Posted by Jeff Jurmain in nutrition on June 29, 2007 at 2:02 pm
326 Bloor Street West
416-531-2635
894 Queen Street West
416-913-2720
147 Spadina Avenue
416-599-4442
Cost of regular juice: $5 to $7
It can take a while to comb through the menu at Fresh By Juice For Life. It's easy to lose yourself in the flurry of ingredients assembled before your eyes.
Fresh is an extremely popular vegetarian restaurant with three locations. One reason for that demand is the selection of juices. Many stray into atypical territory. The menu details 41 juices, shakes, smoothies, and “elixirs.” Anyone feeling creative can head off-menu and throw together whatever mix they want, leaving hundreds of possibilities.
Fresh’s ingredients go well beyond produce. What follows is an impartial exploration of 10 supplements included in many of their beverages. Do they really work in a way implied by the drink’s name? Because in the supplemental arena, some things really do work while others float along on the back of myth, or perhaps hope.
1. Ginseng (“Supersonic”)
Ginseng is known as an “adaptogen” meaning it protects the body from all forms of stress. It is a thoroughly researched herb, and it’s safe to conclude a few things:
- In diabetics, it can reduce weight, boost energy, and stabilize blood sugar levels. (Vuksan V et al. "American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus." Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:1009-1013)
- It can improve physical performance, but not in small amounts such as those in Fresh juices. (Cherdrungsi P et al. "Effects of standardized ginseng extract and exercise training on aerobic and anaerobic capacities in humans." Korean J Ginseng Sci. 1995;19:93-100)
- Promising studies show it can boost our mental function. But you’d have to take a good dose over a long period of time. (Sorensen H et al. "A double-masked study of the effects of ginseng on cognitive functions." Curr Ther Res. 1996;57:959-968)
- It increases the ability to withstand a cold or flu, so having a few Supersonics during flu season certainly won't hurt. (Scaglione F et al. "Efficacy and safety of the standardised ginseng extract G115 for potentiating vaccination against the influenza syndrome and protection against the common cold." Drugs Exp Clin Res. 1996;22:65–72)
2. Spirulina (“Blueberry Thrills”, “Tour de Force”)
This is blue-green algae. The notable news on spirulina is that it is chock full of many vitamins and minerals. (Though it has vitamin B12, it is of no use—we can’t absorb it.) For this reason it’s a good addition to a juice, but it has no proven medicinal action in the body.
3. Royal Jelly (“Aphrodisiac”)
Royal jelly is basically the saliva of worker bees. It is high in protein and a handful of vitamins. Whether it’s an antioxidant and how it promotes health is still unknown. But since many bee products (including propolis and honey) are powerfully healthy, it gets the benefit of the doubt. It has no proven medical use, including boosting one's sex drive.
4. Vitamin C (“Immune Boost”)
While this is an essential nutrient, the question of whether vitamin C boosts immunity and prevents infections like the common cold is continually debated. If vitamin C does so, the opinion is that it’ll take one to two grams a day. What vitamin C is more likely to do is relax blood vessels, helping relieve hardened arteries. Vitamin C has a long list of purported abilities outside the boundary of its essential nature in our body. In any event, most of us get a ton of C every day through a range of fruits and veggies. It's likely an unnecessary juice supplement.
5. Echinacea (“Immune Boost”)
This herb may truly succeed in boosting your immunity. Loaded with “polysaccharides,” Echinacea has been found to boost your immune system in many ways. Sure, a few years ago two major studies found the herb did not prevent the common cold. But they don’t displace the mountain of other studies that found favourable results. (One example: Goel V et al. "Efficacy of a standardized echinacea preparation for the treatment of the common cold..." J Clin Pharm Ther. 2004;29:75-84) This Fresh ingredient likely lives up to its billing.
6. Cayenne (“Liver Flush”, “Flu Fighter”)
The cayenne spice is in a couple of “power shakes”, giving them a bit of a kick. “Capsaicin” is the main ingredient and applying capsaicin cream can reduce arthritis pain. But drinking it? Taken daily for five weeks, cayenne can lower the pain, bloating, and nausea of chronic indigestion. As for your liver or the flu, cayenne is unlikely to do anything. (Mosby's Handbook of Herbs and Supplements and their Therapeutic Uses. St. Lous: Mosby, Inc., 2003, p. 453)
7. Milk Thistle (“Liver Flush”)
Now here is a herb known for its effects on the liver! It houses an ingredient called “silymarin” that can protect your liver cells from damage by alcohol, toxins, and even hepatitis. While the jury’s still out, milk thistle could be recommended for preventing or treating alcohol-related liver damage. (Schulz V, et al. Rational Phytotherapy: A Physicians' Guide to Herbal Medicine. 3rd ed. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1998, p.216)
8. Chyawanprash (“Deep Immune”)
Hailing from India, this supplement contains a slew of herbs from Ayurvedic medicine. It is renowned for having massive levels of vitamin C, which is arguably the one nutrient we don’t really need help getting each day. Studies in India and Nepal show that it may help boost the immune system. More research is needed before we'll know anything for sure about this supplement. (Sur TK et al. “Effect of Sonachandi Chyawanprash and Chyawanprash Plus...on immunomodulation.” Nepal-Med-Coll-J. 2004 Dec; 6(2):126-8)
9. Wheatgrass (“Liquid Oxygen”, “Singing Grasshopper”, shots)
This green food is thought to cleanse the body and boost our health. Wheatgrass is unquestionably nutritious, containing a long list of nutrients and amino acids. It contains a substance that some believe kick-starts the body’s antioxidant defense system. But “superoxide dismutase” is, in reality, not well absorbed when you eat it, so you wouldn’t get enough of it in a shot or a juice. But it’s healthy as heck.
10. Ultra Wheymore Protein (“Superbuff”)
This is a commercially prepared protein supplement. While it will deliver amino acids needed to make protein, there is actually not much proof that whey protein will increase your muscle mass. For instance, studies have found strength training boosts muscle mass just the same as strength training plus whey protein. (Tipton KD et al. "Ingestion of casein and whey proteins result in muscle anabolism after resistance exercise." Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004;36:2073-81)
All things considered, Fresh juices are very healthy. They are packed with nutrients, and on a summer afternoon nothing will quench a thirst and replenish the body better than a tri-fruit combo beverage. Whether or not supplement ingredients perform certain actions in the body is a different story. According to the evidence to date, drink them for the taste, but check any curative expectations at the door.
