of cravings for sweet and salty foods, weight gain around the middle, or have a hard time sticking to a healthy diet due to your busy schedule, juice fasting might be for you. However, there are other chronic conditions that need to be considered before you can determine if juice fasting is right for your body. These are also symptoms of adrenal fatigue, and this could interfere with your juice fast.
For anyone who has ever picked up the phone and called for help, the first people to answer that call can be firefighters, paramedics, or even a helpful police officer. These first responders are also mirrored in the body. When the body senses something that is not right, it dispatches various signals via the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response through six circuits (bioenergetic, hormone, detoxification, inflammation, cardionomic, and neuroaffect) to help.
If the body is unable to meet the bioenergetic demands that are required, it is first shown in the body as sudden tiredness. You may start to feel that exercise is not for you anymore as you are just too tired. Sugar cravings can also start to pop up. If you can avoid the sugar binging, you may have difficulties with low blood sugar causing feelings of shakiness, lightheadedness, and cold and clammy skin.
The sugar cravings are present because the body knows that energy is found through sugar. It is easy to eat and processes very quickly. Unfortunately, the body rarely only eats what it should because it takes a while for the brain to realize what the stomach is holding. Too much sugar is often eaten which makes the pancreas work even harder because it has to produce the insulin needed to deal with overwhelming amounts of sugar. The receptors start to become dull to the insulin, which makes the body have to produce even more insulin. Eventually, the body cannot keep up, and the blood sugar keeps rising to dangerous levels.
The sugar imbalance of highs and lows are also shown through a lack of energy. You may notice this as cravings for energy drinks, coffee, and triple-shots of espresso as your body has to turn towards outside sources to function at a healthy level. If you continually need multiple cups of coffee to get moving, you may already be beginning to show signs of Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) without knowing it.
As your body deals with the everyday stress that it is facing, the adrenal glands usually can compensate for the stress. If they become overwhelmed, for example if you suddenly experience multiple bad days at work, if you have been sick with long-lasting illnesses, or had infections that are hard to recover from, all of these can lead to the body beginning to suffer from AFS.
The body attempts to deal with this stress by producing cortisol; it is a potent hormone that works to bring the body back to its normal state. When there is constantly cortisol in the body, or if there is not enough cortisol to do what needs to be done, the body suffers from symptoms like exhaustion, sudden food allergies, anxiety, brain fog, joint pain, and worsening infections that can become chronic.
The thyroid plays a vital role in the energy and regulation of your body. The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped organ in the front middle part of the neck behind the Adam’s Apple and functions as a thermostat in the body. It can speed you up or slow you down; it can warm you up, or make you feel like you are living in Antarctica.
The thyroid releases hormones such as T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine). These hormones affect the entire body. In those who are suffering from AFS, the body begins to fight against itself and can start attacking the thyroid causing autoimmune disorders.
If the body becomes too tired and stressed, it will slow thyroid production down to protect itself. This slowing in the bioenergetic circuit can present itself as:
Typically, in conventional medicine, you may receive artificial hormones to correct the thyroid condition. If this is not sufficient, you could require higher and higher doses of the supplementation and increased amounts of caffeine to feel normal, but neither of these are helpful unless the cause is discovered and dealt with appropriately.
Juice fasting is safe for many people, but it must be done properly, or it can be harmful. You need to use the right ratios of fruits and vegetables, and it should only be done with the advice of your healthcare provider. If you are pregnant, have a weakened immune system, or are seriously underweight, it is probably not safe.
Proper nutrition is paramount to prevent the body from degenerating into serious illness. At least one study shows that properly planned juice fasting protocol is one way to help reset your body for that nutrition. If you can collect the vegetables, fruits, and the proper equipment to do the fast at home (or purchase the juice from an organic supplier), your body can be presented with the right nutrients it needs to heal.
To avoid complications, it is strongly recommended that you only do a juice fast with the right supervision from your healthcare professional. A fast like this should not be done for quick weight-loss. However, there is evidence that it could contribute to healing your body over time.
© Copyright 2019 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
Juice fasting is safe for most people, but it must be done properly or it can be harmful. You need to use the right ratios of fruits and vegetables, and it should only be done with the proper permission and supervision by your healthcare provider.
