There are few things more refreshing than a cool, sweet glass of juice. Whether it’s your early morning glass of fresh orange or grapefruit juice, or a vitamin-packed juice blend on the go, juices are a convenient and delicious way to pack your diet full of nutrients. And of course, juicing isn’t just for fruit, with many people choosing to supplement their juices with a healthy portion of greens, or antioxidant-rich purple produce like beetroot.
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The last few years have seen various juice trends, from unusual ingredients like charcoal and celery, to diet plans like juice cleansing. The hottest - or should we say coldest? - trend right now is cold pressed juice, those colourful bottles with a rather hefty price tag you may already have seen in the refrigerator aisle of your local store. But what is cold pressed juice? And is it really worth the extra money?
There are three different types of juice generally available from stores. The longer-lasting stuff, which is usually sold in cartons, and can be found on the shelves outside the refrigerator, has been pasteurised to make it last for longer. This involves treating the juice with heat to kill any harmful microbes, but some people believe that the heat involved can also destroy nutrients, making the juice less healthy.
Fresh juice, or freshly-squeezed juice, is typically made using centrifugal juicing methods, where the fruit is spun around, while sharp blades dice it and break it down. This is the method used by home blenders and juicers, and many people make their own fresh juice using centrifugal juicing at home. However, the fast-spinning blades can generate a lot of heat, and as with pasteurisation, some people believe that this will destroy the nutrients in the juice.
The cold press method is different, because it doesn’t involve heat in any way. Instead, the fruit is diced and placed inside a hydraulic press, where it is squeezed slowly, to extract as much juice as possible. This, cold press fans claim, means preserving as many vitamins and minerals as possible, making cold pressed juice the healthier choice.
But are these health claims really true? We take a look at the science behind cold press juice to find out.
The Science of Cold Pressed Juice and its Health Benefits
Cold press has taken off in a big way, with many people using these apparently higher-nutrient juices as meal replacements for anywhere up to seven days. These ‘juice cleanses’ or ‘juice plans’ aim to detoxify the body by feeding it only healthy and nutritious fruit and vegetables for several days, during which time your body will have the chance to focus on ridding itself of a backlog of built-up toxins and other unhealthy substances.
Unfortunately, there is no real evidence that detox plans work. A healthy human body does not build up a backlog of toxins - your liver and kidneys are highly effective at removing toxic substances from the body, and do not need to take a break from processing your regular diet to continue to function.
In fact, cutting out a large part of your diet and living on only cold-press juice may do more harm than good, even if it’s only for a few days. Most fruit and vegetables contain barely any protein or fat, both or which are essential - yes, even fat - for keeping your body at peak health.
Perhaps surprisingly, cold-press is also a poor source of fibre, as most of the healthy pulp is left behind in the press. As well as being essential for a healthy digestive system, fibre is also responsible for that ‘full’ feeling you get after eating. Without it, you’ll need to drink more juice to feel satisfied, and because fruit juice is also high in sugar, this could lead to raised blood sugar and possible weight gain.
Cold press, then, is not suitable as a meal replacement, but what of the central claim, that the cold press method retains more nutrients? Unfortunately, there isn’t really any evidence for this, with studies showing that juice from cold press and centrifugal juicers - the sort you likely have at home - were similar in terms of nutritional quality.
But it’s not all bad news. Juices are still a great way to top up your nutrient levels when used as part of a balanced diet. They are an easy, portable way of making sure you get enough fruit and vegetables, even when you’re on the go. And there is evidence that a regular dose of mixed juice - made from fruit and vegetables - increases your levels of a whole host of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
If you want to try making your own healthy juice at home, check out this guide to making cold pressed juice from Taste of Home. It’s simple and easy to follow, and you don’t even need to buy a mixer.
There are cold press machines available to home cooks, however. The world’s first, called the Juicero, was released in 2016 and could press your fruit and veg with a force of 3600kg, or 8000lbs.
