The Side Effects Of Juice Cleanses You Didn't Know About

For years now, juice cleanses have been all the rage, as they promise to "give your digestive system a rest," "improve nutrition," "reduce food cravings," and "give you more energy."

However, when fruits and vegetables are reduced down to a juice, they lose many of the nutrients that are vital, such as fiber. These fads exist as a way to get rid of toxins, but this can, instead, be done by simply limiting the amount of not-so-great things we put into our bodies (frozen meals and alcohol, for example) or eliminating them altogether. Plus, it is far more expensive to opt for fancy juices rather than good ol' fruits and veggies straight from the farmer's market, produce aisle, or your own backyard, as pointed out by Newsweek.

More importantly, there are also side effects that can come about from a liquid detox, making this trend possibly more harmful than helpful.

One major downfall of a juice cleanse is that it does not provide a person enough protein. We need .36 grams of protein per pound of our body weight each day, in order to protect muscles, strengthen skin, and help fight against illnesses (via WebMD). There may be some variations of a juice cleanse that include nut milks, "but don't be surprised that someone may well get sick because these plans are ghastly low in protein," Liz Applegate, director of sports nutrition at the University of California, Davis, told Live Science.

Secondly, a lack of nutrition can lead to a person not feeling well and experiencing headaches, difficulty thinking, tiredness, moodiness, hunger, and changes in bowel function, Live Science goes on to state.

Liquid cleanses can lead to a dangerous way of thinking, as well. In the pursuit of weight loss, it's possible that a frame of mind such as punishment or food denial can arise, which can result in a whole wealth of issues. Healthy eating is important, but there are safer ways to go about it.

Finally, the fad of juice cleansing is not even necessary. "The body does not need any help in getting rid of toxins," Applegate said, as things like alcohol are broken down by detoxifying enzymes in the liver, and water-soluble toxins are taken care of by the kidneys.