Juicing vs Eating Raw Vegetables: Which is better?

(Last Updated On: November 19, 2019)

 

Vegetables should always be an integral part of your diet. A daily quota of 2.5 to 3 cups of vegetables is necessary for your everyday diet. But it becomes difficult for most of us to consume this amount. If you are searching for new ways to add vegetables in your daily diet, how about drinking them? Juicing vegetables is the answer.

Let’s look at the pros and cons of juicing vegetables as compared to eating them raw before you make your choice:

How is juicing beneficial?

Before we start comparing and judging, let us find out the benefits of juicing.

Having two to three vegetables and fruits in your daily diet is necessary to make your diet balanced and healthy. And if you are not getting the time or opportunity to include these in your diet in any way or simply don’t like their taste, juicing them is perhaps the best option. Juicing is the easiest and tasty way to have your daily quota of fruits as well as vegetables. This will definitely take care of your daily nutritional requirements. And juicing is a fun way to add veggies and fruits in your diet.

When you consume juiced fruits and vegetables, you are having raw food. If you cook – boil, bake, stew or pickle – you are bound to lose out on the antioxidants. Vegetables lose a lot of nutrients when cooked or pickled and as such, the raw or juiced variety is always a better alternative. If health is your concern, go for juicing.

Juicing takes out fresh juice from raw vegetables and fruits. And this juice will contain lots of vital minerals, vitamins and plant chemicals (phytonutrients) in concentrated form which are so vital for your health.

The benefit of juicing is that your body is able to absorb the nutrients from the juice more easily and the digestive system is given relief from the continuous task of digesting fibers. And this definitely boosts the immune system of your body and the toxins are thrown out more effectively and easily. Also, you can lose weight and are protected from the threat of cancer. The process of digestion becomes easier and more efficient.

Studies have proven that having fruit and vegetable juice in your daily diet will reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. The high levels of polyphenols (antioxidants) in the fruit and vegetable juices do the trick as these protect the neurons. Also, juices have shown to produce the maximum benefits in smokers and people who exercised less. Again regular consumption of celery juice controls blood pressure. Thus juicing has long term health benefits.

Moreover, if you are on a liquid diet for some reasons like a wisdom tooth removal or gastro problems, juicing can provide you with your nutritional requirements.

Juicing Vs Eating raw vegetables – a comparative study

If you are buying juices from the market instead of preparing it at home yourself, it is bound to contain additives like sugar which will ruin your health rather than vitalizing it. The juices bought from the supermarkets are not health drinks. But raw vegetables, even when packed, hardly have any additives. So if you are keen on enjoying the benefits of the raw fruits and vegetables, juice them yourself!

Juicing does away with the fibers present in the fruits and vegetables and leaves behind just the liquid. Fiber is essential for digestion and regulating blood sugar. But if you have raw vegetables, the benefit of fiber is not lost. Also, fiber makes you feel full and with fewer hunger pangs you add lesser calories and can control your body weight.

But juicing helps removal of fibers and thus aids your body to absorb the nutrients easily. Also, the digestive system is spared from the never-ending job of digesting fiber. Thus juicing boosts your immune system, cleanses your body thereby reducing the hazards of illness.

The problem of fullness can be tackled by having smoothies instead of juices as you get the benefits of both juices and fibers.

Juicing is the best and the most convenient way to include more and varied vegetables in your diet.

How to make juicing more effective?

Have juices as a part of a meal or snack and never as a meal replacement.

Use a juicer which is not an extractor. This way the fiber is preserved. Also, you may add the leftover pulp of your juice in soups, muffins, fruity tea or sauces so that the benefits of fiber are not missed out.

Juice made exclusively from fruits is not desirable as it may increase calories and sugar thereby causing diabetes. So prepare juice with vegetables and then add a slice of fruit to bring in some sweetness.

If you are preparing juice at home, make in small amounts so that you exhaust it there and then. Make it fresh every time rather than preserve it. Homemade juices leftover time, will grow bacteria and lead to food poisoning. If you want to have it at breakfast, prepare it in the morning.

Wash the fruits and vegetables thoroughly before adding these to the juicer so that no traces of chemicals (pesticides) or bacteria are left behind.

Prepare your juice at home and avoid buying these from the market. On days you have time go for the raw vegetables and when you are short on time, go for juicing!