Whether you like them cooked, or as salads; vegetables and fruits are extremely important for optimum nutrition and healthy living. But have you ever thought of juicing and/or blending them? If you are nodding yes, Shivika Gandhi Anand, a clinical dietitian, wants you to know about the major differences between juicing and blending vegetables and fruits, and what it means for your diet goals.
“When you juice your fruits and vegetables, you may get more easily absorbed nutrients. However, the process removes all the fibre essential for healthy digestion, controlling blood sugar, and lowering the risk of heart disease,” she shared.
Whereas, the blending of fruits and vegetables retains all the pulp and the fibre essential for fullness, digestion, and blood sugar control. “The fibrous membranes of the fruits also contain antioxidants that are concentrated in a blended smoothie,” added Shivika.
Agreed dietitian Dr Archana Batra and told indianexpress.com that the main distinction between blending and juicing is the finished product. “When you juice fruits or vegetables, you are essentially extracting all of the liquid while leaving all of the fibre and pulp behind. On the other hand, blending can deliver all the liquid and fibre in a single, drinkable mixture. As a result, the types of nutrients you receive after each process vary,” Dr Batra said.
What to keep in mind
*In cases of some diseases and malabsorption conditions, low fibre and low residue diets are recommended. In these cases, juicing would be appropriate, the expert mentioned.
What is appropriate for weight loss?
For weight loss, always eat your fruits and vegetables — don’t drink them. This is because juice diets are not a meal replacement. If you deprive your body of the calories and protein that it needs, while you may lose weight quickly, you only tend to lose water and muscle mass, which isn’t sustainable in the long-term.
Another reason that could make you not want to juice your fruits is that “juicing can also be more expensive”, said nutritionist and food coach Anupama Menon. “As you have to use a greater volume of produce (for example, about two oranges, one stem of kale, 1/2 red pepper, one cup berries, and one stalk broccoli etc,) to make about one cup of juice of each,” Menon noted.
“If weight loss isn’t an issue, then blending would win over juicing,” said Shivika. Agreed Menon and mentioned that the presence of soluble and insoluble fibres (pulp) result in a slower and sustained absorption. “This satisfies hunger, and makes you feel fuller, making it an ideal contender for losing weight,” Menon said.
📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!
Discussion about this post