Juice Plus+ is a brand of dietary supplement. It is claimed to be the next best thing for fruits and vegetables. The supplements are made from the juices of around 30 fruits and vegetables. However, they aren't intended to be replacements for fruits and vegetables. Instead, the company suggests that they can help bridge the gap between what you should eat and what you do eat every day.
What is the Juice Plus Diet and How to Follow it
The full Juice plus diet is a meal replacement plan. There are 3 main elements to the diet:
- Cut down on calories by substituting meals, shakes or bars
- Up your fruit and vegetable intake
- Supplement your diet with the juice based tablets
The supplements are also sold alone and claim to ‘bridge the gap’ when your normal diet doesn’t provide the recommended 5 a day of fruits and vegetables.
- Detox for 2 weeks
- Replace 2 meals a day for 2 weeks
- Take the Juice Plus supplements
Juice Plus and Weight Loss
Juice Plus isn't likely to help with weight loss. Whole fruits and vegetables contain lots of water and fiber, which is exactly what makes them low in energy density. This is why they're helpful for people trying to lose weight. Juice Plus is mainly a vitamin and mineral supplement with little or no fiber, although it does contain food enzymes. These enzymes, however, will be destroyed during the digestive process and aren't likely to provide any significant benefits.
What Products Do They Offer?
The core products offered by Juice Plus are fruit and vegetable supplements. They come in capsule or chewable form in the following blends:
- Orchard blend: Fruits
- Garden blend: Vegetables
- Vineyard blend: Berries
The adult dose is two capsules of each blend per day, preferably at meal times. Children under 13 shouldn’t take more than one capsule of each blend per day. Supplements are available from the company's website or from a Juice Plus distributor. They come in packages that provide you with a 4-month supply. Juice Plus also sells meal replacement shakes, soups and bars.
Does the Juice Plus Diet Work?
If you can follow the diet and be persistent, you will lose weight as it is essentially very low in calories. Whether you’ll be able to keep it up long enough to lose a significant amount of weight is questionable. The diet is very restrictive and not easy to fit into real life habits. It’s also unlikely that Juice Plus will help with long term weight control, since you don’t really learn about how to eat healthy in a normal and enjoyable way.
Juice Plus and Health
The company that sells Juice Plus claims that it can provide important health benefits. Here are some benefits of Juice Plus Program.
Improved Nutritional Status
Juice Plus is claimed to help increase nutrient intake, but studies looking at how it affects blood levels of nutrients have provided mixed results.
Protein Content
The Juice PLUS+ shakes contain around 20g of protein. Protein is known to keep us fuller for longer and so may curb food cravings later in the day.
Better Heart Health
Juice Plus is said to improve markers of heart health. This includes levels of a risk marker called homocysteine. They are linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Some studies have shown that taking Juice Plus could decrease blood levels of homocysteine. In one study, Juice Plus supplements decreased blood levels of homocysteine by 37% compared to placebo.
Calcium Source
When made with milk the Juice PLUS+ shakes are a source of calcium which is important for bone health.
Successful weight loss is all about getting the balance right and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
