Juicing: The Connection Between Pain Meds, Spinal Injury, Ulcers

[Harrison]

OK, this topic is a little unusual but I’ll explain. I just started researching juicers/extractors as I’d like to get one some time this summer. I know that juicing provides 1.1 zillion health benefits, but there’s a lot to learn about the various design and models.

If anyone out there has a juicer, and likes its design, please let me know. In the meantime, I found this review (excerpted) on Amazon:

“…My wife and I have had this for four months of intense juicing of cabbage and occasionally broccoli. My wife had multiple stomach and duodenal ulcers from medications due to a spinal injury and we combed the internet looking for studies on the best home remedies, as prescription antacids were not healing her. We chanced across two studies on raw cabbage juice healing ulcers in a matter of weeks, so that led me to research juicers…”

[Zymergist]

I have an older juicer that I dont think is made any more. Id does not get used much as it is a royal PITA to clean. It is the old type where the pulp gets slung outward and caught in the surrounding dish. The other problem is the spout height, too low for most cups or glasses requiring a shallow dish.

I would look for:

Ease of cleaning
Pulp ejection
A high enough discharge to put a reasonable container under it.

I have been eyeballing the Jack LaLane unit, but have not tried it. The unit you linked to looks more like a wheatgrass juicer, and looks like a lot of cleaning work.

Hope this helps give you more to think about!

Jason

[cls]

I have been wanting to find a quality juicer (without paying $800-1000) ever since my fusion surgery. The first evening of my surgery I could not go to sleep because the meds and/or anesthesia were giving me hallucinations and for some reason I could not sleep. I ended up staying awake most of the night watching the Jack Lalanne juicer infomercial.

I was absolutely convinced that I had to have one and if I had not left my credit card at home I would have ordered one right there and then. I did however get up and put the 800 number in my phone so that I could order one when I got home. I never did order one though.

Harrison if you ended up buying something that you can recommend, I would love to hear all about it.

[Harrison]

Jason, thx for sharing your insights on your juicer design. As we know, there’s a lot to know about the biochemistry of juicing! I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time reading about juicing the past six months: the healing power of juices, raw juice chemistry, juicer designs, juicer reviews, books, etc. I’ve learned a lot and would like to learn more from you too.

I purchased a juicer a Breville BJE510XL that has received good reviews and is easy to clean e.g., 4-6 minute cleanup. I purchased it from Amazon for $160. I know that this centrifugal type is not necessarily recommended by the Gerson Institute, who has over sixty years of institutional knowledge on the healing power of raw juices for degenerative diseases. They recommend the Norwalk juicer, which uses a two step process: grinding then pressing. If you can afford the $2500 to get one, go for it! Can you get me one too?

One legitimate design limitation of centrifugal juicers is that because the stainless steel basket spins very fast, the juice separation causes an electrostatic charge, thereby ionizing the juice – which causes some loss of enzymes and vitamins. I believe this to be true, but suspect that this loss may be small (here's one reference on this tricky subject). But it’s important that no matter how you juice, you drink the fresh juice immediately. All fresh juices lose their enzymatic and nutritional value quickly – measured in minutes!

The Breville has five speeds, which does allow juicing of soft fruits or veggies, also preserving some of the nutrition as mentioned above. The $80 Hamilton Beach 67650 Big Mouth Pro is a good basic juicer too which also has decent reviews from Consumer Reports.

A word of caution here -- you do have to be careful of when juicing –- there’s an awful lot to know about produce nutrition:

1. Only buy and juice organic fruits and vegetables. I won’t even explain this here; it’s too involved and you should know the basics on this by now!

2. Fresh raw juices can be powerful medicine. For example, many vegetables have goitrogens – powerful natural chemicals that interact and even interfere with thyroid metabolism. Broccoli and cabbages are the more popular examples; but even veggies that are not considered cruciferous may have goitrogenic effects. Isn’t it interesting that these same veggies are known to be cancer-fighters?!

3. Fresh juices can also contain phytoestrogens (as in soy), which can alter the delicate balance in of hormones in both men and women. In women, this can lead to irregularities in the menstrual cycle; in men, changes in libido.

4. Some juicing books suggest not mixing fruits and veggies together, with a few exceptions like carrot-apple and carrot-apple-beet.

5. Many books will provide specific recipes for focusing on alleviating certain medical conditions, e.g.: arthritis, liver or kidney cleansing, diabetes, fatigue…

6. Fresh juice contains thousands of potent enzymes and vitamins and can quickly “clean out” your body, which is good, but it puts enormous strain on your liver, kidneys and other organs. It would be wise to do your homework on detoxification essentials while ALSO getting the support of a seasoned nutritionist and naturopathic doctor.

I know a few people from this community that started juicing recently and have made substantial improvements in their well-being, perhaps they will post here. I hope this information helps, pls do share your thoughts and observations with us.

[cls]

Harrison,

You're clearly ahead of me in the juicing learning curve I'll keep these tips in mind when I start. After my fusion I did start researching different juicers but I read so many differing reviews that I felt it was too hard to decide what to buy. Good pulp extraction and easy to clean up were my initial criteria but then as you point out you can really get technical with all the components and honestly I would have no way of truly knowing what is best. I am hoping to find something that is long lasting, easy to clean, with good pulp/mineral extraction for under $250.

I hope others post their experiences.

[Harrison]

Sorry if my post was verbose, but I mentioned the two models I am familiar with like for various reasons. I just added the links in the previous post and the product descriptions also include customer reviews.

Note: I learned that the prices on Amazon vary considerably, even for the same models...

[dlib44]

I bought the Breville juicer on Harrisons recommendation. I have been juicing apple, carrot and celery twice a day. I can honestly say I have noticed a huge improvement in the way I feel. I would highly recommend to anyone.

[Harrison]

Dan, thanks for posting. As you may know, people with degenerative diseases often have compromised diets. Hell, most Americans do!

As a result, we often have compromised health; meaning the GI tract, liver, gall bladder (et al) are in poor condition to support “good” immunity and detoxification. By now, there are tens of thousands of published works that accentuate this important human health message.

Even last night, I caught five minutes of Bill Clinton on Letterman and he cited statistics praising the cardiovascular improvements that study participants made by switching to a “plant-based” diet. Go to your local library and check out the books on enzymes! I’ll start reading one soon by Dr. Shinya, who has expertise in gastrointestinal health, diet, enzymes and overall health. These experts are hard to find, but I believe will become more sought after in the future – as their understanding of the human body will be accepted and needed!

A page from his practice’s web site is below.

_________________________________________

Dr. Shinya's menu for good health

“ A good dietary health” is the most important factor for you to enjoy a long and healthy life. Good dietary health keeps one’s stomach and intestine clean and prevents the body from decreasing the so called “Miracle Enzymes”.

Good Eating Habits

Good eating habits are essential for a healthy life. This means maintaining "The Miracle Enzymes" and keeping the intestines clean. Let’s review your eating habits; What, When, and How do you eat? Do you understand and control your dietary life?
Dr. Shinya recommends dividing food intake to 90% fruits and vegetables and 10% protein.

The points for good eating are:

1. Eat unpurified grains or cereals.
2. Eat more vegetables.
3. More seafood, less meat.
4. Eat raw foods.
5. Do not eat oxidized foods.
6. Eat fermented foods.
7. Avoid milk and milk products.
8. Take Vitamins and Minerals
9. Be disciplined with the food you eat. Remember, you are what you eat!

Good Water

Water is essential for your health. Drinking “good water” such as mineral water; especially hard water which has much calcium and magnesium keeps your body at an optimal alkaline PH. Optimal quantity is about 2 -3 cups about 1 hour before each meal.

Good Excretion

Start a daily habit to remove 'intestinal pollutants.' and to clean out your systems regularly.

Correct Exercise

Exercise is good for your health.
Walking (about 2.5 miles/day), swimming, tennis, golf, stretch, etc.
Rest / Sleep
Relax mentally and physically
Take enough time to sleep.
Being Stress-Free / Be Happy!
Positive thinking increases one’s immunity.
Negative thinking decreases one’s immunity.
Be good to yourself.
Saying 'NO' to release your stress.

[cls]

Fellow Juicers,

I purchased a Breville juicer and have been using it for a week now and really love using it. One thing that I would like to learn more about is how much should I be juicing to receive a healthy amount of vitamins/enzymes. Since I received my juicer I've been juicing every day and usually have a fruit drink in the morning and a vegetable drink in the afternoon. I purchased The Complete Book of Juicing by Michael T. Murray, N.D. which provides recipies and nutritional information on all the drinks but I am not sure if I am getting too little or too much of the nutrients from the fruits and veg that I am using. How much is too much? How often do most people juice? Once a day or more? Just curious what other folks do to get the most out of their juicers.

[Harrison]

I think everyone has to find their own rhythm on juicing; meaning, find what fits their body and schedule. I think the hard part, to your point, is finding what your body “wants” and “needs.” I am a little concerned about doing too much of it, as raw juice contains hundred of powerful enzymes, vitamins and minerals and is powerful medicine (see earlier post).

It seems like you found a good balance; but if you can find a good nutritionist or NP that may provide good advice – go for it. There’s a lot to know about detoxification indeed!

Thanks for the book mention by Michael Murray. I didn’t know about this book, but read the book on Candidiasis he wrote which is excellent and an easy read. For anyone with yeast issues I recommend it. It’s on Amazon or maybe at your local library.

Back to healthy juicing. My sister found a pamphlet on Raw Juice Therapy from the 1950s in a used books store. It’s an interesting piece, chock-full of insights that are especially useful today. I scanned it and attached as Word document, see the attached. Also note the testimonials in the back cover a wide range of medical conditions.

If anyone is amenable to spell checking and editing this document, I’d be much obliged! ; )