Juice cleanse for weight loss: Worth trying or another fad diet?

Diet culture has had its wild and slightly bizarre moments: more grapefruits than anyone ever needs, low carbs/no carbs/all of the carbs, or the Master Cleanse (Orange is The New Black fans know).

But how did we all end up accepting drinking juice as a weight loss strategy?

Juice cleansing has been around since the 90s — when a juice enthusiast turned mechanical juicer pioneer named Norman W. Walker decided to start spruiking the benefits of juice all across the world [1].

The question is, how well do his claims stand up? And should you really be slamming down the OJ before your next big event?

What exactly is a juice cleanse?

The juice cleanse, sometimes known as juice fasting, involves replacing meals with fruit or vegetable juices for a period of time — from a few days up to several weeks.

Since their introduction in the 1990s, a range of juice cleanse diets have popped up: the Lemon Detox Diet, the Liver Cleansing Diet, Martha’s Vineyard Detox Diet, The Clean Cleanse, Dr. Oz’s 48-h Weekend Cleanse... the list goes on [2].

These diet 'plans' encourage people to replace some or all of their meals with juice, in an attempt to lose weight.

Some people end up avoiding solid foods altogether, while others pick a meal or two a day to replace with a juice [3].

The working theory behind juice cleanses is that they can provide a range of health benefits such as: weight loss, removing toxins from the body, improving energy levels, helping your digestion, and improving your gut health [4].

While the original juice cleanse movement seemed to focus on using organic fruit and vegetables, some diet plans now encourage using laxatives or pre-prepared juice drinks [2].

What can you eat on a juice diet?

The main thing you can eat on a juice diet, is, well.... juice. Depending on the approach or plan you're following, this might include fresh homemade juices or pre-made drinks.

The focus is usually on using organic fruits and vegetables as ingredients — in the hopes of getting the most vitamins and nutrients out of your juice as possible [5].

The most common ingredients used in juice cleanses include beetroot, carrot, celery, apple, oranges... sometimes even cayenne pepper in some of the more extreme recipes. Can you actually consume solid foods though?

Most juice cleanse diets have one thing in common: pretty tough calorie restrictions. Some juice cleanse methods only allow a calorie intake of 400 calories per day (a typical adult should be consuming around 1,600-3,000 calories per day) [2].

True juice cleanses discourage eating food altogether — while others say you can consume specific foods, including [5]:

• Smoothies
• Raw fruits and vegetables
• Gluten-free foods
• Vegan meals and snacks
• Protein powders, vitamins, and other supplements

There's a strong encouragement to stay away from things like meat, dairy, caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and fried food. But how does all this actually affect the body?

What are the risks of juice cleansing for weight loss?

Despite claiming to have a lot of health benefits, juice cleanses can also carry health risks. When consumed as part of a well balanced diet, juices can be a good way to get some healthy nutrients.

But overall, they don't contain enough fibre or other essential vitamins and minerals the body needs [6]. Following a strict juicing diet can also cause other health problems, including:

Lack of nutrients and dietary imbalances

Juice diets often don't contain enough essential nutrients — like fibre, protein, iron, and healthy fats. Not getting enough of these in your daily diet can lead to malnutrition and other complications. The hero of this list is fibre, for reasons we're about to explain.

Fibre is super important for the digestive system and regulating appetite. Digestive issues like constipation and haemorrhoids can be caused by a lack of fibre in your diet [7].

When juicing fruit and vegetables you actually remove a lot of the fibre; this can also lead to losing a lot of nutrients attached to the fibre [8].

When you eat a whole fruit, the fibre in it also slows down how quickly its sugar is absorbed into your blood. If you're drinking fruit juice with this fibre removed, it can lead to big spikes in your blood sugar — making you feel hungrier and more tired [8].

A juice cleanse diet also lacks protein, which is crucial for maintaining bone and muscle health [2].

Problems with metabolism and hormones

Aside from not meeting your daily nutritional needs, juice cleansing can also mess around with your metabolism and hormones.

Research suggests that low-calorie diets can lead to a spike in your stress hormones — mainly cortisol [2].

Cortisol can actually stimulate your appetite — making you hungrier and increasing the risk of binge eating or snacking because you feel starving. All of this can lead to regaining the weight you were trying to lose [2].

There's also scientific evidence that rapid weight loss or not eating enough calories can actually slow down your metabolism.

Your body goes into 'starvation mode' and gets really good at absorbing whatever calories it can get, no matter how little you're eating.

It also tries to save energy and not burn as many calories because it feels under threat — making it a lot harder to lose weight in the long run [3].

Risks to mental health and relationship with food

Some people who try the juice diet might also experience negative mental health effects. You can feel hungry and irritated, experience intense food cravings, and develop unhealthy eating habits [10].

This can look like getting more and more rigid with how strictly you follow a diet or falling into a cycle of not eating enough and then overeating.

When you're not eating enough food and constantly feeling tired — you can be more at risk of developing mental health concerns like depression and anxiety [10].

Do juice cleanses work for weight loss?

So it's clear juice diets might not be all they've cracked up to be in the health benefits department, but what about helping with weight loss?

The jury's still out on this one, too. While people have reported initially losing weight on a short-term juice diet, there's no evidence to suggest that juice cleansing leads to sustainable weight loss [3].

Most of the weight you lose at the start of a juice diet is taken from your body's water and muscle content, not fat. While you might look less bloated at first, you'll end up losing muscle: the main tool for burning fat and toning the body [11].

While initial studies showed that people on juice diets might lose a few pounds to begin with, they usually regained the weight quickly after stopping the diet.

Though the juice cleanse diet promises more energy, clearer skin, and getting snatched in a matter of days — it's clear there's not enough evidence to support these claims [3].

Confused about where to go from here? Let our team of expert dietitians, clinicians, and health experts guide you on the right approach for you.

Juniper's Weight Reset Programme has everything you need to get started on your weight loss journey — from nutrition and exercise plans to medication options (Wegovy or Mounjaro) if you need them. Get individual support to help you meet your goals; no juice makers required!

Healthy approaches to weight loss

If you want to lose weight, the best way to do it is slowly and sustainably (even though your brain wants it to happen yesterday).

This means setting goals and making changes that are achievable for you and your lifestyle — not just keeping up with the next diet trend [9].

This could look like eating regular healthy meals, and swapping out snacks for healthier options where you can. Try to include a variety of foods from all 5 food groups, or 'eating the rainbow' [9].

Other healthy weight loss strategies include [9]:

• Limiting foods high in saturated fats, added sugar, or salt
• Trying to stick to 1 or 2 'treats' a day
• Finding a regular exercise routine that works for you
• Limiting soft drinks, alcohol, and lollies
• Choosing less processed foods and going for 'whole' healthy foods where you can
• Replacing sugary drinks with water
• Considering your portions or triggers for overeating (e.g. stress, feeling upset, boredom)

When it comes to getting more exercise, it's okay to start slow and build your way up from there. Just doing half an hour a day of moderate exercise can help your metabolism and increase your energy levels, as well as help with weight loss [9].

The key is to find something you enjoy. Hate running? Don't sign up for a marathon, do a YouTube dance class instead.

Including movement in your day can mean the tiniest changes — like parking a bit further away from the door at the shops, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator [9].

The more fun activities you can include, the more likely you are to stick to them [9]. You could be the next ultimate frisbee champion or a star lap swimmer in the making.

Whatever it is, be kind to yourself as you start figuring out what works for you. We're cheering you on!

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