Key takeaways

  • In moderation, juice can be part of a balanced diet that can help a person lose weight. However, all-juice diets or fasts are not a sustainable way to reach a moderate weight.
  • Juicing for weight loss may have health risks, including fatigue, nutritional deficiencies, and kidney issues. Some people may also experience weight regain after stopping their juice diet.
  • People who want to try a juice cleanse can speak with a doctor or dietitian for further help. It may be safe to add juices to a balanced diet as part of weight management.

Juice fasts are a type of “crash diet.” These diets involve extreme dietary changes for rapid weight loss, which may lead to side effects, such as fatigue or nutritional deficiencies.

Often, people who try juice fasts for weight loss regain weight when the diet ends. This may lead to further body dissatisfaction, which can play a role in eating disorders.

This article explores the potential benefits and disadvantages of juicing for weight loss, the risks of juice fasts, and some juice recipes to try at home as part of a balanced diet.

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There is no scientific evidence that specifically consuming juice helps with weight loss.

Juicing can be part of a balanced diet that does help with reaching a moderate weight, but the juice itself has no special ability to burn fat or remove toxins, as some people may claim.

However, some juices can be lower in calories than other drinks, such as soda or energy drinks. Switching to juice may help a person reduce their intake of these foods, which may contribute to weight loss.

Juice can also help people who dislike whole fruits and vegetables to get more of them into their diet, and can be a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

However, juice lacks the fiber available in whole fruits and vegetables — one of the key components responsible for many of their health benefits.

In comparison to eating whole fruits and vegetables, juicing may have some disadvantages, such as:

  • Longer preparation time: If a person juices fruits and vegetables at home, this may take up more time than eating whole fruits.
  • Higher expense: Buying a juicer, bottles to store the juice, and lots of produce can add up. Premade juices can also be expensive.
  • Reducing fiber: Juices contain less fiber than whole fruits and vegetables.
  • Increasing sugar consumption: Natural sugars, such as the ones in whole fruits and vegetables, are not harmful in moderation. When drinking juice, though, it can be easier to consume more sugar than a person realizes.

There is some concern from health organizations that juicing or blending fruits may increase the amount of “free sugars” they contain. The body digests free sugars more quickly, which may lead to spikes in blood sugar and insulin.

While 100% fruit juice provides health benefits when people consume it in moderation, evidence suggests that whole fruits are better for overall health, likely due to their fiber content.

Juice fasting is when a person consumes only juice for a set period. It is a form of crash diet, or “fad diet,” that promises dramatic weight loss in a short space of time.

Similarly to other fad diets, juice cleanses work by severely limiting a person’s calorie intake. This will result in weight loss.

However, as this level of restriction is not sustainable, people often regain weight when they resume a typical diet. Significant or rapid weight loss can slow down a person’s metabolism and increase their hunger, which may make weight loss harder to maintain.

Juice fasts and cleanses also pose the following potential health risks.

Nutritional deficiencies

Fruits and vegetables do not provide all the nutrients people need for health. They are low in protein, healthy fats, and certain vitamins, such as B12. This may lead to symptoms such as:

However, nutrient deficiencies generally take longer than a few days to develop, so a short-term juice-only diet is unlikely to cause them.

Oxalates

Some raw fruits and vegetables, such as raw spinach and kale, contain high amounts of oxalates, which are compounds that can increase the formation of kidney stones.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) warns that drinking large amounts of oxalates in juices may increase the risk of kidney stones in people at risk.

Disordered eating

An older 2018 pilot study of two juice cleanse camps observed a connection between juice cleanses and behaviors consistent with eating disorders, such as anorexia or orthorexia. These behaviors included:

  • extreme calorie restriction
  • intense physical exercise
  • laxative use
  • a desire only to eat “clean” food

Refeeding complications

Juice fasting for extended periods may result in malnutrition.

Refeeding is when a person with malnutrition begins receiving the nourishment they need. When refeeding happens too quickly, it can cause sudden changes in the body, known as refeeding syndrome, which can cause:

In severe cases, refeeding syndrome can be life threatening.

Before making any significant changes to the diet, it is beneficial to speak with a doctor or dietitian.

If a person wishes to try juicing as part of a balanced diet, it will generally involve blending vegetables or fruits with some liquid and straining with a mesh sieve afterward.

In less strict juice diets, people may also be able to incorporate other drinks, such as smoothies or tonics. Below are some recipes to consider as part of a balanced diet.

Blueberry, banana, and basil smoothie

For this recipe, combine the following ingredients in a blender or juicer and blend until smooth:

  • 2 bananas
  • 6 cups of milk
  • 2 cups of Greek yogurt
  • 4 cups frozen blueberries
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 4 cups spinach

Mango turmeric tonic

For this recipe, juice or blend:

  • 2 mangoes
  • 2 lemons
  • 2 cups canned coconut milk
  • 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp minced ginger
  • 2 tbsp flax meal
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric

Banana, almond, and spinach smoothie

For this recipe, juice or blend:

  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 8 cups spinach
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 bananas
  • 4 cups coconut water

There is no data that juice cleanses detox the body. There is no credible evidence that any detox diet helps eliminate toxins from the body, nor that this is medically necessary. In most cases, the body can remove toxins effectively on its own.

No food or diet can specifically target belly fat or any other part of the body. However, reaching a moderate weight, in general, may decrease abdominal fat overall.

Raw spinach, kale, and beets are high in oxalates. People should avoid juicing these frequently, as a high-oxalate diet can increase the risk of kidney stones.

Drinking vegetable and fruit juices in moderation can contribute to weight loss as part of a balanced diet. In contrast, all-juice diets, fasts, or cleanses may result in quick weight loss, but the results will likely be temporary.

Extreme diets are not a healthy or sustainable way to reach a moderate weight and can be harmful. Some people who have tried juice cleanses have experienced serious complications.

It is also important to note that weight loss alone is not necessarily a sign of good health. Adequate nutrition, sleep, social connection, and relaxation are also important factors.

If a person is considering juicing for weight loss or trying a fast or cleanse, it may help to speak with a doctor or dietitian for advice.