As the weather gets colder in the morning and evening, many people seek healthy juices to boost their immunity. Some people prefer to consume fruits and vegetables in ‘juice’ form, regardless of the weather, rather than eating them raw. However, healthy juices consumed as a form of medicine can turn into ‘poison’ if not consumed correctly. How should we really consume these healthy juices that we take for our health? Let’s look at the consumption habits of healthy juices that we must know.
Is it enough to drink one pack?
Healthy juice is a liquid made by grinding the original solid form of fruits and vegetables. It’s easy to consume, and the nutrients are absorbed quickly, so some people replace their meals with healthy juices in their busy daily lives. However, this should not be used as a staple food. Also, long-term consumption of healthy juices can lead to a decrease in body function, so caution is needed. When consumed in juice, the body’s functions can decrease as mastication and digestion are skipped, which can strain the stomach.
Efficient nutrient intake
The liquid form of healthy juice is absorbed faster than its solid form. It’s easy to drink without having to chew, and it’s less burdensome on digestion. Even ingredients that are bitter or bland and hard to eat can be made palatable by adding honey or sugar. You can also eat healthy peels or seeds by making them into healthy juices, which can be helpful for weak patients, infants, and the elderly.
Risk of excessive intake
However, as the nutrients are concentrated, care should be taken to avoid excessive nutrient intake. When fruits or vegetables are heated and made into juice, the nutrient content, such as sugars, increases compared to raw ones. Not only nutrients but also toxic ingredients in the materials can increase, so caution is needed.
People who need to be careful with fruit juice intake
If you have a liver disease, you should avoid healthy juices made with ingredients that can cause liver toxicity. These include chrysanthemum juice and hovenia juice. Suddenly consuming a high concentration of chrysanthemum or hovenia, which are not usually consumed, can strain the liver as it cannot adapt. Also, if you have kidney disease, you should avoid juices from pears, apples, and onions, which contain a lot of potassium. Too much potassium in the body can cause the heart to beat excessively, which can lead to sudden death.
What if you have a weak stomach?
If you have a weak stomach, avoid garlic juice! The spicy component of garlic can stimulate the stomach and worsen symptoms such as heartburn. Garlic juice has a higher allicin content than raw garlic, so those who consume a lot of garlic regularly should be extra careful.
Daily appropriate intake
When purchasing healthy juices, you should consider the person’s constitution, diseases, etc., as well as the ingredients and content. Choose a product that contains less sugar and does not contain synthetic coloring agents or preservatives. It is good to eat 1-2 times a day after meals and observe the changes for about 2~3 months. If you drink more than two kinds of healthy juices at the same time, it can be a burden on the stomach, so be careful.
Drink a glass of water after intake
Watercress, shepherd’s purse, and dandelion contain beneficial ingredients for health, but they also contain toxic substances, so you should consider this when consuming them. Drinking more than one cup of water after consuming the product can also be helpful. Water has a purifying effect and helps to expel toxins from the body, so it is a good habit to drink a cup of water after drinking healthy juice.
Check the ingredients and content
If you are drinking healthy juice, it is good to check the solid content indicated on the back of the packaging or box. The solid content is a standard for checking how much food ingredients are contained. If you add water to the solid content, it is marked as ‘extract.’ Even if the extract contains 90%, if it has 1% solid content, the food ingredient is only 0.9%. It is better to choose something that only contains pure food, like 100% apple in the ingredients.
If you want to boost your immunity, eat fresh fruit
If you don’t like vegetables or fruits, it’s recommended to drink them as juice, but in fact, it’s better to chew and consume fresh fruits and vegetables than to eat them as juice. Even if it’s the same raw material, making it into juice increases the sugar index, which increases the likelihood of obesity. Unless there is a specific reason to consume it as juice, it would be better to get into the habit of eating raw vegetables or cooking them.
Types of healthy juices that shouldn’t be consumed together
Tannin forms ‘tannic iron’ when combined with iron. Consuming a lot of tannins can lower the body’s iron absorption rate. Grape juice or jujube juice should not be taken together with mushroom juice or balloon flower juice, which contains a high amount of iron. Honey also has a lot of iron, so it is forbidden to mix honey with grape juice or jujube juice. Especially if you are anemic and need iron, you should be extra careful.
By. Jeon Shin Young
Most Commented