In this week’s eSkeptic, Harriet Hall, M.D. (aka The SkepDoc) examines many of the health benefit claims for juicing, and finds them lacking scientific scrutiny. This article appeared in Skeptic magazine 22.3 (2017). Buy this issue.
Juicing for Health or Torture
We are ingenious at finding new ways to complicate our lives and torture ourselves. One of those ways is adopting fad diets in the quest for health. Juicing is a big fad today. I find that hard to comprehend. I recently endured two interminable months on a liquid/pureed diet while my fractured jaw healed. It was miserable. If I were a prisoner being interrogated, the promise of solid food might have tempted me to tell all. It was hard to maintain a nutritious diet and find foods that could survive being blenderized and still tempt the appetite. The only “health benefit” was the loss of a few pounds that I really didn’t need to lose; it brought me down to a BMI of 18.8, close to the “underweight” range of 18.5 or less. Since that experience, I cherish the pleasures of being able to chew. We have teeth for a reason. The idea of systematically taking delicious solid fruits and vegetables and reducing them to liquid strikes me as a truly revolting idea. I don’t object to the occasional fruit juice, but celery without the crunch? No thank you.
Health Claims for Juicing: Detoxification
People juice for various reasons. One is “detoxification,” a buzzword that is a red flag for pseudoscience. My liver and kidneys do an excellent job of removing toxins from my body, thank you very much. They don’t need any help, except in the case of acute poisoning with lead or other heavy metals. And juices are useless in acute poisoning. Several companies will sell you juices for detoxification. Some examples:Juice Served Here tells us “everyday life contributes to the congestion and buildup of harmful toxins in the body from processed foods, pollutants and stress.” They offer a Soft Cleanse, a Semi Cleanse, and a Hard Cleanse: 25% off; originally $55 a day! When a customer asked Juice Served Here to specify the toxins he’d be flushing from his system, the company answered with this lame copout: “Unfortunately, due to regulations by the FDA we are unable to specify exact health claims for our products.” Naturally.
Paleta offers a PURIFY Cleanse that will “cleanse the toxins right out of your system so you can experience a more joyful and healthful life.” Benefits? Lose weight, kick the caffeine habit, reduce or stop smoking, detoxify your liver, boost your metabolism, refresh your mind and body, curb sugar cravings, increase energy and stamina, improve skin, hair and nails, sharpen cognition and focus, reduce sensitivity to allergens, and improve moods. The full 10-day program costs $645. Gee, if it really could do all that, it might be worth that much.
Moon Juice offers “plant-sourced alchemy to nourish and elevate body, beauty and consciousness… Juice cleansing enables the body to naturally go into detox mode while flooding it with live nutrients and enzymes… Some signs that it is time to cleanse are: a weakened immune system, troubled skin, allergies, low moods or anger, sleeplessness, poor digestion, weight gain, low energy, feeling and looking blah.” (I can relate to feeling blah, but I’m not sure I understand “troubled” skin.) They offer Rainbow, Indigo, and Green cleanses that they claim will “flood your system over the course of the day with over 20 pounds of certified organic, raw produce and nuts or seeds. The only thing missing is the fiber.”
Pure Pressed offers Green Cleanse, Detox Cleanse, and Energizer Cleanse.
That’s enough examples. You get the idea. […]
Quiz
ReplyDelete1. "Detoxification" is buzzword that is a red flag for _____.
2. What was the Juice Served Here representative's "copout"?
(Add yours in a comment)
DQ: Do you "detox"? Why don't you trust your body's natural systems to do that for you?
1. Detox is a buzzword for pseudoscience
Delete2. The cop out was stating that the FDA rules did not allow them to specify their health claims.
DQ: I do not detox, but I am slowly adjusting to a plant based whole food diet as I find the science behind it is actually supported, it fits my ideal of not starving yourself, and I already find most of the foods in it delicious. The anecdotal evidence on Dr. Ellsworth Wareham amazes me. He is a cardiac surgeon that retired at age 95, but only because his age made his patients uncomfortable. He is still almost the picture of health at age 103 by just being on this diet and is able to avoid taking blood pressure medication that is common for people his age.
I think people don’t trust their bodies to detox for them because everything we eat nowadays has so many synthetic and added components that is not found in natural food, and the body is not equipped to deal with it. Things such as preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and food coloring end up stuck in the body and slowly get released out because the body lacks the proteins to do anything with them. The body’s natural systems are not ready to deal with a high intake of animal products that is so normal in the American diet now, and many of the nutrients in them build up faster than we are meant to use them, usually leading to cholesterol and blood glucose problems (causing heart problems later in life). Other than that though, I trust my body to deal with most environmental toxins consumed with food, such as MSG.
-Joseph Churchill
Joseph Churchill
DeleteI wanted to add that on Netflix, I just finished watching a documentary called "The C Word". Its about cancer treatment in America, and how we are going about it all wrong. It specifically talks about diet, and how the foods we eat are actively promoting cancer because our bodies can't deal with the toxins we eat. I'd recommend this documentary to every American, no matter who it is.
Potential Quiz Questions:
ReplyDelete1. List two juice fad diets report by Dr. Hall.
2. According to JuiceRecipes.com, what is the best juice combination for someone who Alzheimer’s is already present?
3. How much does a juicer sell for?
4. Name two reasons why some people don’t eat enough servings of fruits and vegetables.
Potential Discussion Question:
Would you juice? If yes or no, for what specific reason(s)?
Have you ever juiced? If yes, what was your experience and results?
Additional Linkage & Discussion:
The potential power of coconut oil as part of an Alzheimer’s patient treatment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfux-5Z4COo
The above link is a 2013 interview with Dr. Mary Newport and the benefits she personally witnessed as she administered coconut oil to her Alzheimer husband.
Do you think it was the coconut oil that provided such incredible benefits?