Juicing is not necessarily a healthier alternative to eating whole foods, but it does help in making certain nutrients easier to consume by drinking—the same food which you’d otherwise find harder to swallow when uninterrupted, like carrots or beets.
Fruits and vegetables are often the only ingredients used when juicing. But it is worth noting that not all of these solid foods are the same. All these ingredients have the commonality of being healthful. But some come with a caveat that leaves them out of the top of your must-have consumables. As such, there is such a thing as “best juices,” and the less so.
1. Tomato Juice
As a health buff, you have probably heard of the health-friendly nutrients that come with tomatoes. While nourishments like vitamin B12, C, K, and minerals like potassium and sodium make for some of its chief components, one of the major highlights is the antioxidant lycopene. As an antioxidant, lycopene has the power to prevent the occurrence of certain diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
2. Pomegranate Juice
As another antioxidant powerhouse, pomegranate juice is said to be more potent than both green tea and red wine. Despite having a significant amount of fructose—or fruit sugar—pomegranate is said to benefit people with diabetes for its ability to lower insulin resistance and blood sugar. Alternatively, it also makes for an ideal drink if you’re looking for an instant kick in energy that is not caffeine-based, like tea or coffee.
3. Carrot Juice
The carrot may be a tough one to chew for some. But its juice is definitely palatable for its faint sweetness. If you are looking to boost your body’s needed vitamin A supplement, carrots are a must-have in your juice.
4. Cucumber Juice
The cucumber is a fruit that is full of water, which makes it easily a food of choice to take for needed hydration. While hydration maybe this plant fruit’s “middle name,” it also contains other essential nutrients, like vitamin C, K, manganese, and potassium.
5. Acai Berry Juice
The acai berry is superior to blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, and strawberries when it comes to antioxidants. Like all antioxidant-rich food in general, the consumption of acai berry ensures good health by its ability to fight off and treat existing diseases.
If you’re interested in juicing, learn more here.
6. Red Grape Juice5
If red wine is not part of your staple diet, you may want to juice some red grapes instead. The contents will still be quite similar. But the main takeaway of red grape juice is its rich flavonoid content called resveratrol, the same antioxidant credited for maintaining the good health of the heart.
7. Prune Juice
If you are not having a regular visit to the loo recently, you are probably suffering from constipation resulting from the lack of fiber in your diet. If the proper bowel movement is indeed a problem for you, consuming prune juice might help alleviate the problem. Aside from fiber which is inherent to the fruit, the prune itself acts as a natural laxative for its sorbitol content.
8. Wheatgrass
The wheatgrass is famous among health buffs when it comes to juicing. Not only is this vegetable an abundant source of needed minerals like iron, copper, magnesium, and phosphorus, it’s also rich in amino acids, too. If you happen to be a vegan who is on a constant need for a clean, plant-based source of protein-building amino acids, you should add wheatgrass into your juice mix.
9. Sweet Potato
If you are quite concerned about your current blood sugar reading, the low GI of the sweet potato makes for an ideal option. Often a food recommended for people with diabetes for its slow release of sugar into the blood, this root crop is the perfect drink if you’d like to lower your glucose. The sweet potato also has lots of fiber in it, too, whose presence alone is a topic of many benefits.
10. Kale
Kale is a cruciferous vegetable that comes with its perks as a thriving source of essential nutrients like vitamin D and vitamin K. Also, it’s packed with health-boosting minerals, too, like copper, iron, manganese, and many others. But to offset the possible risk that comes with eating any cruciferous veggies raw, it’s best that you steam or boil it first before juicing.
Final Thoughts
Despite all the health benefits that came inherently in these food juices, it is worth stressing the importance of “moderation.” Even too much of a good thing, after all, is terrible.
