What You Should Know Before Trying Juicing for Weight Loss

Theres something euphoric about fasting, she tells Mens Health. A certain population is drawn to it. I dont recommend it, but I understand it, she says.

Heres what you need to know about juicing for weight loss and whether its actually a good way to shed a few extra pounds.

What is juicing?

Juicing involves squeezing veggies and fruits to remove the fiber , which is the pulpy stuff thats left behind in your juice machine, explains Caspeero. (Smoothies, on the other hand, blend up the entire fruit, which retains the fiber). Some people add a shot of apple cider vinegar, which has been touted to boost weight loss. Most juicing diets last around one to three days, says Caspero, although rarely people juice for up to 14 days.

Is juicing good for weight loss?

Since weight loss comes down to eating fewer calories than you expend, and juicing severely restricts calories, it can help you to lose weight at least in the short run, says Caspereo. Whether juicing is a good idea for weight loss is another story.

A small 2017 study of 20 people who juiced for three days found that they shed about two pounds, on average, and saw an increase in gut bacteria associated with weight loss. But weight loss isnt necessarily fat loss, explains Caspero: Its usually water loss. When you severely cut calories, you burn through your glycogen (i.e. carbohydrate) stores, which carry water with them. I would never consider juicing a fat-loss diet, she explains.

Juicing fans also often claim that it helps you to detox. Yes, fruits and veggies are full of antioxidants, which help clear out cell-damaging free radicals in your body. But you can get those same benefits from eating whole plants, Caspero explains. Otherwise, there arent toxins that you need to flush out by eating certain foods.

We have livers and kidneys in our bodies that help us cleanse without requiring a restrictive, nutritionally inadequate diet, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D., creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It - Taking You from Label to Table .

In the short-term, juicing may indeed give you a confidence boost for making a positive change. But if you deprive yourself for too long, youll likely gain the weight back as soon as you go back to your normal eating pattern, says Isabel Maples, R.D., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics .

Nutritionists say that bottom line, juicing for weight loss isnt realistic or sustainable. Youd be better off getting on a treadmill than getting a juicer, says Taub-Dix.

Is juicing healthy?

Although this diet can help you consume more produce it can also leave you hungry. Compared to a full sit-down meal, juice lacks protein, fiber, and fat. Chewing and digesting these nutrients takes time and increases satiety hormones, so you feel fuller for longer.

Its physically not as satisfying. You may want a bigger portion, so you end up getting more calories than youre expecting, says Maples.

While a couple of days of juicing is harmless for most people, say experts, longer juice fasts pose a number of risks and downsides:

You may be deprived of important nutrients

A well-rounded diet ensures you get all of the macronutrients and micronutrients your body needs. Restricting yourself to juice means youre missing out on essential nutrients like vitamin B-12 and protein; over time that can lead to nutrient deficiencies. In the long term, youre not providing your body with the fuel it needs, says Caspero.

Glasses of orange juice, grapefruit juice and multivitamine juice, juice squeezer and fruits on wood BusinessInsider USA Images

Juicing may trigger you to overeat

Feeling deprived could lead to you to eat less nutrient-dense food, like brownies, when you complete the cleanseor you may go back to your normal diet.

Any time you make a drastic diet change, you may overcompensate later. And you definitely can gain the weight back, says Maples. Instead of learning to better manage your eating choices, juicing is just a quick and temporary fix.

Youll lose muscle mass

When you lose weight, you inevitably lose a bit of muscle mass. You can reduce muscle loss by eating more protein and working out. But juice doesnt contain protein, and its so low in calories that you likely wont have the energy to work out. If all you do is drink juice for a week, you can lose muscle, says Maples.

Your metabolism slows

Youll burn more calories throughout the day if you have more muscle mass. So if you lose lean muscle from juicing, youll need fewer calories even at rest. Whats more, severely reducing calories for long periods of time puts your body into metabolism-slowing starvation mode.

The body tries to conserve energy, so we dont starve to death, as a survival technique, says Maples. Most men, she adds, need at least 1,500 calories per day and many juice diets are well under that.

Your gut microbiome could suffer

Since juicing eliminates fibera prebiotic that supports gut healtha longer-term juice fast could negatively alter your gut microbiome. Youre not giving your gut what it needs to populate the good bacteria, says Caspero.

Two glasses of wild herb smoothie with apple, banana and lime juice BusinessInsider USA Images

The right way to juice

For some people, juicing for two to three days max may help encourage them to eat more fruits and vegetables overall.

Sometimes fasting feels good if youve been eating heavy or feel blah and want a jump start, says Caspero.

Use mostly veggies and up to two fruits per glass max, suggests Maples. Whether you add spices or vinegar is up to youalthough dont count on these ingredients to burn extra fat. The only way to truly burn fat is through exertion, Caspero says.

Beyond that, its a better idea to think of juice as an add-on to your diet instead of a meal replacement. Juicing can be a good way to eat more plants and stock up on vitamins and phytonutrients, says Maples.

Sip on green juice with your cereal instead of OJ, or have it for a midday snack instead of cookies or crackers.

A better long-term meal replacement? Smoothies, which contain fiber but are similarly easy to digest because its broken down, notes Caspero. Be sure to add ingredients like avocado, nut butter, flax seeds, tofu, or chickpeas for the fat and protein you need to stay full and satisfied.

The wrong way to juice for weight loss

A pure juice diet for any longer than two to three daysor frequent juicinggets dicey, according to our experts.

I worry about a disordered eating, says Maples. You may need to change the way youre thinking about food.

Also keep in mind that drinking orange or apple juice all day long isnt a juice cleanse: Fruit juices tend to be loaded with sugar and empty calories that will leave you hunting for your next meal far too soon.

Who shouldnt juice

Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have a chronic medical condition like diabetes or hypoglycemia before juicing for any amount of time. The sugar in fruit could cause your blood sugar to soar, says Taub-Dix.

Its also better to avoid juicing if you have a history of restrictive eating or eating disorders, Caspero adds, as it may encourage disordered eating patterns.