This Super-Popular Diet Trend Can Damage Your Gut Health In Just 3 Days

A juice cleanse may seem like a quick and easy way to lose weight, but when it comes to gut and brain health—and you know, actually feeling satisfied—juicing just might be doing more harm than good.

And don't just take it from me: Such were the findings from a recent Northwestern University study. Published in the journal Nutrients, the research found that just three days of juicing—or solely consuming fruit and vegetable juice—can significantly disrupt gut and oral bacteria, potentially increasing inflammation, weakening immunity, and even hindering cognitive (or brain) abilities.

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But why is that? Isn't juice full of nutrients? The researchers suggest it's due to the lack of fiber in juice. In case you're unaware, when you "juice" a fruit or vegetable, it almost completely depletes its fiber content. This sadly cancels out many of fruits' and vegetables' other benefits (and is also the reason juice isn't 0 points on Weight Watchers), like helping you stay fuller longer and supporting the microbiome.

Since fiber is essential for gut health—it feeds beneficial bacteria, regulates digestion, and strengthens the gut barrier—removing it deprives those bacteria of the nutrients they need. As a result, the gut microbiome shifts, potentially leading to the aforementioned imbalances that affect overall health.

Related: How to Restore Your Gut Health

So while juicing might be more convenient, it also comes with some pretty serious consequences. Plus, most experts agree that it's not actually sustainable for weight loss. Fortunately, if you live and breathe juice, the senior study author did offer a pretty fair compromise.

"If you love juicing, consider blending instead to keep the fiber intact, or pair juices with whole foods to balance the impact on your microbiome," study author Dr. Melinda Ring, MD, director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine physician, said in a corresponding press release.

So go on, become friends with your blender. That way, you can drink your fiber and have it, too!

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Related: 15 Best High-Fiber Snacks to Keep You Fuller, Longer

Sources:

• Effects of Vegetable and Fruit Juicing on Gut and Oral Microbiome Composition. Nutrients.

• Juicing may harm your health in just three days, new study finds. Northwestern University.