Be aware: this is only the goal of this diet, not necessarily its outcome. Results vary from person to person. Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any other) diet.
A juice cleanse is a diet in which you try to lose weight or detox by consuming juices only.
There are many different variants of the juice cleanse. The objectives of the diet can be different (detox and/or weight loss), the method can differ (juice cleanse or juice fast) and the number of days the cleanse lasts can vary.
[Adwords item: Display-ad vierkant]
A juice cleanse usually has one of two objectives or a combination of the two:
If the cleanse is done for the purpose of losing weight, it is mainly about consuming fewer calories than you need. Read more about how many calories you need here.
In some juice cleanse diets, the number of calories you are allowed to consume per day is very little. These diets fall into the category of crash diets.
Sometimes, juice cleanses are used as a 'kick-start' for losing weight or to change eating behaviours. This implies that a different diet should be followed after the cleanse to prevent the potentially lost weight from returning,
The cleanse is sometimes used as a method to 'detoxify' the body: a so-called detox. Such a juice cleanse thus falls under the category detox diets. It is important to note that a detox has no scientific basis.
A distinction can be made between (regular) juice cleanses and juice fasts.
A juice cleanse involves drinking a lot of fruit or vegetable juices for a period of time, sometimes in combination with other food products. A Juice fast is a stricter variant, in which you limit yourself to only consuming (lemon) water or (herbal) tea. An example of such a diet is the Lemon diet. Hence, juice fasting is a variant of intermittent fasting.
Because of the very limited food choices (such as only lemon juice) these diets can also be classified as mono diets. These are diets that focus on the consumption of one product.
Juice cleanses can last from a few days to 10 days or even more. They usually come with a warning that you should not follow the cure for too long and/or that the cleanse is not suitable for some people. Before starting such a diet, it is therefore important to discuss it with a dietician, doctor or other healthcare professional.
[Adwords item: InArticle-ad]
Juice cleanses are surrounded by all kinds of claims (apart from the claim that they can detoxify your body). These include: boosting your immune system and having a positive effect on your bowel function. Again, it is important to note that these claims have no scientific backing, as far as we could find. If you have such objectives, discuss them with a healthcare professional.
It is possible to do a juice cleanse in which you make the juices yourself. However, there are also several brands that sell ready-made juices.
Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any) diet.
Many different books have been written about juice cures and juice fasting.
Did you notice a mistake on this page? Please let us know.
As you see fit
With the professional help of a dietitian it should be easier to reach your goals. Please contact a dietician in your area or talk to a doctor before starting any diet.
Please take note that most diets do not have a scientific basis.
Consult your doctor or dietician before starting a diet, especially if you have a chronic condition like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease or kidney disease.
If you think you might have an eating disorder (like anorexia or bulimia), it is important to look for professional help. Contact your (house) doctor or find help elsewhere. Here you can find a list of several websites that can provide (online) help. These sites also provide information for people that know someone with an eating disorder.