Let’s start with the basics: the ingredients.
When made on the spot, both juices and smoothies are made with real fruits and vegetables (rather than purees, syrups, or powders).
The shakes.
The shakes are made by mixing the ingredients. This means putting whole pieces of fruits and vegetables in the blender, so no fiber is lost.
The juices.
Juices, on the other hand, are pressed, which means that the pulp of fruits and vegetables separates from the juice. Juice generally means there are no “chunks” in your drink, but that also means there is no fiber.
We see advertisements for juices and smoothies everywhere as “homemade” juices and fresh smoothies are becoming menu staples everywhere as they both contain fruits, sometimes vegetables, and both are a perfect drink especially for the summer.
Why is fiber important?
Fiber is an important part of your diet as it helps keep your digestive system stable and active. There are two types of fiber and both are present in all types of fruits and vegetables.
Insoluble fiber:
Stabilizes digestion and draws water into the intestines to keep everything moving. You’ll find insoluble fibers in foods like cucumber, celery, carrots, nuts, and seeds.
Soluble fiber:
Soluble fiber helps lower blood cholesterol, slows carbohydrate absorption, and feeds bacteria in your gut. Soluble fibers can be found in oats, apples, berries, plums, pears, nuts and seeds, for example.
Like everything: eat fiber in moderation
Fibers are good for you and are present in all kinds of fruits and vegetables, but also in smoothies.
In general, you should aim for an intake of 70 grams of fiber per day. If you consume more than 70 grams, you may notice any of the following symptoms: gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal cramps.A fiber overload can also prevent your system from binding to important minerals (think calcium, iron or zinc) , which means that your body does not absorb them.
What are the benefits of the shake?
Studies have shown that mixed fruit leaves you with more antioxidants than when you would juice the same ingredients. That’s because you will find antioxidants mainly in the fibrous membranes of the fruit.
Let’s put this in context.
When you’re exposed to a lot of pollution, your body reacts by producing unstable molecules called “free radicals” in reaction. But this also happens with some foods, especially those that are refined and processed with a lot of trans fats, additives, or food colorings.
Antioxidants can prevent or slow down the damage caused to cells by these free radicals. They may even reduce the risk of cancer according to some studies.
All in all, antioxidants are good for you.
You may have heard of vitamin C, vitamin E, enzymes, and beta-carotene as known antioxidants. By using the mixture as a preparation method, your intake of this nutrient will be higher.
One last benefit we’ll mention when comparing smoothies to juices is that smoothies will make you feel full before juices. And that’s definitely a good thing!
Due to the pulp, skin and fiber of the natural and fresh smoothies, the volume of the drink is higher, which makes you feel full.
A juice, on the other hand, does not contain the same amount of pulp, which will not make you feel as satisfied. It’s easy to overindulge with juices, which also means a higher calorie intake (especially considering that some commercial shakes contain more sugar than popular sodas).
So are smoothies better than juices?
Because smoothies contain more antioxidants and fiber than juices, they have many more health benefits. Both beverages contain sugar, so both can raise your blood sugar level. However, the effects are more dramatic and faster with juices.
So yes, smoothies have more advantages than juices and are better for you.
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