Juicer or blender? That is the question. There is a lot of confusion about different nutritional aspects of juicing vs. blending. Some people have a misconception that juicing and blending are the same. This is not the case - granted that increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables is good for your health and fitness; many people still wonder which option provides more health benefits than the other. Both options process delicious fruit and veggies into a highly nutritious and delicious drink but the way they do so provide very different end results. To better understand the key differences, let us first look at the definitions of both these processes.
What is Juicing?
Juicing is a process where the liquid part of a fruit or vegetable is separated from the fiber or pulp. Easily defined, juicing extracts all liquid from your ingredient but does not use other parts of the fruit/vegetable. When you juice, you get a thin and concentrated liquid product that contains high levels of vitamin, minerals, and other phytonutrients that are associated with positive health effects.
What is Blending?
Blending process uses the entire fruit or vegetable. Whatever you put inside a blender is what you will consume entirely. Your drink volume will be much greater than of juice made from the same fruit or vegetable - many people refer to this as a smoothie.
Key Aspects of juicing and blending
• Juicing
• Blending
• Does not use entire fruit/ veggie
• No waste as it uses everything you put inside it
• Easy digestion since the fiber is removed in the process
• Not easily absorbed because it contains more fiber content that slows the digestive process
• Since the end product is not as thick as that derived from blending, you get hungry faster after digestion
• Provides slow release of energy thus preventing sugar highs and lows. You will feel full for longer
• The end product is absorbed easily by your body
• Aids digestion by removing toxins and encouraging regular elimination of said toxins
• Provides a juice packed with high concentrations of vitamins and nutrients
• Has lower limit of the of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes when compared to juicing
Benefits of Juicing
• Throws most toxins away: Non-organic veg and fruits tend to have some levels of agrochemicals such as pesticides and herbicides. When you are juicing, you throw away most of these toxins.
• Provides very nutrient-dense beverages in a smaller amount of liquid
• Perfect option for those looking for a low-fiber diet
• Since the end product is lighter, your body will have a much faster and easier time consuming all nutrients without activating your digestive system
• This process is great for cleansing and detoxification as well as for individuals with very sensitive digestive systems that may be sensitive to high fiber food diet
• Zero fiber: this means that juicing is easy on your digestive systems.
• Fast absorption: Vitamins and minerals derived from juicing are easily absorbed by your body so that all those nutrients go directly to where they are needed most by your body.
Benefits of Blending
• You retain all fiber from produce. This means that you will feel fuller for a long time after digestion
• Since you can add other types of foods to your blender such as nuts, you increase your intake of healthy proteins and fats
• Volume of your drink will be much greater than that of a juicer made from same amount of fruits or veggies
• High concentration of fiber in your drink slows down digestion. This means that energy in your body is released slowly and evenly. This in turn prevents sugar highs and lows
• Aids digestion: Fiber from fruits/ vegetables work their way through your digestive system and aids in removing all toxins from your body
Drawbacks of Juicing
It is more expensive as you will have to use greater volume of produce to make one cup of juice
Drawbacks of Blending
When using non-organic ingredients, you will end up consuming most of the toxins used. It is best to always use organic ingredients when blending
Which Method is better for Health?
To be perfectly honest, these two methods provide great juices that are of different vitamin and mineral count due to the different methods they use to process the produce. What we can say is, if you are on a weight loss program that requires you to take low-fiber diet, then juicing is a better option. However, since blending provides you with a thick and highly nutrient drink; you will see that you are less hungry after consuming a smoothie. This will help you refrain from consuming too much food as you will have all the energy you need packed in a cup of juice. This is not to say that you should only consume smoothies; this is to say that you will have less need to consume a lot of food during the day. This in turn leads to weight and fat loss.
For individuals looking to cleanse or detoxify their bodies, then we would suggest you go for a juicer. Juicing is also a great option for individuals with sensitive digestive systems.
Final Verdict
All in all, it truly depends on you. These two types have their own benefits - we would recommend you buy both and use them accordingly. Both devices can be used for food & recipe usage as well. Increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables is good for your body. Studies have shown that consuming fruits/ veggies on a daily basis decreases the risk of stroke; helps keep Alzheimer's disease at bay, keeps your body healthy and fit, and also reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease!