At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.
What is Juice Plus+®?
Juice Plus® is a dietary supplement made of 17 fruits, vegetables, and grains. It was created to reinforce fruit and vegetable consumption, which often falls short of the recommended daily intake; it is not meant to take the place of eating fruits and vegetables, however. Juice Plus® claims to improve overall health and cites several self-funded studies to support this. Not everyone in the medical field accepts these claims. Juice Plus® usually has no side effects, but they do occur for some people.
This concentrated juice powder is derived from apples, beets, berries, black and red currents, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and acerola cherry. It also contains Concord grape, cranberry, kale, oranges, peaches, papayas, parsley, pineapple, spinach, and tomato. B vitamins, and carotene and vitamin E, are added to this blend. The company is quite clear that this product is not meant to be a substitute for eating fruits and vegetables, but is to be used only as an addition to an already healthy diet.
The manufacturers claim that the level of antioxidants and folate increases after drinking the juice. They also claim that the juice decreases the markers of inflammation, works to support the immune system, and protects the structural integrity of DNA. Cardiovascular health may also be improved by lowering homocysteine levels and maintaining the flexibility of the arteries.
The main criticism of Juice Plus® comes from a major cancer clinic in New York. The clinic suggests that the amount of fruit and vegetable powder is too small to make any real difference in a person's health. It is also critical of the impartiality of prior studies because nine of the studies were funded by the manufacturer or main distributor. Only one study was completely independent.
Side effects are generally rare for those who use Juice Plus®, but some study participants did develop hives. About a third of people using the product for seven days developed respiratory tract, urinary, and/or musculoskeletal complaints. Other participants withdrew from studies because of gastrointestinal side effects. Perhaps the most serious side effect was liver toxicity, which developed in a middle-aged patient with endometrial cancer; this reversed after the juice was stopped.
According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Clinic, Juice Plus® should not be taken by anyone undergoing chemotherapy without first consulting a healthcare provider. The antioxidants in the juice could interfere with some medications. The clinic recommends that cancer patients use Juice Plus® very cautiously.
AS FEATURED ON:
AS FEATURED ON:
-
![Broccoli is one of the many vegetables in Juice Plus+.]()
By: monticelllloBroccoli is one of the many vegetables in Juice Plus+. -
![Parsley is included in Juice Plus+.]()
By: Barbara PhebyParsley is included in Juice Plus+. -
![JuicePlus+ contains kale.]()
By: lohner63JuicePlus+ contains kale. -
![Juice Plus® is a powdered dietary supplement.]()
By: Orlando BelliniJuice Plus® is a powdered dietary supplement. -
![Made up of 17 fruits, vegetables, and grains, Juice Plus+® was created in reinforce fruit and vegetable consumption.]()
By: Photographee.euMade up of 17 fruits, vegetables, and grains, Juice Plus+® was created in reinforce fruit and vegetable consumption.
Discussion Comments
As a former Juice Plus+ distributor and customer between 2004-2010, I can say that my experience and those of my over 3,000 customers was overall good. You can tell a difference when you're taking it versus having missed a few days: general fatigue, sluggishness, hair and nails don't grow as fast (not sure that's important but it is a visible sign), sometimes just general malaise. Of the customers of mine who provided feedback and from the rate of retention (average of about 1 year), most was above average. Of course, those with not-so-good experiences may have come and gone before feedback could be solicited, and many times it has nothing to do with the product, but an error by the company which may not be fair in assessing a product's noticeable benefits by a customer (these may be people who find a problem with the "fountain of youth" when they find it).
I have since moved on from Juice Plus+ for personal reasons, and decided to thoroughly research all the available nutritional supplements on the market in order to make a more informed decision, and to report my findings to others for the same reason. In my quest, I discovered the best supplements on the market actually have three criteria that make them optimal daily nutritional supplements. (These same criteria can be applied to those products taken for specific, targeted needs or conditions, but here we are talking about nutrition for overall health and wellness).
Those criteria are: 1) it is made from the whole food; 2) it is comprised of mostly organic foods; and 3) it includes superfoods -- those foods we know to contain very high levels of nutritional content. The three companies I found that make a product that fits these 3 criteria are: Barleans, AKEA Essentials and Green SuperFoods by Amazing Grass.
There may be others that have the 3 criteria mentioned above, but the main focus was to find a complete nutritional supplement that is meant to cover the vast array of nutrients most of us miss in our typical day -- not a supplement specific to a particular problem (i.e. vitamin D for depression-like symptoms).
Juice Plus+ does not meet the second or the third criteria mentioned, and although the kale used is considered a superfood, it is the only one and it (along with all the others) are not from organic sources.
Those criteria can be debated on whether or not they are necessary, but if your focus is to get nutrition into your body to support your good health then doesn't it makes sense to seek a product with only the highest standards. That was the goal in my search. Hope you find this information helpful.
@burcidi-- Which Juice Plus capsules are you considering? There is a Garden Blend and an Orchard Blend. I'm taking the Garden Blend which has a lot of vitamin A, C, E and Folate. The Orchard Blend has more vitamin C and less vitamin A, E and Folate and also some Calcium.
I like Juice Plus because I have a very poor diet. I've never liked vegetables or fruits and if I'm good about it, I'll have maybe an apple a day at the most. For someone like me, Juice Plus is great and really does make me feel better.
I don't think that it would be as beneficial for people who already eat well and include a lot of veggies and fruits in their diet though. Considering the risks and side effects that studies have shown about it in the past, I don't think it's a very good idea for you to use it trying to conceive, or when you're pregnant. I think you might be better off taking regular prenatal vitamins and eating well.
A good friend of mine sells Juice Plus and I have heard all good things from her and common friends who use it. She is a really old friend of mine so I know that she wouldn't say good things about the product just to sell it to me.
Online, though, I have read a lot of criticism about the company who produces Juice Plus. The article has pretty much covered what those criticisms are. The fact that well known academic institutions are warning people about Juice Plus is not something to be ignored.
I've still not made up my mind about Juice Plus. My husband and I are trying to conceive and I have been looking at different prenatal supplements. I've heard on several pregnancy forums that some women have drank Juice Plus during the prenatal stage. I don't know if I should though.
There is a lot of hype about this product. It's almost like a fight between proponents and opponents and both have good points.
I've been taking the juice for several months and if I had to sum it up, it has definitely made me feel more energetic and has also slightly decreased my appetite, so I do recommend it.
The only downside I can think of is that it is pretty expensive and is only available through direct sale, so you can't find it in stores and have to buy a whole bottle to even sample it.
Post your comments