Is Juicing Right for You? When It Helps, When It Harms, and How to Detox Safely

Juicing for Detoxification: Risks vs. Benefits

Juicing refers to a diet that replaces regular meals with fresh-pressed fruit and vegetable juices. A juicer typically removes nearly all the fiber from these foods (the pulp that’s usually discarded or repurposed). A juice-only regimen may last anywhere from 24 hours to several weeks, although a shorter duration (2-3 days) is more common.

Removing the fiber from these foods increases the bioavailability of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and enzymes, which can temporarily improve detoxification support.⁽¹⁾

But there’s a downside. Without the fiber, juices have a higher glycemic index, causing a more rapid rise in blood sugar. In as little as 3 days, juicing (without any supplemental solid food) can disrupt the microbiome in your mouth and gut.⁽²⁾
Prolonged juicing may also increase the risk of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and/or prediabetes due to long periods of elevated blood sugar and microbiome imbalances.

Orthorexia: When “Healthy” Becomes an Obsession

An extreme fixation on "healthy eating" can paradoxically harm both one’s physical and mental health. As dietary rules become stricter—often in pursuit of detoxification or “clean” eating—the line between wellness and obsession blurs. Restrictive behaviors may escalate into dangerous patterns like prolonged or more frequent juice fasts, calorie deprivation, and disordered eating.⁽³⁾

The Detoxification Trap

A qualitative study of patients with eating disorders (including anorexia, bulimia, and laxative abuse) found that "detoxification" was frequently cited as a motivating factor. Juice fasts and solid-food elimination were common, often framed as "cleanses" for weight loss or toxin removal.⁽⁴⁾ These behaviors risk severe malnutrition, psychological distress, and in extreme cases, life-threatening complications.⁽⁴⁾

My Personal Experience with Disordered Eating

High-achieving women like myself and many of my patients are at a higher risk for developing disordered eating. As an adolescent, I dropped an unhealthy amount of weight due to severe calorie restriction. I was a hard-working farm girl and athlete, and I’m sure my parents were increasingly concerned as my weight plummeted. We were lucky, though, because I grew out of this phase and returned to a healthier weight as I began competing in Tae Kwon Do.

Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors & Disordered Eating

Research shows a link between obsessive-compulsive traits or OCD and the likelihood of developing disordered eating.⁽⁵⁾ In my clinical practice, I approach this topic with care: Before we develop a dietary plan, I screen patients for orthorexic tendencies (including rigid food rules, perfectionism, and compulsive behaviors) to ensure our plan supports both their physical and mental health.
With all of this in mind, I often discourage juicing and focus instead on eating a whole foods diet.

Natural Ways to Support Detoxification

The most critical way to support your body’s detoxification pathways is to reduce the toxins you take in through food and drink. Two of the most pervasive offenders are microplastics and pesticides, both of which are endocrine disruptors that interfere with sex hormone function in all genders.^{(6, 7)}

Since hormones regulate your metabolism, moods, and mental clarity, imbalances can lead to anxiety, depression, sleep problems, memory issues, loss of libido, painful periods, and fertility problems.⁽⁶⁾

Before you consider any other changes, reducing your exposure to these two toxins should be priority number one. Here’s how to do that.

Microplastics: Bottles, Cans, Tea Bags, and Your Microwave

• Common sources of microplastics exposure include:
• Plastic bottles (both single-use and reusable)
• Metal beverage containers (which often contain plastic linings)
• Paper tea bags
• Hard or soft plastic food containers (especially when heated in a microwave, even if it’s labeled “BPA free”)⁽⁸⁾

Pesticides: Harmful to The Developing and Mature Brain

For children, maternal pesticide exposure early in life is linked to higher risk of autism, learning disabilities, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.(9) In adults, pesticide exposure is linked to an increased risk of neurodegeneration (like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s) and neuroinflammation (multiple sclerosis and autoimmune diseases).^{(10, 11)}

How to Reduce or Eliminate Pesticide & Herbicide Exposure:

• Switch to organic vegetables and fruits according to your financial means
• Soak your produce in a baking soda bath (1-2 tablespoons in a large bowl of water) for 15 minutes prior to consumption
• Foods that Support Detoxification
• Eat more berries and non-starchy vegetables: excellent support for improving detoxification in your liver and kidneys
• Experiment with more spices and loose teas
• Follow any of the Wahls™ diet plans

If You Still Want to Juice…

Sometimes my patients still wish to experiment with juicing. In those cases, I do regular checks of their insulin levels to make sure they don’t develop pre-diabetes. I also continue to check in on their mental health, looking for any indication of obsessive behaviors.

 Lastly, if juicing is a regular part of your life, I strongly recommend you only juice organic fruits and vegetables (to reduce the toxin load from pesticides and herbicides).

Targeted Supplements to Boost Detoxification Pathways

Detoxification occurs in two phases.^{(12, 13)} This two-step process makes the toxins (which are fat soluble) progressively more water soluble so they can be eliminated via bile, urine, or sweat. During Phase 1, toxins can become increasingly reactive and damaging—so you want Phase 2 to work as efficiently as possible to remove the volatile

Phase 1 toxins quickly and safely.
For that reason, I encourage my patients to take a supplement that supports both Phase 1 and Phase 2 detoxification enzymes. The most effective formulations typically contain a variety of plant polyphenols (milk thistle, curcumin, pterostilbene, resveratrol, and green tea)^(14), as well as amino acids like lipoic acid and N-acetylcysteine (NAC).⁽¹⁵⁾

Fiber Matters!

Constipation prevents your body from effectively eliminating toxins. When bowel movements are sluggish (or nonexistent), toxins in the bile can be reabsorbed into the bloodstream through a process called enterohepatic circulation. That’s why maintaining soft, easy-to-pass bowel movements is critical for getting the toxins out.

And one of the most important things you can do to support that is to consume appropriate amounts of dietary fiber. (Remember, juicing removes most or all of the fiber from fruits and vegetables.)

Final Thoughts

Four years into my healing journey, I checked my toxin load and found that I had significant levels of multiple heavy metals in my body, most likely accompanied by significant levels of pesticides and microplastics (although I did not test for those).

I never did chelation therapy. Instead, I focused on supporting my Phase 1/2 detoxification enzymes, eating lots of fiber, and supporting healthy bowel movements.

Two years later, my toxin levels had dropped to zero.

I will always encourage my patients to go the whole-foods route over most other detoxification options. I believe it is safer than chelation therapy (unless there is a case of acute poisoning), and probably more effective for addressing a wider variety of toxins. I only recommend chelation in cases of acute poisoning.

How to Support Detoxification without Juicing:

• Reduce toxin exposure in your beverages and foods
• Choose organic produce when possible and accessible
• Prevent constipation by eating more dietary fiber
• Consider adding a targeted supplement like Dual Phase Detox to support both phases of detoxification

Healthy, sustainable detox isn’t about short-term solutions or extreme measures—it’s about consistency. By gently supporting your body’s detoxification systems, you can create lasting protection against our toxic world—and build a sustainable lifestyle that supports your mental health.

Find any of the nutrients mentioned in my curated line of Wahls Protocol® Supplements.

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Citations

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