Drink Your Vegetables!

Selecting the Proper Juicer

Jan 27, 2009 Janelle Ray

Certainly, most people know they need to eat their fruits and vegetables. When it comes to packing a nutritious punch, juicing makes drinking them a sensible option.

The National Cancer Institute and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention promote the intake of a variety of fruits and vegetables per day. The organizations even offer a nifty calculator on their web site to give a specific recommendation based on physical activity, age and gender.

The benefits of a plant-rich diet are well documented. For example,findings in a fifteen-year study of middle-aged Finnish men supported that a diet high in fruits and vegetables reduced the risk of mortality and supports longevity [Am Soc Nutr Sci J Nutr, "Low Intake of Fruits, Berries and Vegetables Is Associated with Excess Mortality in Men: the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor (KIHD) Study,January 2003,133:199-204].

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is important for proper fiber, nutrient and antioxidant intake. So maybe the question is not 'why' but rather, 'how' does one incorporate the proper amount of vegetables and fruit into one's diet? Especially when you'd as easily shoot a salad as eat another one? One answer: juicing.

Juicing

Juicing can be a wise decision for people who want to greatly increase antioxidant intake as well as for people who feel they must choke down vegetables. Juicing can be done with sweet fruits so that stronger vegetable flavors are hidden. The extraction of pure juice has been used by many to prevent and control the disease process, keep weight in check, and to adhere to a raw-foods diet.

No matter the impetus, juicing requires a special machine designed to remove the pulp, leaving a nutrient-dense, raw liquid behind. It is best to use organic fruits and vegetables, well rinsed, and even more importantly, time should be taken to choose a suitable machine for your individual needs.

Choosing a Juicer

There are three types of juicers to consider: centrifugal, single gear (masticating), and dual gear (triturating). Considerations of each follow:

Centrifugal

• Centrifugal juicers mash the product to yield juice which is extracted by straining during a high-rpm spin.
• Works fast, produces juice quickly.
• Priced more moderately than single or dual gear juicers.
• Less efficient at juice removal, leaves a wetter pulp.
• Spinning can increase heat and affect delicate enzymes.
• Not efficient at juicing grasses or leafy greens.

Single Gear (Masticating)

• Single gear juicers chew and grind the plants to extract juice.
• Grinding yields better plant breakdown, thus higher enzyme and vitamin content.
• Juice extraction is highly efficient as evidenced by much drier pulp.
• Extraction occurs at lower speeds with less heat to cause enzyme loss.
• Fast operating time.
• Pricier than centrifugal juicers.
• Able to juice grasses and greens.

Dual Gear (Triturating)

• Dual gear juicers use two gears moving at low speed to crush and grind produce, extracting the juice.
• The low speed means even better enzyme retention.
• Able to juice grasses, pine needles, greens.
• Requires more user force for firm produce such as apple or carrot.
• Pricier than centrifugal and single gear juicer.
• Juicing takes a little longer as does clean-up.

Keeping in mind what you want from the juicer, how frequently it will be used, and how much you want to spend will greatly aid in choosing a suitable machine. The next step is stocking up on fresh produce and acquiring a little inspiration. Below are two helpful resources, one a book, the other a web site, to guide and inspire as you sip your way to health.

Juicing recipes

Meyerowitz, Steve Juice Fasting and Detoxification (Sproutman, 1999) ISBN-13:9781878736659

The copyright of the article Drink Your Vegetables! in Nutrition is owned by Janelle Ray. Permission to republish Drink Your Vegetables! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Juicing Promotes Health