Can Juice Really Make You Healthier?

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Stick to a Two-Drink maximum While the disease–fighting potential of juice may be considerable, it shouldn't be an invitation to keep refilling your glass. "Most fruit juices are not only higher in calories and natural sugars– up to 38 grams per 8–ounce glass–but also take less time to consume than the whole fruit," says Stoler. There's no peeling or slicing involved, and unlike whole foods, the energy in beverages won't do much to fill you up–which could spell weight gain if you're not careful. One study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that when people were given either the solid or liquid version of certain foods (watermelon versus watermelon juice, cheese versus milk, and coconut meat versus coconut milk), those who drank the liquids consumed up to 20 percent more calories throughout the rest of the day.

"Most juices are low in fiber, a nutrient that helps delay the emptying of your stomach," says Stoler. "And unlike whole fruits and vegetables, which take time to be broken down by the body, juice moves through your system almost as quickly as water." To make juice a waistline–friendly part of your diet, she recommends limiting your intake to no more than 200 calories per day. That's 16 ounces of most fruit varieties (like apple, orange, and grapefruit), about 8 to 12 ounces for more sugary juices (like grape and pomegranate), and 24 ounces of most vegetable juices.

Don't Bother with Juice Fasts You might have heard that this extreme diet– consuming nothing but juice for days or weeks on end–can help you slim down or "cleanse" your body of harmful toxins, but McManus warns not to buy into the hype. "There's simply no scientific evidence to prove that subsisting on juice helps expel waste products from your system," she says. "You'll just be denying your body essential nutrients from the foods that you're not eating, like lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains."

Because you're getting so few calories (often less than 1,000 per day), you may feel sluggish, dizzy, or irritable– not to mention hungry. Some people even report bad breath, breakouts, and sinus congestion. Even if you can put up with all that, you probably won't experience lasting weight loss. "You may drop a few pounds," adds McManus "But they'll return once you start eating real food again."