A juice cleanse is a short diet of only fruit and vegetable juices, marketed for “detox” and quick weight loss. Its main effect mirrors eating far less: weight loss, much of it water, partly regained. Detox claims remain unconfirmed. Heavy spinach and beet juicing has caused permanent kidney damage. Short cleanses of pasteurized or pressure-treated juices limiting spinach and beets are a modest, low-risk fast for healthy people. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Body weight | No established target; track change from own baseline | Expected to change |
| Blood pressure | No established target; track change from own baseline | Expected to change; safety check for dizziness |
| Serum creatinine | About 0.7–1.3 mg/dL in men, 0.6–1.1 mg/dL in women | Safety check: a rise stops the cleanse |
| Potassium | 3.5–5.0 mmol/L | Safety check: high values stop the cleanse |
| Fasting glucose | 70–99 mg/dL | Expected to change; safety check for low values |
| Uric acid | About 3.5–7.2 mg/dL | Expected to change; safety check for gout |
| LDL cholesterol | No established target for short-term change; compare with own baseline | Expected to change |
| 24-hour urine oxalate | Below about 40–45 mg/day | Safety check: high values stop green-juice use |
| INR (warfarin users only) | Prescriber-set therapeutic range | Safety check: out-of-range values change dosing |
Cadence: Baseline panel before the cleanse; daily weight and home blood pressure during it; repeat blood tests at the end of the cleanse and 2 weeks after refeeding; same panel before each repeated cleanse