Green juice all the way: This healthy drink has more benefits than just weight loss

The slogan “Go green” is no longer just used for environmental gains. In the age of social media and influencer culture, we come across these body positive celebrities and health and wellness bloggers preaching their diet routines and more often than not, there’s a green juice involved. What is the real truth behind it, you may ask? Fear not, let’s decode that together with the help of Healthline.com.

Green juice enthusiasts imply that this drink offers numerous health benefits, including improved digestion, weight loss, reduced inflammation, and boosted immunity. While this is all true, nothing in abundance is good for your body. Even healthy drinks should be consumed moderately to avoid any health risks.

As the name suggests, green juices are basically made from green vegetables. There’s no official recipe but common ingredients include celery, kale, Swiss chard, spinach, wheatgrass, cucumber, parsley, and mint. Given that green juice tend to taste bitter, most recipes add small quantities of fruit — which may or may not be green — to sweeten and improve its overall palatability. Popular fruit options include apples, berries, kiwi, lemons, oranges, and grapefruit. The end goal is that the juice has to be green in colour.

Remember, these juices aren’t a substitute for a balanced and healthy diet, but a part of it. Include it in your diet, regardless of your weight goals.

1. Loaded with vitamins

Green veggies and their juices are excellent sources of several essential vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds. For example, Swiss chard and kale are packed with vitamins A and K, while wheatgrass supplies plenty of vitamin C and iron. Especially after the pandemic, it’s extremely important that we consume nutrient rich food and bring our bodies to its healthiest version again.

2. Better gut health

For those suffering from constipation or stomach issues, this one is a must-have drink for you! Research suggests that eating leafy green vegetables daily may help reduce inflammation, heart disease risk, and your risk of age-related mental decline. But if you do not like consuming vegetables in their whole and raw form, fresh juices function as prebiotics too. They feed and support the growth of beneficial bacteria living in your digestive tract.

Incorporating these prebiotic-loaded drinks is linked to many benefits, including reduced constipation, weight maintenance, and improved immune function.

3. Recovery diet

Finally, a glass of green drink is an easy and effective boost of nutrient for those suffering from a immune-comprising disease or have recently had surgeries and cannot consume stomach-heavy foods. Juicing is a short-term option for a quick recovery without a shooting blood sugar.

However, these drinks lack in fibre and may contribute to poor blood sugar control or kidney issues if consumed in excess. If you drink green juice, be sure to moderate your intake and include it as part of a balanced diet.