Juicing Can Be Inflammatory

One of the basic principles of a healthy diet is to eat whole foods. Juicing is often recommended as a health improvement measure. Juicing has the advantage of breaking down the cell walls of plant material and increasing the availability of nutrients. There is, however, an argument to be made against the long term use of juice diets.

In a recent study fourteen participants were placed on experimental diets for three days. One diet was exclusively juice, another juice plus food, and a third with no juice. The researchers found that the diet which was exclusively juice led to changes in the bacteria in the stool, saliva, and cheek. The diet that was exclusively juice resulted in an increase in pro-inflammatory bacteria in the mouth and an increase in bacteria in the digestive tract associated with leaky gut (gut permeability), inflammation, and cognitive decline. The researchers suggested that this was probably due to reduced fiber intake and the higher intake of sugars in the juice diet. (Sugars are much more rapidly absorbed in juices than from whole foods.) The elimination of the high juice diet and replacement with a high fiber diet resulted in increase in beneficial bacteria producing butyrate that supports control of gut inflammation, promotes immune balance and resistance to pathogens or harmful bacteria. The role of fiber in promoting long term health is often overlooked by medical professionals as well as those looking for a healthy diet.

Reference:

Link to article on juicing. Sardaro MLS, Grote V, Baik J, Atallah M, Amato KR, Ring M. Effects of Vegetable and Fruit Juicing on Gut and Oral Microbiome Composition. Nutrients. 2025; 17(3):458.