The green smoothie fad, a nutritionally uninteresting health trend

Spinach, fennel, celery, cucumber, kale … Green vegetables are valuable sources of micronutrients that are good for health.

Rich in fibre, it nourishes the intestinal flora, promotes the proper functioning of the intestinal passage and also allows for better control of blood sugar. It is also full of antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals that cause oxidative stress.

Their only drawback? They lose a fairly important part of their virtues depending on how they are consumed.

Significant loss in fiber and vitamins

When pressing vegetables or fruits and removing the pulp, Only water, minerals and some vitamins remainedexplains Aurélie Biron-Paumard, WW dietitian.

Less interesting than eating raw, juicing green vegetables lose one of their most important assets, fiber.

“These break down or disappear completely during stress,” our expert adds. “A very unfortunate result when you know most of us don’t consume enough of it on a daily basis,” according to the INCA3 report from ANSES. Also, some very fragile vitamins such as Vitamin C are denatured, eventually oxidizing in contact with air and light.

When you squeeze vegetables or fruits and remove the pulp, only water, minerals and some vitamins remain.

Another point to highlight: Green smoothies are rarely made with only green vegetables. Often, a little fruit is added to sweeten its taste.

“The trap is abusing the fruit and eating too much sugar at once,” warns the nutritionist. Of course, fructose is not like other pastries and chocolate cakes. But when eaten in very large quantities, this “healthy” sugar can cause spikes in blood sugar, which the fiber will not regulate, since it will be destroyed or altered during stress.

For this reason, excessive juice consumption is not particularly recommended for diabetic patients.

In addition, it is also necessary to make a difference between homemade green juices and industrial green juices. Poor in micronutrients, it is often rich in sugars and additives, the latter having almost no nutritional value.

Scientifically unproven detox benefits

When they are well groomed and consumed minute Green juices can provide Some benefits for the body, in particular an interesting source of water and minerals. But from there to make it a unique and exclusive list, beware!

“Green juices are often the subject of treatments, offered as miraculous solutions to get rid of the toxins accumulated during the winter and to fill you with energy as the sunny days approach, Aurélie Biron-Paumard decodes. But with or without juice, let’s not forget that the body works well. very on its own because it is equipped with oblong organs dedicated to this purifying function, such as the liver and kidneys.

According to marketing letters, the lack of fiber in smoothies would make digestion less energy-intensive, allowing the body to focus on other mechanisms, particularly those related to detoxification.

However, let’s remember thatNo serious scientific study to date has shown the detox benefits of green juice treatments.

In 2017, the French Association of Dietitians sounded the alarm about the lack of oversight in the detox industry, stressing that Many products carry unverified or even unauthorized claims.

Unbalanced diet

Varying food intake by combining proteins, fats and carbohydrates at each meal is an essential component of a balanced diet. This provides the body with all the nutrients it needs to function optimally on a daily basis.

However, feeding exclusively from the same food family is the exact opposite of this basic principle.

“Reassures Aurélie Biron-Paumard that in an otherwise healthy person a treatment for a few days will not lead to a dramatic and irreversible deficiency. But this occasional nutritional deficiency can have catastrophic consequences for the organism when it is repeated or extended.”

Fatigue, loss of muscle mass, weak kidneys, weakened immune system, deficiency in essential micronutrients… Adverse effects, far from the declared health promises.

Signs of hunger and satiety disorder

Although green, this liquid-only diet is not the best path to healthier eating.

In the absence of chewing, it is difficult to reconnect with the feelings of satiety that indicate one has eaten enough. Without standards to regulate your hunger, by simply discontinuing the treatment you expose yourself to eating more than one cause. And it is not difficult to imagine the consequences: if we lose a few kilos during a “detox” break, we regain everything we lost in the process, even more than before.

You can, of course, sip a green smoothie from time to time for pleasure, but it shouldn’t constitute one meal.

This is the famous yo-yo effect. Aurélie Biron-Paumard adds: “The metabolism is disturbed, and the body stores and keeps it for fear of being deprived again.”

a little satiating, because without fiber and protein, 100% green juice meals also put you at risk for cravings during the day.

conclusion? “You can, of course, sip a green smoothie from time to time for pleasure, but it should not constitute a single meal, motivated by pseudoscientific reasons,” our nutritionist assures.

And to add: “A healthy body has no reason to embark on a green juice treat, even after eating hearty chain meals.”