Let a doctor explain it for you!

By Dr. Stephanie Nicols, ND

It is common knowledge that in order to look healthier on the outside, we need to start by supporting our health on the inside. You may have heard about juice cleanses and wonder if they do, in fact, have health benefits and could be a good option for improving your body’s well-being. 

Is kickstarting weight loss, glowing skin, energy and better health possible with a juice cleanse? 

You have probably heard that juice cleanses help the body to detox. The term “detox” is sometimes thrown around without much background information on what it actually means. 

The truth is, research has shown that short term fasting (which includes juice cleanses) can have amazing health benefits. Let’s explore the top three ways juice cleanses affect the body and the benefits they have.

TOP 3 BENEFITS OF JUICE CLEANSE

Juice Cleanses and Free Radicals (these things age you!)

When a person follows a juice cleanse, some very important changes in the body occur. The first is calorie restriction. Calorie restriction is the term used to describe a very low-calorie diet.Research on both animals and humans have shown that calorie restriction produces a host of health benefits. One of the most important benefits we have seen with calorie restriction is reduced free-radical production. 

Free radicals causeoxidative stress damage to our DNA and tissues. This process is implicated in premature aging, including skin aging, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Free radicals are made as a byproduct of our natural biological processes, including our metabolism. When calorie intake is decreased, the metabolic processes that produce free radicals decrease significantly as well. 

Free-radicals can also come from exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, or other chemicals in our skincare, cleaning products, and the environment. When doing a cleanse, it’s a good idea to go green with our personal hygiene products and cleaning products too!

Along with calorie restriction, the other aspect of a juice cleanse is high levels of antioxidant intake. While following a juice cleanse, a person consumes large amounts of concentrated fruits and veggies, like the beets and powerhouse greens blend we have included in the Smart PressedJuice Cleanse. These fruits and veggies are high in phytonutrients and vitamin C, which are potent free-radical quenchers. 

Therefore, in addition to reducing the number of free-radicals formed through calorie restriction, juice cleanses can also help to quench free-radicals that the body forms and come from our environment. This process of reducing and quenching free radicals in the body is why people say juice cleanses help detoxification. 

The last piece is removing free radicals and other wastes from the body. Our body does this through our digestive tract. Using ourPineapple Chia Cleanse is the icing on the cake for detoxification as the fiber binds to and eliminates waste. MOST juice cleanses forget about this step, but elimination must be supported for optimal results!

Juice Cleanses for Anti-Aging

While juice cleanses can’t turn back the hands of time, they could help you look and feel younger! As we discussed above, juice cleanses are packed with high antioxidants and low amounts of calories. Calorie restriction, along with high doses of antioxidants, helps to reduce and quench the number of free radicals in the body, which we know is helpful for our skin, cardiovascular system, and cells as a whole. 

Free radicals and oxidative stress are one of the main causes of skin aging. Antioxidants, such as those found in juice cleanses, helpquench free radicals, including those from UV rays, the most common skin aging source. Therefore, juice cleanses may help to prevent and repair skin damage and signs of aging. 

Another benefit of juice cleanses occurswithin our cells themselves. Eating a low amount of calories causes our cells to increase their antioxidants production, trigger DNA repair, and downregulate inflammation. This means that our bodies can turn on its own anti-aging processes through juice cleanses, which means you can enjoy looking and feeling younger!

Juice Cleanses for Weight Loss

One of the most popular reasons to begin a juice cleanse is to promote weight loss. During a juice cleanse, you will be eating a lot fewer calories, fat, and carbohydrates than usual. This gives your body a chance to take a break from digesting and metabolizing food. 

Reducing carbohydrate intake lowers the body’s insulin response. Insulin is the hormone our pancreas releases to take sugar from our blood and put it into our cells to use for energy (or store as fat). Since insulin is a storage hormone, when insulin levels are high, it also prevents fat burning. Juice cleanses combined with a balanced diet between cleanses can assist in weight loss by aiding in insulin and blood sugar balance.

Lastly, by supporting proper elimination with fiber, such as in ourPineapple Chia Cleanse, you can enjoy feeling less bloated and lighter. Proper elimination is an important step in weight loss to ensure your body can get rid of wastes. 

Juice cleanses have a whole host of benefits for both your inner and outer well-being, from weight loss, to detoxification, to anti-aging. Hopefully, now you understand the science behind how juice cleanses support the health of our bodies. OurJuice Cleanse and Pineapple Chia Cleanse are available now to get you started on your juice cleanse journey today.

By Dr. Stephanie Nichols, ND

Doctor’s Note

A new series featuring leading physicians who love plants as much as we do!

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Sources:

• https://ginecoweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Fasting2019nejm.pdf
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/#:~:text=A%20balance%20between%20free%20radicals,a%20number%20of%20human%20diseases.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3299230/
• http://downloads.hindawi.com/archive/2013/930164.pdf

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