Blending vs. Juicing

We are frequently asked to explain the difference between Nourish whole food blends and juicing. This is a great question, so here we go!

Both blending and juicing are beneficial to overall health, but there are definite differences that should be addressed. Importantly, the words juicing and blending should not be used interchangeably as they are not the same. Here are the facts:

20% of the antioxidants are lost when juicing.

Blending uses the whole fruit or vegetable. Juice, on the other hand, (whether cold-pressed or centrifugal type) extracts the juice of the fruit or vegetable. So, what’s left behind? Most of the fiber, both soluble and insoluble and up to 20% of the antioxidants are lost when juicing. Blending, on the other hand, retains all of the fiber allowing a naturally fast delivery of nutrients to the blood stream without a huge spike in blood sugar (as seen from juices). Because of the lack of fiber and other nutrients, drinking juices tend to leave the consumer ultimately unsatisfied and sometimes even hungrier due to insulin released in response to the blood sugar spike.

Fiber is a big deal.

Why are whole food blends so beneficial? From a purely, “this makes sense” perspective, consuming the whole plant, instead of a stripped down version, seems like an obviously good thing. By blending whole foods, nutrients are delivered to the body in their natural state and in the right amount. Besides the fiber and antioxidants lost in juicing, there are other micronutrients that are affected by juicing foods. Also, fiber is a big deal as most people get less then half of the recommended fiber in their diet and multiple studies have shown that it is vitally important to overall health and wellness. Insoluble and soluble fiber improve sugar and insulin sensitivities, reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and decrease the risk of developing some intestinal cancers. Some say that juicing reduces the “stress” on the intestinal system by eliminating the fiber component. However, we have found that even people with digestive issues do very well with a properly blended whole food smoothie. As many of you have already experienced, Nourish Blends are carefully prepared to allow for optimal nutrient absorption with limited digestion required.

The bottom line: There are nutritional benefits to both methods. However, given all that we know from nutritional science, it is clear that blending whole foods offers a more complete balance when compared to juicing.