In the 70s and early 80s juice therapy remained exclusively in the domain of naturopaths, but today, with the advent of integrative medicine, juices have entered the standard prescriptions of many physicians. To a large extent, this new-found belief in juice therapy by allopaths owes its existence to pathbreaking research in the field of antioxidants, and the realisation that juice therapy is the most reliable tool in preventive medicine and almost without any side effects whatsoever. This is in sharp contrast to the variety of dangers associated with the artificial supplementation of vitamins, particularly of vitamin A and vitamin D. 

Ordinarily, to get the amount of nutrients from raw sources would require considerable quantities of fruits and vegetables to be ingested. The roughage, residue and lignin contained in all plants are a burden to the digestive system if taken in excess, especially for the ailing who already have a weakened system. Cooking further destroys the nutritive content - not totally, but enough to require us to take in greater quantities of the food to get the required balance. 

Add to this the fact that with the addition of fertilisers, the nutrient content of commercially farmed fruits and vegetables is much lower than for the organic variety. The peeling and scrapping processes we employ to make dishes leaves them bereft of the most essential nutrients that are usually contained somewhere near the outer layers. The plants themselves use these compounds to prevent diseases - as self-contained anti-oxidant systems - and this layer is the strongest defence of the plant. 

Besides being convenient to drink by the glassful, most fruit juices are absorbed by the system within 15 minutes of intake. Raw juices, properly extracted, are known to be second only to honey in the speed with which they are assimilated (especially if taken on an empty stomach). They are the perfect food for both elderly people and for those whose systems have deteriorated through years of faulty living. This is the reason why those who have been fasting are advised to break their fast with a glass of fruit juice since juices contain already contain enzymes and provide the starving body with new energy without drawing upon too much of the body's vital energy for digestion. 

Yet another reason, a juice diet is recommended to merely eating raw foods, is that of roughage. This is the part of your meal that remains undigested, the fibre-containing part that is still beneficial, because it adds body to faecal matter. However, there are liquids locked inside the tiny cells of plants, especially in vegetables, which get lost as indigestible roughage when taken whole. These organic chemicals, which often colour the fruits, are found in oranges, lemon, pepper, tomatoes, cabbage etc. The principle bioflavanoids include several trace elements, vitamin K, vitamin P, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and a crystalline substance called hesperidine, mostly in the peel and the pulp. 

To get at these vital nutrients, we shall have to consume great amounts of roughage, and not only would we need to masticate the food thoroughly, we would also require a very strong stomach mechanism to derive maximum benefit. However, a good quality centrifugal juicer can perform this function for us and we need not tax our digestive system. By crushing and grinding the roughage fibre and the rinds of the vegetables, a juicer will fully extract the vital nutrients from the plant cells the human stomach cannot ordinarily get at. 
 

Fresh fruit juices are the cleansers of the human system. They do the work of purifying the blood, casting out accumulated toxins from the cells, whereas vegetable juices are the prime regenerators that help in the production of new cells to replace those which have either depreciated or have been destroyed by disease and faulty dietary habits. All this without the toxic effects of drugs and of megadoses of artificial vitamin supplementation. With juices, you can eliminate or prevent many of the chronic and degenerative diseases, revitalise your blood, sharpen your nerves, rejuvenate glandular activity, and in a matter of days restore the acid-alkaline balance of the system. 

With revivified glands, the limbic system, which is the source of the instincts of hunger, thirst and sex, gets stimulated. A carefully planned intake of juices, regularly taken (at least 2 litres of juices a day for the first 4 weeks), will get quick, noticeable results. The accumulated toxins and impurities on the walls of the blood vessels will be eroded as the intake of juices tends to correct the colloidal cell composition which may have become unbalanced through years of unnatural living. As the intake of juices reaches a level where it detoxifies the stomach and offsets the blood acidity, making it more alkaline; the acidic toxins that have built up in the tissues due to years of faulty diet dissolve, just like a clogged sink is cleared by chemicals which eat away at the clog. It is a deluge of goodness, and this detoxifying process will take place through your entire system - your blood, your bones, your skin and all your internal organs. Alkaline juices, such as the juice of apples, carrots, and wheatgrass are excellent for this purpose. 

The eliminative processes thus begun are powerful indeed, and have the force to dissolve and expel those microscopic toxic masses that have lodged in the cells of the body, especially in the glandular system. The impurities cannot withstand the overwhelming avalanche of properly combined juices and under their repeated impact, deposits are reabsorbed by the blood stream and cast out. The dying, non-performing cells in the tissues gradually regain their efficiency and the organ too regains its proper elasticity. The evacuation of accumulated toxins will bring down body weight in a matter of weeks, and the increased efficiency of formerly inactive cells will ensure far greater vital energy throughout the body. It will first show on your skin, as it loses its pallid shade and acquires a pink, pristine glow. 

The initial stage may sometimes be marked by mild diarrhoea, low-grade fever and headaches, but this is no cause to worry. It occurs because initially the impurities that have been `rinsed out,' as it were, reenter the bloodstream before they are finally evacuated from the body. Many of those who adopt juice therapy unfortunately give it up after the first of this healing crisis. Having gorged themselves for years with utter rubbish, they opine that raw juice `does not agree with them.' What they need to understand is that this only signifies that raw juices do not harmonise with the unhealthy condition of their system. Once the effective uprooting of the body's poisons has been achieved, the initial discomfort is quickly replaced by a newfound vigour and zest. Remember, we are essentially what we eat - what goes into our body forms flesh, bones and blood tomorrow. The quality and balance of our food intake virtually controls our glands, our behaviour and possibly that of our children. 
 

Juices also help in weight reduction. Obese people are advised to remain primarily on a juice diet for a period of two months. But if you aren't obese and are worried about the weight loss that accompanies juice therapy, it is important for you to comprehend the fact that the body of the raw eater gains weight right from day one. The weight that is lost initially is the loss of weight of the false man - the dead and dysfunctional cells - after which you will continue to grow in a normal way till you reach your natural weight. A new taste for juices will also develop by this time, and you will appreciate juices for the depth and range of their original flavours. You will perhaps also discover tat you can no longer stand the taste of many of the spiced and cooked foods you considered `delicious' before. 

As to the time required for you to recover from a chronic ailment with juice therapy, remember that although resistance to disease does increase considerably in the earlier stages, the cure of a chronic disease, which entails a thorough cleansing and rebuilding of the clogged tissues, is a slow process. Unfortunately, in this age of the quickfix, people still look for an overnight solution, be it only a temporary one. Nature works, yes, but slowly. 
 

A lot of planning has to go into raw juice therapy. Every fruit or vegetable has its own combination of vitamins and minerals and every person requires a customised menu. For example, juices from all dark fruits - dark grapes, berries and cherry - are beneficial for those suffering from low blood pressure. Bioflavanoids such as ascorbic acid have been found to be effective in strengthening the heart and the kidneys. The vitamin C found in aamla and lime has been found to produce 16 percent more of the energy-giving glycogen than crystalline ascorbic acid, which in itself has been found to improve glycogen storage by over 60 percent. This is of enormous benefit to those with low blood sugar, or those who get fatigued and feel lacklustre easily. 

Also a daily dose of carrot, lettuce and spinach juice furnishes vital missing nutrients to the roots of the hair, and thereby stops hair loss and restores natural colour. Besides the dangerous minoxidil compounds (which lead to a patchy growth that disappears on stopping the drug), juice therapy is the only known way to stimulate hair growth in certain cases. This is because only juices can provide a range of vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and trace elements that go into the formation of hair. The high content of potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and silicon in the above-mentioned combination furnishes the hair roots with the missing nutrients, stops hair loss and actually restores natural hair colour. 

New research conducted at the University of Wisconsin indicates that multiple glasses of grape juice may have the same anti-clogging effect that red wine and alcohol do. This is important for those who choose not to drink or should not because of conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The flavanoids contained in grape juice guard against heart disease by turning down platelet (the blood-clotting cells) activity, thereby reducing the chances of a blood clot sticking to the walls of the artery and blocking it. Many drugs are used for this, and aspirin too has been prescribed, but unlike drugs, the effect of grape juice is not decreased or eliminated by stress and other factors which raise adrenaline in the patient. 

Perhaps the most easily illustrated benefit of juice therapy would be the protective and curative effect juices have on a person who suffers frequently from colds. Not only do fruit juices satisfy the thirst that is created by a rise in body temperature, but they also help neutralise the acid-toxins in the system. They release into the bloodstream large amounts of mineral salts and vitamins, especially vitamin C, thought by many to be one of the more reliable cures for the common cold.