Health Benefits of Juicing

Juicing is an easy way to provide yourself with a high level of quality nutrition. Here I will talk about the properties of juicing that makes it so potent, and the health benefits that it can provide. It is a practice taken up by many people who are health conscious, who claim how great it is. So what is it about juicing we all rave about?

Well, there are 3 main reasons why juicing is so beneficial :

1. The juice requires hardly any digestion, so all its nutritional goodness gets rapidly into your system.
2. When you juice, you use more fruits and vegetables than you could actually eat. As a result, you are drinking a densely packed amount of vitamins, minerals and other plant-based nutrients.
   

3. Liver detoxification

Below are some of the many health benefits of juicing :

• Improving the cardiovascular system and heart health:
  
  • Both antioxidant vitamins C and E  prevent the damaging effect of free radicals on artery walls. They prevent blood from sticking, clotting, becoming toxic as well as helping to lower triglycerides levels (Here is more info about how to lower triglycerides). Good to great levels of vitamin C can be found in most vegetables and fruits. For the health benefits of juicing vitamin E you can use blackberries, kiwi, asparagus and spinach in your juicer recipes.
    
  • Potassium and magnesium are essential for proper heart function and a regular heart beat. Blackberries are a good source for both these minerals.
    
  • Additionally, as we know, being overweight plays a fundamental role in developing heart disease, so its good to take some common sense and a realistic approach on how to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.

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    Detoxifying the liver – this is fundamental for good health:
    

    • The liver has 100′s of important functions. One of its main functions is to clean the blood and remove toxins and metabolic waste.  With the amount of toxins we are dealing with everyday in modern life we need to be real diligent in helping to keep it “clean” so it can keep us clean!
      Certain nutrients are needed to provide the juicing benefits of liver cleansing. Antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and N-acetyl cysteine are potent liver cleansers. In addition, B-vitamins riboflavin and niacin also aid liver cleansing.  Cabbage, brussel sprouts and cauliflower have been found to be great for the liver.
    • You can also add milk thistle supplements to your diet to help the liver detoxify.
      

  • Alkalizing your system (vegetable juicer recipes only):

    • All vegetables are alkalizing. Fruits on the other hand are not; they are mostly acidic in nature.
      
    • The benefits of making your body PH level less acidic is a subject of its own, so here are just a few juicing benefits;
      
      • Improved brain function
      • Improved heart function
      • Slowing down the aging process
      • Improved joint function – helping with arthritis
      • Less disease-prone body environment. Acidic environments breed diseases.
      • Better digestion

  • Helping with healthy skin, hair, nails and eyes:
    
    • The antioxidants vitamins C and E help to prevent skin damage from sun exposure, due to their free radical neutralizing abilities. The health benefits of juicing blackberries and blueberries together will provide you with a good source of vitamins C and E.
    • A deficiency in riboflavin (vitamin B2) can cause cracked lips, hair loss, dermatitis, greasy looking skin and other skin problems. Putting kale, spinach, and asparagus in your juicer recipes will provide you with vitamin B2.
    • The most potent nutrient for healthy eyes is vitamin A, which is not found in plants. Its precursor, beta-carotene, is found in abundance in orange colored fruits and vegetables. Beta-carotene is turned into vitamin A by the body.  This vitamin is essential for the retina to function properly and prevent night blindness. Both vitamins A and C reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. Carrot juice is a very good source for both of these vitamins.
      
  • Increased energy levels:
    
    • This one is pretty simple. Lots of juicing means lots more vitamins and minerals which are responsible for all sorts of necessary chemical reactions promoting health and vitality and therefore lots more energy. Enjoy juicer recipes every day!!
  • Rebuild blood cells:
    
    • Yes that’s right!
      This is made possible by the incredibly healthy chlorophyll, which would need an article of its own to give justice to its health benefits!
      On a molecular level chlorophyll looks almost exactly like a component of the red blood cell hemin. More amazingly scientists have found that when you assimilate chlorophyll into the body, it makes the chemical shift and actually becomes hemin. Essentially, taking chlorophyll is almost like getting a blood transfusion!
      Chlorophyll is also a pigment that gives plants their green color. So put the green stuff in your juicer recipes! The darker the green, the more chlorophyll it contains.

  • Improved immune system:
    • Drinking juicer recipes regularly is going to give you a wide variety and more than adequate amount of antioxidants which are essential for a healthy immune system. The antioxidants from fruits and vegetables include vitamins A, C, E, plus a wide range of plant chemicals called phytochemicals. Phytochemicals have amazing and varied health benefits, most notably anti-cancer properties.

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Here is a list of the most commonly used vegetables in vegetable juice recipes and their nutritional content.

Vegetable nutrients include a substantial amount of vitamins and minerals which are specified below. I’ve also included the different phytochemicals found in these vegetables. Phytochemicals are natural bio-active compounds found in plant foods that have potent properties to protect against disease.

Asparagus

• Great source of asparagine, an amino acid that has a powerful ability to remove waste material from the body.
  

• Phytochemicals -
  
  • Rutin – an antioxidant phytochemical that improves blood circulation, reduces inflammation and is effective against cell damage.
  • Glutathione – an antioxidant that removes chemicals foreign to the body from the liver.
• Vitamins – A,  C,  E (Alpha Tocopherol), K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, folate, pantothenic Acid.
• Minerals – calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese.

  *Here are some healthy asparagus recipes that you can cook.
  

Beets

• Contain detoxifying and blood building vegetable nutrients, especially in the leaves that are high in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is able to increase red blood cell counts.
  
• Vitamins – A, C,  thiamine, riboflavin, B6, folate.
• Minerals – calcium, copper, iron (especially in the beet leaves), magnesium, phosphorous.

Broccoli

• Phytochemicals -
  
  • Quercetin – may help reduce allergy based inflammation,  help protect against cancer and help the lungs against the harmful effects of  pollution and cigarette smoke.
  • Indoles – anti-cancer properties.
  • Sulphoraphane – protects against colon cancer.
  • Lutein – reduces the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.
    
• Vitamins – A (beta carotene), C, E, K, and folate.
• Minerals – calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium.

  *Here are some healthy broccoli recipes that you can cook.
  
  

Cabbage

• Phytochemicals –
  
  • Sulphoraphane – protects against colon cancer.
  • Indoles – anti-cancer properties.
• Vitamins – A, C, E, K, thiamin, B6 and folate.
• Minerals – calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and potassium.
  

Carrots

• Phytochemicals – carrots contain over 100 phytochemicals, here are just a few!
  • Beta carotene – keeps our mucous membranes intact, reduces risk of heart disease and cancer, improves immune system, helps skin from becoming dry and cracked, reduces aging, and is well known for maintaining healthy eyes.
  • Lycopene – has the ablity to reduce the risk of heart disease and prostate cancer.
  • Zeazanthin - a study has found that this chemical can lower the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
  • lutein – (see broccoli).
• Vitamins – A, C, E, K, biotin, thiamin, niacin, B6 and Folate.
• Minerals – calcium, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium.

Celery

• Phytochemicals -
  
  • Phthalides – helps lower cholesterol.
  • Coumarins – anti-cancer properties.
    

• Vitamins, A, C, K, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, B6 and folate.
• Minerals – calcium, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, and manganese.
  

Cucumbers

• Phytochemicals-
  
  • Caffeic acid – helps reduce water retention.
    
• Vitamins – A, C, K, pantothenic acid and folate.
  
• Minerals -calcium, chlorine, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorous, potassium and silica (silica contributes to the structure of connective tissue).

Garlic

• Phytochemicals -
  • Allium compounds - anti-cancer properties and ability to lower blood pressure.
  • Quercetin -  help reduce allergy based inflammation,  help protect against cancer and help the lungs against the harmful effects of  pollution and cigarette smoke.

• Vitamins – C, thiamin and B6.
• Minerals – calcium, copper, manganese and phosphorous.

Ginger

• Phytochemicals – N/A. Although it does contain anti-inflammatory properties, and the ablilty to help calm down gastrointestinal distress.
• Vitamins – B6.
• Minerals – copper, magnesium, manganese and potassium.

Kale

• Phytochemical -
  
  • Lutein - (see broccoli).
    
  • Quercetins – (see garlic).
    
  • em>Indoles – (see broccoli).
  • Sulphoraphane – (see cabbage).
    
• Vitamins – A, C, K, thiamin, riboflavin, B6 and folate.
• Minerals – calcium, copper, iron, phosphorous, potassium and manganese.

Lettuce

• Phytochemicals -
  
  • Quercetin – (see garlic).
    
• Vitamins – A, C, K, thiamin, riboflavin, B6 and folate.
  
• Minerals – iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium.

Spinach

• Phytochemicals -
  
  • Lutein – (see broccoli).
  • Zeaxanthin – (see carrots).
    
• Vitamins – A, C, E, K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and folate.
  
• Minerals – calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium.
  

Tomato

• Phytochemicals -
  
  • lycopene – this vegetable nutrient protects against, breast, lung, prostate and skin cancer,  and can reduce risk of heart disease.
• Vitamins – A, C, niacin, thiamin, B6 anf folate.
  
• Minerals – copper, iron, phosphorus, potassium, manganese.

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