Make sure if you are drinking green juice, you are either making it at home or buying real, fresh juice. If you haven’t started incorporating green juices into your diet yet, here are some of the health benefits and reasons to do so.

Why Drink Green Juice?

It’s rich in antioxidants

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Thanks to all the green veggies, green juice is rich in antioxidants.

It’s filled with easy-to-absorb nutrients

Along with antioxidants, green veggies provide minerals and phytonutrients. Drinking them rather than eating them allows your body to process them a lot easier.

It’s high in chlorophyll

You’re probably familiar with the chlorophyll in plants. It’s what makes them green and helps them absorb light and convert it to energy. But did you know that it has a lot of health benefits for the body as well? In people, it aids with digestion, helps detox the liver, and has antioxidant properties.

It reduces inflammation

Inflammation lies at the root of almost every chronic disease known to man. From obesity to diabetes to cancer, inflammation is almost always the cause.  Green juice helps reduce this inflammation and helps prevent serious health issues.

It alkalizes the body

Your body’s pH level is very picky. It can’t be too acidic and it can’t be alkaline. It needs to be right between 7.35 and 7.45 pH. When you consume alcohol and processed foods, your body becomes more acidic. Consuming green veggies in green juice helps maintain your alkalinity.

Beware of Mass Produced Juice

So why should you be careful about buying juice at the grocery store? The ingredients aren’t what they seem. Always read the labels (as you should for any food) before pulling the trigger. What you’ll likely find is that a lot of the juices are fruit heavy rather than vegetable heavy, having barely any greens at all!

Many companies also add extra sugar. Some juices can have up to 50 grams of sugar per bottle. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugar you should consume in a day is 37g for a man and 25g for a woman. These sugars are not only poor for your diet but they can also cause your blood sugar to spike.

Preparing your own juice or buying fresh juice from your local juice bar helps you not only avoid these excess sugars but it also helps ensure that vegetables are the number one ingredient. Plus the juice is completely fresh and the enzymes of the veggies are kept intact.