9 Reasons A Juice Cleanse Will Work In Your Favor

People have a lot of opinions about juice cleanses, and a lot of those opinions seem to be negative. Questions and comments like, "Why would I ever choose to starve myself," or, "I heard juice cleanses make you miserable," often come up during a discussion about detoxing.

While we understand why the thought of consuming nothing but juice may raise some eyebrows, remember the saying, "You can't knock it till you try it."  Perhaps after reading on about the benefits of a juice cleanse, you may even find yourself seriously considering one.

Sometimes, to get your health on the right track, your body needs a serious reboot. Through juice, your body can absorb far more servings of nutrients thanks to the heaping amount of fruits and vegetables involved, than you could ever consume in a single sitting in solid form, resulting in an optimal recharging and refining cleanse. To put it simply, choosing to do a cleanse is taking a step toward cleaner eating habits and a healthier lifestyle. In addition, it helps keep your cravings in check and may even wean your taste buds off of processed, unhealthy food.

Considering a juice cleanse? Here are nine reasons it may work in your favor.

Have you ever heard of bacteria called firmicutes? Firmicutes are a phylum bacteria commonly found in the stomach that are directly linked to weight gain and obesity. Bacteroidetes — a bacteria also found in the stomach — has been linked to regulating the absorption of fats. The high level or antioxidants and nutrients provided by juice cleanses allows your body to balance the bacteria in your stomach, causing a decrease in firmicutes and an increase in bacteroidetes. The result? True bliss for your belly.

One of the hardest parts about keeping up with a healthy diet is finding variety in antioxidant-rich meals you find filling and delicious. When it comes to dieting, half the battle is deciding what to eat, and in the process forcing yourself to say no to processed foods. Whether you choose to make your own juice or buy a pre-packaged cleanse, the ingredients are simple: fruits and vegetables. Say "so long" to processed foods; for once you begin your cleanse, all you have to do is sit back and drink up.

Once your belly is balanced, your digestive organs can finally work the way they're supposed to. In fact, juicing has been proven to show an increase in cyanobacteria and bacteroidetes, which both play an important role in gastrointestinal tract development.

During a cleanse, your body is fully absorbing all of the nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants from the contents of the juice in the quickest way possible. Once all of these healthy properties are so easily absorbed, they relax your blood vessels and increases your blood flow, resulting in less stress on your heart.

Pressed Juicery reports that after trying a three-day cleanse, you can lose up to four pounds, and keep about 50 percent of that weight off for two weeks. Though weight-loss shouldn't be your main reason for trying out a juice cleanse, it's definitely a reason to consider it.

When we let our diet get away from us, the risk of damage in our cell linings increases, resulting in lipid peroxidation — a common cause of accelerated aging. According to the US National Library of Medicine, fruit and vegetable juices have the ability to reduce oxidative cell damage, which can decrease the risk of lipid peroxidation.

It's no secret that fruits and vegetables are good for you, largely because they are rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin E and beta-carotene, which fight disease and can help lower the risk of cancer. When you're ingesting your food as a liquid, you're consuming much more than you would than if you were eating it in the form of a solid. This means that you'll be consuming a high amount of antioxidants through the duration of the juice cleanse.

Scared you can't kick your caffeine habit? After a few days of a juice cleanse, you may be surprised by how much energy you have. Woodson Merrell, MD and Chairman of the Department of Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center, reports that juice cleanses can actually improve your energy levels. Merrell says, "After the first day's adjustment period, most people begin to feel much more energy and clarity (by consuming only fresh juices) than they ever did with frequent caffeine drinks."

While many people worry that they'll be hungry during a cleanse, it's important to remember that it's not like you're not consuming anything — you're actually drinking a ton of juice! Since you're drinking so much juice, not only will you feel full, but your body will be more hydrated than ever, and our bodies often mistake hunger for dehydration.