How to Juice for Heart Health
At least four servings of fruit and vegetables a day are recommended for heart health by the American Heart Association, a quota that many Americans do not meet. Juicing is an effective way to up your servings of these healthful foods and help ward off the No. 1 killer in the nation today. Drinking fruit and vegetable juices allows quick absorption of large amounts of concentrated enzymes, antioxidants and nutrients, because the process of digestion required with whole foods is eliminated.
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Instructions
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How to Juice for Heart Health
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Buy a brand-name juicer with a warranty of at least five to 10 years. Look for a motor speed of no less than 450 watts. For maximum health benefits, buy a single or twin-gear juicer. These juicers revolve at the slowest rate to crush produce, creating less heat and oxidation and allowing more vital nutrients to survive.
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Select heart-healthy fruits and vegetables for juicing. Yellow, orange, white, and red fruits and vegetables are the most heart supportive, according to the American Heart Association. Antioxidants contained in pomegranate juice appeared to reduce the formation of fatty deposits on artery walls in a study conducted at The University of Naples, Italy. Cranberry juice is considered heart-healthy, as is red-grape juice, which might help lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of blood clots, prevent damage to blood vessels to the heart, and help maintain blood pressure.
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Consume juice quickly. Drinking juice immediately after juicing helps avoid oxidation and the loss of essential nutrients. Leftover juice can be kept in the refrigerator, but not for more than one day. Store in a tightly sealed container.
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Tips & Warnings
Buy organic produce if possible to reduce pesticide and chemical ingestion. For added nutrients, juice washed fruits and vegetables with their outer skins intact.
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Resources
- Photo Credit The cut pomegranate and garnet juice in a glass. image by Dmitriy Melnikov from Fotolia.com
