What Happens To Your Body If You Drink Fruit Juice Only?
indrani karmakarSenior Social Writer Experience: 2.5 yearsIndrani is a writer and artist who likes to add a dash of humor to everything she does. She has two years of experience in writing articles across beauty, health, and lifestyle genres. After graduatin... more
Image: Shutterstock
Many people believe that drinking a lot of fruit juices will help them lose weight. Some claim it to be a fat burner, while others swear it curbs their hunger. Most of them claim that it is a detox cleanser. Fruit juices are becoming increasingly popular as a way to lose weight quickly. Fruits and vegetables are an essential element of a healthy diet, and fruit juices appear to be a safe choice for those unsure about cutting out huge food categories and relying solely on “superfoods.” But is it the appropriate approach to losing weight? Let us go on and read more about the liquid diet and if it is good for your health.
In This Article
Why Do Fruits Help You Lose Weight?
As discussed, fruits and vegetables are essential to a well-balanced diet. Fruits are termed “free food” because of their abundance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients, and juicing them out seems to be more popular than eating them whole.
Fruits including bananas, pomegranates, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, watermelons, apples, and grapefruits are high in nutrients and antioxidants, and many of these fruits also include a significant amount of fiber. They are also delicious and have fructose, a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits which is a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth.
Free radicals are neutralized, and inflammation is reduced by consuming antioxidants in most fruits. Some tropical fruits, including guava, coconut, kiwi, pineapple, and papaya, have copper, an essential fat-burning mineral (1). Iodine, which is found in strawberries, cranberries, and pineapple, aids in the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Vitamin B12, which may be found in bananas, apples, and berries, helps increase metabolism and, as a result, calorie expenditure (2). In other words, including some fruit in your diet regularly can help you lose weight faster.
Is It Possible To Lose Weight By Only Drinking Fruit Juice?
Even though fruits are a great source of nutrients, they are still high in sugar and should be taken in moderation. Fructose, a naturally occurring sugar in fruits, elevates blood sugar and hence causes an increase in insulin release (which is also a hormone that encourages fat storage) (3). Each fructose molecule has a calorie count of four per unit (the same as a gram of carb and protein). In addition, the glycemic index of fruits like grapes, pineapples, and dates is greater when they are juiced, resulting in a spike in blood sugar and insulin release, which causes all the extra calories to be transformed into fat molecules (4). Therefore, even if you consume a detox liquid diet, two days is the maximum time you should continue on a diet.
Dietary and gastrointestinal problems may result from an absence of fiber in the diet. In addition, when relying entirely on fruit juices, you put yourself in the pre-diabetic category, increasing the risk of insulin resistance, leading to type 2 diabetes and obesity in the future (5).
Fruit juice diets don’t include the essential nutrients needed to burn fat, such as healthy fats and protein.
Fast fructose digestion occurs when isolated from fiber found in the fruit’s flesh. As a result, fruit juices will cause a spike in blood sugar, followed by a rapid drop, which will leave you feeling hungry again in a matter of minutes.
Fruit juices, high in fructose, should be avoided by those with diabetes or insulin resistance.
In addition, the juice diet should be avoided if you are pregnant (6).
Consult your doctor if you have low blood pressure, a history of eating problems, or any renal concerns.
Several factors can significantly impact your ability to shed a few pounds. Sleep deprivation, chronic stress, sedentary lifestyles, and vitamin deficiency are all contributing factors (7).
Maintaining the right balance of “calories in vs. calories out” is critical to weight reduction, and portion management is even more important with fruits and vegetables. You have to remember that calories pile up over time and might contribute to weight gain if you eat too much fruit in one sitting. Therefore, it’s better to consume the fruits and vegetables you buy rather than juicing them. Fruit juices can be a component of a healthy diet, but they should not be used as a weight-loss strategy in isolation. It’s safe to say that those who consume mainly fruit juices risk gaining weight if they aren’t careful.
Now that being said, most people resort to crash dieting when they want to look good for a particular event. This might work if you do it vigorously, but it will take a toll on your health and skin. It may even make your hair fall if key nutrients are missing from your diet. Though fruits are rich in nutrients, they are not everything your body needs. Therefore, it is important to eat whole fruits and other healthy foods that help you stay energized and healthy.
