What is Juice Fasting?

People can embark on a detox fasting program for a variety of health reasons. A juice fast, or an exclusive short-term diet of raw fruit and vegetable juices, can be completed to help detoxify the body. Supporters of juice fasting claim that it is a superior way to provide the body with vitamins and minerals, and that as the body wastes no energy on digesting food, it uses energy instead on healing.

Fasting with a juice cleansing diet is usually completed in one to three days. Longer fasts may have serious side effects, such as nutritional deficiencies, and should be supervised by a doctor if done at all. The fast often consists of drinking 32 to 64 ounces (one to two liters)of juice daily. Several different types of juice can be used, including fresh spinach, kale, beet, celery, apple, cabbage, carrot, and cranberry. Citrus fruits are usually not used in juice fasting.

Along with the juices used, participants may drink up to six glasses of water. According to detox juice drinkers, the water should be filtered and at room temperature. When juice fasting, solid foods are not permitted. This type of detox fasting is considered a radical or extreme diet for this reason. While other forms of fasting permit certain solid foods, liquid fasting only allows fasting tea or any other fasting drink considered pure.

Prior to juice fasting, people reduce or eliminate many unhealthful practices and lifestyle choices from their lives. These may include the removal of cigarettes, dairy products, alcohol, caffeine, meat, caffeine, wheat, or sugar. A preparation diet is typically eaten before juice fasting can begin. This diet consists of a variety of fruits and vegetables. Practitioners of the diet maintain that organic foods should be used during this preparatory period.

Benefits of fasting are many, according to proponents who support the practice. Weight loss, eliminating unhealthy habits, and healing certain ailments are some of these reported benefits. Though some people use juice fasting to heal serious ailments such as cancer, severe infections, depression, autoimmune diseases and other chronic conditions, studies remain inconclusive on whether or not fasting actually helps these conditions. Some people also undergo religious fasting for spiritual purposes.

In addition to nutrition deficiencies, many other fasting dangers exist. Juice fasting can cause negative reactions with prescription drugs. It can also reduce the amount of blood protein in the body. Side effects may include hunger, acne, low blood pressure, diarrhea, headaches, weight loss, vomiting, body odor, constipation, dehydration, fatigue, bad breath, dizziness, kidney issues, and hypoglycemia. If these or other side effects occur, the diet should cease and a physician should be contacted immediately.

Women who are pregnant or nursing and children should refrain from this type of diet. Juice fasting is not recommended for people whom have recently undergone a surgical procedure. Other people who should not detoxify in this manner include those with low blood sugar, cancer, epilepsy, kidney disease, malnutrition, eating disorders, anemia, addictions, or other chronic illnesses. A medical professional should be consulted prior to completing this type of diet.