r/Juicing

Posting this because I went down a rabbit hole over the past few months trying to figure out which juicing claims are real and which are nutritionists-on-Instagram nonsense. Beetroot turned out to be one of the few that's actually backed up by serious research, and the mechanism is way more interesting than "antioxidants good."

Quick version of what I learned, then the recipe I've been making.

What's actually happening biochemically

Beetroot is one of the highest dietary sources of inorganic nitrate. When you drink it, bacteria living on the back of your tongue (yes, really, that's where this happens) reduce the nitrate to nitrite. Your stomach acid then converts nitrite to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator. It relaxes the smooth muscle in your blood vessels, which improves blood flow and reduces the oxygen cost of exercise.

Multiple randomized controlled trials have shown roughly 1 to 3 percent improvements in time-trial performance and exercise tolerance after consistent beetroot intake. That sounds tiny but at the level of a serious workout it's significant. It's roughly the magnitude of improvement professional cyclists chase with altitude training.

The bacteria part matters more than people realize. If you use antibacterial mouthwash, you wipe out the bacteria that do the nitrate-to-nitrite conversion and lose most of the effect. There's published research showing chlorhexidine mouthwash completely abolishes the blood pressure benefit of beetroot. Skipping mouthwash on training days is the most absurdly easy biohack I've ever come across.

The other thing nobody mentions: the red pigment isn't just decorative. It's a class of compounds called betalains, and unlike most natural antioxidants, betalains protect both water-soluble and lipid-soluble cellular compartments at the same time. Most antioxidants only work in one or the other.

The recipe I've landed on (makes about 12 oz)

• 2 medium beetroots, scrubbed (don't peel if organic, most of the pigment is concentrated near the skin)
• 3 large carrots
• 1 apple
• 1 whole lemon, peeled
• 1 inch knob of fresh ginger

Juice order matters: ginger first, then beet, then carrot, apple, lemon. This minimizes oxidation of the lighter ingredients.

The carrots and apple are not optional. Beetroot alone tastes like dirt-flavored regret. The combo plus lemon balances it into something you'd actually want to drink. The ginger does double duty: warms the flavor profile and adds gingerol, which independently supports circulation.

Practical stuff

• Drink it 60 to 90 minutes before training for the nitric oxide peak.
• Don't use mouthwash that morning.
• Pee will be pink for about 12 hours after. This is harmless (it's called beeturia, affects about 10 to 14 percent of people genetically). Stool will also be reddish. Don't panic and Google "blood in stool" at 2 AM like I did the first time.
• The effect builds over 5 to 7 days of consistent intake. A single dose does very little.

Six weeks in, my honest assessment: noticeable on longer cardio sessions, less obvious on short heavy lifting. Not life-changing, but the kind of small edge that compounds. And the mechanism is real enough that I'm comfortable saying it's not placebo.

Curious what others here have experimented with. Anyone else gone deep on the science side of specific ingredients?

Pretty much what the title says. I’m looking for any suggestions for a small cold press juicer that isn’t wildly expensive but that also works well. I would be using the juicer almost exclusively to make ginger shots as I spend a lot of money on them now and feel I could save long term by buying a juicer myself. I have heard that cold press juicers are supposed to be better than other juicers but I don’t know exactly what to look for. I am a bit overwhelmed with the options when I look into cold press juicers and the price range is confusing to me, how much better is the $600 juicer compared to the $60 one that I am considering buying? Thank you in advance for any answers

I begin regularly juicing 6 months ago. I had a dental exam before I started and no cavities. Usually do 4-5 juices a week cold pressed. I went to the dentist again and he said there are 3 baby cavities. I’m wondering if there is a correlation? I can’t really think of other changes lifestyle wise. The main thing I can think of is the juicing. I use a straw. Though I don’t brush after.

I don’t think the dentist is fear mongering or misreading the X-rays either. He is quite thorough and professional. I am paranoid now if I should juice maybe 2-3 times a week to preserve enamel?

I recently got a ninja juicer and have been using it daily, if not twice a day. Are there any precautions I should take in regards to drinking too much? I’ve heard too much raw spinach and beets can cause kidney stones and too much turmeric can cause liver damage. For a green juice I do a couple handfuls of spinach and kale, celery, an apple, a cucumber, a lime, and about an inch long piece of ginger. Today I did a carrot juice with a 1 inch piece of turmeric, carrots, and orange, a lemon, and an apple. I like to do a beet one with a beetroot, carrots, celery, and usually a chunk of ginger. If I have something like this daily, or twice a day, is that likely to cause any issues? It usually ends up being about 16 ounces of juice.

I am not asking for medical advice, just wondering if anyone has encountered this issue.

I am a kidney stone former... nothing frequent, but I have dealt with painful stones in the past. I have been told to avoid veggies that are high oxalate, like beetroot, cruciferous veg, etc.

At the same time, I need to start juicing for another health condition. It's been recommended I just go with carrot, celery and cucumber to stay safe, but that's going to get pretty boring.

Just wondering if anyone else has a kidney stone issue and if juicing has ever triggered it. If so, how did you change your juicing routine to maximize nutrients while not contributing to stones?

This is for the women. I started a 40 day juice fast and my menstruation came on a little earlier which I kind of expected it to not be regular but now I’m on day 11 of my cycle and have this on and off darkish red to brown blood still coming out. It’s not heavy but it’s also not just spotting. I’m guessing it’s cleansing or detoxing but just wanted to see if anyone had something similar. And also if anyone has seen any difference with their periods on a long juice fast? I’m trying to heal a heavy period plus some small fibroids. Thank you for any input!

I need some advice y’all!

I’m on day 17 of a 40 day juice fast. The first week went fairly smoothly, but the last 11 days have been terrible. I am having liquid diarrhea multiple times a day. This can’t be normal. What am I doing wrong?

The juices I’m drinking are the lemon ginger blast, but apples didn’t sit well so I switched to pineapple, no habaneros. And citrus juices, orange w/ pineapple & ginger and grapefruit w/orange & ginger.

I tried watermelon and carrots, not together of course, but they didn’t sit well at all. Not sure what I should do. Any tips to help my stomach settle? I am drinking some water, maybe 24 - 32 ounces a day. Should I up the water and reduce the juices? Or something else? Any advice would be appreciated!

I should also add that prior to the fast I was eating raw vegan for two weeks, and before that I was carnivore for about 3 months. I haven’t eaten wheat, eggs or dairy in years (was Paleo for about 13 years) so I definitely wasn’t eating the standard diet before starting the fast.

I'm sorry for this lazy, unresearched post. I am very ill right now from a newly-diagnosed condition. Juicing has been strongly recommended to me by all medical people involved. I have done some preliminary research online. I can't afford a top-tier juicer, so I am looking at low to mid-level priced juicers. Would like a cold press juicer that is good for daily long-term use (at least a year).

The problem I'm noticing in reviews is that many juicers are not good for daily use. Parts break easily, seal rings become deformed, clogs happen. So I am very lost about what to choose. Wish I could afford a Huron or something like it, but it's out of reach unfortunately. I would mainly be juicing veg... carrots, celery, cucumber, beets. Maybe apple. Maybe sometimes ginger root. I would unlikely be juicing very small items like blueberries and raspberries.

Could anyone recommend something that meets my requirements? I guess if it breaks after 3-4 months I could live with that, just to start getting the juices into my body. Ideally longer would be better.

Again, sorry I am only coming armed with entry-level knowledge. I am quite weak and time is of the essence. Thank you sincerely ❤️

Hi all, looking for way to store juices for long periods like 6 days.

So far what I have found is to use mason jar with manual vacuum pump - electrical are bad and not good in evacuating oxygen -

Also, I have found that MVP pump which hell expensive like $160 with shipping, but I'm not sure about this product? there aren't too many reviews about it.

Another product is: Aspen Essentials Mason Jar Vacuum Sealer Kit which cost $40 but still not sure about the quality

On more: Mason Jar Vacuum Sealer, Jar Vacuum Sealer Kit for by React cost $27

So, what do you think? is there any other better alternative product or way?

I want to start a solid food vacation and I was wondering which juicers I should buy, I heard that the best are the presses but they're very expensive and the second best are slow masticating juicers, I've found that the best are the Angel juicers and Tribest green star, anyone has reviews on those? And what are the differences between the two? Also which one should I pick? I'm thinking of buying a second hand and I found some for 300-500$. But I'm wondering if they will still function for a long time. If somebody has other models to recommend feel free to.