Drinking fruit and vegetable juices is probably among the best advice we get when it comes to enhancing health and overall well-being. However, new research reveals that the juice, as they say, might not be worth the squeeze. A study published in the journal Nutrients found that those who went on a three-day juice cleanse diet reported higher levels of inflammation markers in their oral and gut microbiomes.

While experts have always been against juicing fruits as vegetables as they only kill nutrients and have no major health benefits, this study is an eye-opener for those who propagate the removal of body toxins through juices. Most nutritionists suggest eating whole fruits and vegetables to make them a part of a healthy and balanced diet.

The oral and gut microbiomes are involved in various aspects of overall health, which include weight, cognitive health, cancer, diabetes, and mental health.

For the study, researchers had 14 adults aged 18 to 35 participating in a small experiment where they were divided into three groups: one that drank only a “cleanse” of juiced fruits and vegetables for three days, one that consumed the same juice for three days but could add whole foods as desired, and one that ate a diet of plant-based foods with the same calorie content as the juice-only group.

As the participants ate and drank their way through the three days, researchers kept close tabs on their oral and gut microbiota. “We collected saliva, cheek swabs, and stool samples from participants before, during, and after they followed the three diets,” said study author Dr. Maria Luisa Savo Sardaro, a research associate in the Department of Anthropology at Northwestern University. “DNA was then extracted from these samples, and a specific bacterial gene was sequenced to identify the bacteria present—similar to scanning a barcode to identify a product.”

The researchers then used statistical tools to determine how much the subjects’ bacterial populations changed after the diets and found the ones on the exclusive juice diet had the most significant increase in bacteria linked to inflammation and gut issues.

Meanwhile, the plant-based whole food group had an increase in bacteria that help with gut health and inflammation control.

Experts say the process of juicing fruits and vegetables leaves a critical nutrient—fibre—as more than 90 per cent of it gets thrown off with the pulp. And even though fibre gets extracted, sugar from the food remains. This combination of low fibre and high sugar has a bad effect on gut bacteria, which produce anti-inflammatory compounds like butyrate, causing inflammation.

“The human body is not designed to consume only one type of nutrient or food. It requires a balance of macronutrients daily,” Dr. Sardaro added. “When important food groups are removed from someone’s diet, the body may go into a type of ‘survival mode.’”

Experts say there are various healthy options to help you cleanse and detox your body, other than juicing the fruits and vegetables. Smoothies—where you can blend your food along with healthier options like nuts and incorporate all the valuable nutrition in the peels, skins, and seeds.

Also, nutritionists suggest adding juices just as a part of your daily diet, along with other nutritious foods that you must eat to stay hydrated and obtain some vitamins and minerals.

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