I was just wondering, because my friend said that when you eat vegetables, it stays in your body longer and does more things for your body than when you drink like a V8 vegetable drink.
Can you fill me in?

1. Kathryn - October 30th, 2009

   Yes definitely there is a difference! Vegetables fill you up because of their high water and fiber content. The fiber is in the composition of the vegetable or fruit — for example, in an apple, there is a lot of fiber in the skin, and the same goes for other fruits and vegetables. When you juice a fruit or vegetable, you are getting the vitamins and sugars in the liquid, but you are getting none of the fiber. The fiber is not only what helps you to feel full longer but also moves food through your digestive tract faster to help you lose weight. Think of the roughage on lettuce, when it slides through your stomach and digestive tract it catches a lot of other waste and pushes it out with the lettuce! Gross, I know, but its true. Juices taste good, but if you’re trying to lose weight, they will be your downfall. Juices are full of sugars (not added sugars, but the sugars from the fruits or veggies) and without the fiber of the veggie it will just run through your system and you’ll be hungry again soon. Go with whole raw foods, that’s your best bet.

2. folladj - October 30th, 2009

   The main difference is fiber, which slows down digestion (thus keeping you full for longer periods of time). There are also preservatives in fruit and vegetable juice, which aren’t great for you (I don’t think they are horrible though). And finally, juice tends to be a pretty high-calorie way to get your vegetables, when compared with the real thing.
   Don’t get me wrong, I drink veggie juice all the time. Love it. If you can, though, try to get some of your servings of veggies from…well…veggies.