Opinions are something we get to hear everyday about almost everything we do in our lives. Whether good or bad, they are just opinions, and not necessarily evidence based facts. This has led us to have to regularly debunk and clarify a myriad of things in our farming and juicing lives, which brings us to this week’s subject: Fiber. We have all heard the comment “But what about the fiber?” when it comes to juicing and juice fasting. The truth is: Yes, juice lacks fiber. But it is the KIND of fiber it lacks that is important to note. First, we have to delve into the two kinds of fiber we are talking about.
Soluble Fiber
This is the type that dissolves in liquid and forms a gel in your body. This fiber has been shown to help in weight loss as it leaves you feeling fuller for longer, and helps regulate blood sugar and insulin levels in the body. This type of fiber found in many foods like berries, apples, pears, carrots and other root vegetables has also been found to reduce LDL Cholesterol in those who consume it.
Insoluble Fiber
This fiber is the more commonly thought of fiber and acts like the roughage for your gut. It attracts water to your stool and helps with bowel movements and regularity as long as it is coarse enough, too fine and it will actually have the opposite effect. This type of fiber; although important in proper digestive function, is non digestible and does not add to your nutritional intake.
Obviously both types of fiber are important to your overall health, but the myth that juicing removes ‘all the fiber’ is misleading and inaccurate.
What’s in the Juice
As you probably have guessed, cold pressing removes a large portion of insoluble fiber, but only a small portion of the soluble. Additionally, consuming soluble fiber in this form has been shown to be more beneficial in some ways than eating the raw fruits and vegetables alone.
You do NEED insoluble fiber in your normal diet as an aid to digest your normal masticated foodstuffs. But, juicing in no way harms your digestive system or overall health by denying you the insoluble fiber from the ingredients used.
Conclusion
Yes, juicing removes fiber. The kind of fiber you cannot digest and holds no nutritional value. In some studies juicing has been shown to increase the benefit of the remaining soluble fiber in your system, even over eating the raw fruits and veggies themselves.
As with all things, moderation is usually the best path. Juicing has the ability to make a large amount of nutrition available for absorption into your body faster and easier than eating 3-4 pounds of raw kale in one sitting. Some people will always argue for eating the raw foods, and we as farmers are all for it. But, if you are looking for a total gut reset and detox, or you need a quick glass of pure liquid nutrition as you run out the door, juice is the best choice in our humble opinion.
Here is a super quick 1 minute overview of the types of Fiber.
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