Is Juicing Fruits Healthy? Nutritionist Explains

Do you prefer eating a fresh fruit or do you like juicing it? The practice of juicing fruits and vegetables may be preferred when you want a detox or simply when you trying to cut back on your calorie intake. But, it may not be the best thing to do. Juicing fruits and vegetables robs them of their fibre and antioxidants. Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, in a recent Insta post, elaborates on the reason she is against juicing and the few times that the practice should be preferred.

To juice or not to juice: What Rujuta Diwekar has to say

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According to Diwekar, it is okay to juice fruits in the following three cases:

• When it prevents food wastage
• When someone is experiencing difficulty in chewing food
• When one feels loss of appetite

Citing the example of plums, she goes on to add how that there are always a few plums that get squeezed or "pachko", as she calls it, when you buy a bunch of them. These squeezed plums are usually the ones which no one wants to eat, irrespective of the fact that they are still safe for consumption and are juicy, but fall out of flavour.

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To juice or not to juice - It's the season of plum and we celebrated it with a glass of plum juice today. ‘But aren't juices unhealthy?' Read on - When you buy fresh plums, you invariably have some which pachko. And when they do, no one wants to eat them. They are still good, safe and juicy but fall out of favour. What do you do then? Well, you simply channelize the grandmother inside you, and you squash the whole thing into a juice. Because pran jaye but food wastage na hoye. And you quickly drink together as a family before it discolours. Because fresh fruit, rich in antioxidants, will discolour within few minutes of air exposure. (Fruit going bad is a good sign). On the other hand, bottled juices in cafes, tetra-packs, detox packages, spas, etc., are only business as usual. These juices don't go bad which means they are not good to begin with. They are simply monetising the narrative that a juice is healthy. But, for a big section of the population, even the freshest juice is not. E.g. for people with diabetes, PCOD, obesity, heart disease, etc., it can quickly upset blood sugar regulation and deprive them of essential nutrients that would otherwise be available with proper chewing of fresh fruit/ vegetable. To summarise, juicing is fine only in the following cases – 1. When it prevents food wastage for the family 2. When someone is having a tough time to chew 3. When there is a general loss of appetite P.S. - In Indian kitchens juicing, pulping, squashing, making jams, candies, pickles out of fresh fruit was a creative and intelligent way of preventing food wastage. #eatdontjuice

A post shared by Rujuta Diwekar (@rujuta.diwekar) on Jul 31, 2020 at 11:40pm PDT

Also read: Fruit Juice Vs Whole Fruit: Here's Everything That Is Wrong With Juicing

This is one situation where there is no harm in juicing plums or any other fruit. Not only will it prevent food wastage, it will also provide you with some nutrients from the fruit, without any artificial flavour or sugar.

The same cannot be said for bottled juices in cafes or tetra pack juices of detox juices. Not only do they contain added colour and flavour, they are also loaded with sugar (even if they claim to be healthy).

Even the freshest juice is not healthy for people with diabetes, PCOD, obesity and heart disease among others, informs Diwekar. The "can quickly upset blood sugar regulation and deprive them of essential nutrients that would otherwise be available with proper chewing of fresh fruit/ vegetable," she explains in her post.

Juicing, pulping, squashing, preparing jams, candies or pickles out of fresh fruit is indeed a creative and intelligent way or preventing food wastage, acknowledges Diwekar in her post.

Also read: Expert Opinion: This Is The Best Time To Eat Fruits

(Rujuta Diwekar is a nutritionist based in Mumbai)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.