Using a juicer - are you wasting fiber?

[Alexandra]

I am considering a juicer but wondered if a really great blender might not work as well. With a blender it seems that you would get the fiber as well. I just started thinking about this and wondered if anyone here would care to tell me why they chose a juicer - and which brand they chose would be helpful as well.

Thanks!

[Peela]

I got one of the masticating juicers (an Oscar, although Champion is the better known brand), because plenty of fibre is left in the juice. The food is crushed rather than cut. We chose the Oscar because in a comparison study, it leaves the driest pulp (and it really is almost dry!) and we havent regretted it. It is also useful for grinding seeds, making nut butters, crushing garlic and ginger, making sorbet and even pasta.

But, we have a blender too, and use that even more often, for smoothies mainly :)

[Pamela H in Texas]

Well, we have a juicer. We put through the pulp a second time to get as much as we can out of it. But then we use the pulp in other things also so we're still not wasting it, just possibly getting it at another time.

[MelanieM]

If you get a Vitamix or Blendtec you would certainly be able to blend so thoroughly as to enjoy blended juices. You could also blend and strain out fiber (with a nutmilk bag or cheese cloth) to make a more juice-like product if you choose. I know many people who use their Vitamix this way.

 

We try to use our juicer pulp for other purposes. It's especially easy with things like carrots (pulp goes to muffins!) but I'm not so creative with other things.

 

I think a lot will depend on what you hope to juice.

[MomofSeven]

The digestion of the fiber actually slows down the digestion of the enzymes found in the juice. So by forgoing the fiber, your body can absorb and digest those enzymes before they lose their nutritional benefits. This is especially true with fruits that tend to ferment and take longer to digest.

 

If it's the fiber you want, then the Vitamix is probably your best bet. I don't want thefiber so I have a Champion juicer...got it on Craigslist. Ebay also has them.

[stripe]

It would work fine for something like, say, strawberries, but I don't think it will work well at all to try to blend something hard like a raw carrot. For that you need to either cook the carrots (which changes the taste) or use a juicer.

[HRAAB]

It would work fine for something like, say, strawberries, but I don't think it will work well at all to try to blend something hard like a raw carrot. For that you need to either cook the carrots (which changes the taste) or use a juicer.

 

You can juice raw carrots in a Vita Mix. In fact, I've never found anything that I couldn't juice in my Vita Mix. However, I don't care for pure carrot juice from the Vita Mix; it's too sour, tart. You need to add some honey to it. It must be the pulp that makes it so tart. If we want carrot juice, I use my juicer. However, I'm always throwing a carrot or a beet into smoothies. Works just fine.

 

Janet

[Alison in KY]

The digestion of the fiber actually slows down the digestion of the enzymes found in the juice. So by forgoing the fiber, your body can absorb and digest those enzymes before they lose their nutritional benefits. This is especially true with fruits that tend to ferment and take longer to digest.

 

If it's the fiber you want, then the Vitamix is probably your best bet. I don't want thefiber so I have a Champion juicer...got it on Craigslist. Ebay also has them.

 

I'm debating which one to purchase right now. I had read though that with a juicer it would just spike your blood sugar, whereas if you go with a blender then the fiber would slow the digestion and give you a more even level of energy. You sound like you understand the process fairly well, can you share with me what you think about this? Also, what is the importance of digesting the enzymes without fiber (I don't even know what an enzyme is :tongue_smilie:.

 

Alison

[MomofSeven]

I'm debating which one to purchase right now. I had read though that with a juicer it would just spike your blood sugar, whereas if you go with a blender then the fiber would slow the digestion and give you a more even level of energy. You sound like you understand the process fairly well, can you share with me what you think about this? Also, what is the importance of digesting the enzymes without fiber (I don't even know what an enzyme is :tongue_smilie:.

 

Alison

 

Which is why I dilute my carrot juice with a little water. I also only drink at the most two glasses a day.

 

The enzymes are essentially the most beneficial part of the veggie that feeds your cells and helps repair them. The longer the enzymes stay in your digestive system, the less effective they are. Juicing speeds up this process.

hth