The practice of juicing has been with us for the longest time; especially today, people have extensively adapted juicing to their diets. With a few clicks, you’ll get your screen filled with tons of juicing recipes online, which clearly shows how people and communities quickly jumped onto the trend. If we dig some of juicing rich history, it will even show us how much of an impact it became for the people, with health movements starting to show. Relatively, no one can deny how healthy juicing can be for the majority; but as good as it sounds, juicing also comes with adverse effects.
Risks of Juicing
As they say, anything in excess is wrong for you. The same goes for juicing; even with the health benefits we can get, it may still impose some risks that we should consider.
- Kidney Stone Build-up: Though juicing can help your liver and kidney, it can still impose risks of kidney stones and other kidney-related problems if you’ll be consuming large quantities of juice. You should always consider this risk, especially if you have CKD or chronic kidney disease. If you intake a high-potassium drink, it could significantly impose a threat to your kidney.
- Risk of Dehydration: This risk often occurs when the juice mix contains a lot of fiber-rich ingredients. It could lead to possible dehydration due to irregular bowel movements inside your digestive tract.
- Nutritional Deficiency: You’ll be at risk if you consume nothing but juices. Juicing cannot compensate for the nutrients you can get with other meals, especially whole vegetables and fruits.
- High Blood Sugar: If you’re that type that loves fruit juice mixes, it can impose higher blood sugar levels. Primarily, fruits contain reasonable amounts of sugar in them, so if you’re planning to do an all juice diet, this risk is something you should consider.
- Weight Gain: If you’re scrolling through the internet, you may have already come across losing weight via juicing. Don’t get us wrong; you can indeed lose weight with juicing, but it will be counterproductive if you’re planning to do an all-fruit juice mix.
- Dental Issues: This risk goes hand in hand with, you’ve guessed it: sugar. Relatively, the fruit’s sugar content can serve trouble with your dentures, leading to a series of tooth decays.
- Foodborne Illness: This risk is only possible if you don’t correctly pick and wash your fruits and veggies. Raw produce can contain microorganisms responsible for several diseases such as E. coli, hepatitis, salmonella, and bacillary dysentery. So make sure to wash them thoroughly before juicing them up.
- Acid Reflux Trigger: If you plan to chug that fresh morning juice, make sure to look out for your acidity level. Consuming citrus or tomatoes too much can trigger acid reflux due to their high acid content.
- Medicinal Drug Reactions: If you’re taking medicines for your illness, make sure to check with your doctor if you can start a juicing regimen. Some juicing recipes and ingredients can cause an interaction with some drugs you might be taking. One great example is grapefruit juices; they can primarily increase the quantity of medication your blood is taking, thus enhancing its effects, even it’s not supposed to.
- False Sense of Healthy Lifestyle: This point can get quite dangerous if not corrected right away. There were already reports about bad juicing habits that can lead to life-threatening effects and even death. If you’re going to use it for losing weight, don’t get over your head to avoid adverse effects on your health.
Moderation is Key
If you plan to do juicing in excess, it would be better not to do it instead. Remember that everything in excess is wrong; that goes with juicing as well. There will always be the right time and place for you to start juicing, so before you do, book an appointment with your doctor and have a sit-down. As healthy juicing can sound, it is still good to note that it still has its own risks. So make sure to properly think it through as it may do more harm than good. In short, do everything in moderation.