Juicing vs. Blending: Which Is Better For Your Health?

From our mailbag:

I was all set to buy a juicer but then I read that drinking blended fruits and vegetables is healthier than drinking their juiced counterparts because with blended drinks, you get naturally occurring fiber that you lose out with juices.

Could you please explain which is better: juicing or blending?

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There are health benefits to fruit and vegetable juices made with both methods.

Freshly pressed juices allow nutrients to enter your blood stream almost instantaneously. With juices, your digestive organs do very little work and your blood stream receives a concentrated dose of healthy nutrients as soon as the juice reaches your small intestine.

You just want to be sure not to juice too many fruits. Drinking the equivalent of 4 cups of watermelon chunks or 4 oranges in the form of juice can put significant stress on your blood sugar and insulin levels, which can increase your risk of developing diabetes and other types of cardiovascular disease.

The same goes for carrots and beets, which produce lots of concentrated, naturally occurring sugar when juiced.

Blended fruits and sweet vegetables are better for your health than their juiced counterparts because the naturally occurring fiber in these plants will help to regulate the pace at which their natural sugars enter your blood stream.

Some people who have extremely sensitive digestive tracts, for example, people with advanced cases of ulcerative colitis who experiences dozens of bloody diarrhea movements per day, often have a hard time with fiber. For these people, well strained vegetable juices stand a much better chance of being well tolerated than a blended vegetable concoction that is rich in fiber.

If you are in relatively good health, both freshly pressed juices and freshly blended drinks can be beneficial. It's really a matter of personal preference.

Just be sure that on an overall note, you aim to have more vegetables than fruits.