The Truth About Juicing & Which Juicer is Best


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Juicing is the best way to quickly extract massive amounts of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables and get them into your body. This is why I drank 8 glasses of veggie juice (mostly carrot) every day for several years as part of my anti-cancer diet. Some holistic survivors I know only drank 5 carrot juices per day (like Ann Cameron and Ralph Cole). Cancer patients on the Gerson Therapy drink 13 juices per day. So what’s the takeaway? Drink lots of fresh juice! Even just 1-2 glasses per day will do you good, but 40 oz of carrot juice per day is the generally accepted minimum effective dose for cancer patients.

There are a lot of opinions out there about juicing, and every juicer manufacturer wants to convince you that their particular juicer produces “the best tasting, highest quality, most nutritious juice…”

What started out as a simple message about juicing for health has in recent years evolved into a strict set of “juicing rules” that people are obsessing about. So much so, that some people stop juicing (or never start) because they’ve been told that any juicer other than a $2,400 Norwalk Juicer is inadequate, and won’t produce nutritious juice. This is absurd.

So before I get into comparing specific juicer models, I want to address a few popular misconceptions about juicing:

“Juice must be consumed immediately or it loses all its nutritional value”
I made a big 64 oz batch of juice every morning and drank it throughout the day for two years as part of my anti-cancer routine. The only juice I drank “fresh” was the first juice of the day. And I know lots of people who have healed cancer that also made juice in batches like this. 

But most importantly, there is scientific research that backs this up. Enzyme activity is one of the best ways to measure nutritional degradation in juice over time. As it turns out, the enzyme activity in juice from many different types of juicing machines actually remains very high for several days after juicing.

Juice retains antioxidant activity for up to six days in the refrigerator.

Tip: Organic carrots were found to have twice the amylase enzyme activity as conventional carrots. Another reason why organic produce is best if you can get it.

“High-speed juicers create heat that destroys the nutrients in juice”
Also not true. High-speed juicers do not get hot enough to “cook” the juice. Enzyme activity has been found to be very high in juices from all different types of juicing machines, but some are a little higher than others. I used a Champion high-speed masticating juicer (they are out of business as of 2022) and I know lots of natural survivors who used high-speed and centrifugal juicers. I use a Nama J2 juicer now.

A study comparing high-speed and low-speed juicers “observed no significant differences between cold-pressed and normal centrifugal juices in terms of the contents of bioactive compounds (ascorbic acid, total phenolic, and total carotenoid) and antioxidant capacity (ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity).”

The study also found that “under simulated home-refrigerated storage conditions, the antioxidant capacity, contents of bioactive compounds and physicochemical properties of the cold-pressed juices remained unchanged till day 5 post-storage. However, at day 6, most of the parameters exhibited a decreasing trend and reached their lowest values at day 7. Principal component analysis confirmed significant changes in the quality of juices at day 7 of storage related to the first two principal components (ascorbic acid and ferric-iron reducing antioxidant power).”

My anticancer juice routine was to make all my juice for the day (64 oz) every morning. But based on the findings of newer research, you can make bigger batches of juice and store it for up to five days without losing much nutritional value.

Pro Tip: If you are storing juice to drink later, I suggest using air-tight glass bottles or mason jars, leaving as little air as possible at the top, and keep it refrigerated.

“Can you make juice with a Vitamix, Blendtec, or NutriBullet?”
No. When you squeeze an orange, you extract the juice from the pulp. That’s juicing. Blenders do not do that. Blenders make smoothies. Smoothies are sometimes referred to as blended juice or blenderized juice, but it’s definitely not the same thing. Extracted juice is medicinal food. It goes straight into your bloodstream and requires very little digestive energy, and you can consume a lot of it, which is why it is beneficial for cancer patients. Think about it this way. Juice is medicine. A smoothie is a meal.

“What about store-bought juice?”
It’s typically not fresh (more than 5 days old) and has lost nutritional value. It may be pasteurized, which further destroys nutrients. Store-bought juice is typically not an acceptable substitute. If you are buying organic unpasteurized juice from a local smoothie bar made within a day or so, that’s fine.

Doesn’t juice have too much sugar and feed cancer?
The natural sugars in juice feed ALL of your cells and deliver high levels of anticancer nutrients into your blood. I’ve interviewed 60+ people who’ve healed cancer with nutrition and natural methods, and like me, nearly all of them ate a high raw, plant-based diet and drank lots of freshly extracted juice daily. Juicing is awesome. Don’t be afraid of the sugars in juice!

“Chris, what juicer do you recommend? What is the best juicer?”
Here’s the deal. I’ve used all kinds of juicers over the years and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there is no “best juicer”. There are a lot of different juicers out there and guess what… they all make juice. Some make a little more juice than others, some do better with beets and carrots, others do better with leafy greens, some are easier to clean, and some are more durable and last a long time. But as my friend “The Juice Lady” Cherie Calbom says:

“The best juicer is… the one you will use!” 

If you have cancer and are about to start a hardcore daily juicing protocol, it makes sense to invest in a high-quality juicer. If you are juicing casually, a few times per week, a less expensive juicer is fine.

Fun story. A few years ago I was asked to be in an infomercial for the Bella Nutripro Cold Press Juicer,  which was a potentially huge and exciting opportunity for me. They sent me one to use and it kept jamming up and produced way less juice than my Champion, and it was the same price. I wanted to be in the infomercial, but I just couldn’t endorse a product I didn’t like. So I backed out. The juicer and the infomercial campaign turned out to be a flop and ended up hurting the reputations of some other influencers who endorsed it.

Here are some juicers I recommend…

The Champion Juicer
As many of you know, I used a Champion 2000 Commercial Juicer for many years, but sadly, they’ve gone out of business. I spent a lot of time with the Champion during my healing journey and it will always have a special place in my heart.


The Nama J2

In 2021 my friend Joe Cross took juicing to the next level by designing the Nama J2 Juicer, which has become my favorite juicer. It’s a cold press juicer with a huge feeding container like a blender. You fill the top container with your produce, close the lid, turn it on, and walk away! It requires very little prep time. No more force-feeding one tiny piece of produce at a time into a narrow chute. The Nama J2 is a juicing game-changer for sure. Major time saver and an excellent juice extractor. Everyone I know who has one raves about it. And it has a 15-year warranty!

Learn more about the Nama J2 here

Use coupon code CHRIS10 for $55 off.

The Omega J8006 is also a great juicer. If you are using one now, there’s no need to change.

I also have a Green Star Juicer. It’s the one on the right in the first picture. It is an excellent juicer, but it’s bulkier, a bit slower, has more parts to clean, and is currently living in the attic.

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Welles Peoples Juice Press

If you want to extract the maximum amount of juice humanly possible, you can use a Champion Juicer to grind your produce into a pulp, and then press the juice out with the Welles Peoples Juice Press ($399). This two-step process takes longer, but should give you roughly 50% more juice than a Champion or a Green Star/Green Life juicer, and was found to outperform the $2,400 Norwalk juicer, extracting 2 oz more juice per pound of carrots, and producing juice with the highest enzyme activity while saving you $1,700 bucks. I recommend putting that extra cash toward a Berkey Water Filter, a Vitamix Blender, and lots of organic fruits and veggies.

Let’s compare two of the most popular lower-priced juicers…

breville juice fountain plus je98xl

My dad has a Breville Juice Fountain Plus ($150). He started out with the $450 Green Star juicer (that’s now in my attic), but it took too long to clean. So he replaced it with a Champion, which he liked and used for a few years. Then for some reason, he bought a Breville and decided he liked it better than the Champion because it was even easier to clean. He’s a casual juicer and clearly quick clean-up is what he values most. I’ve used the Breville and I like it too. It’s fast, easy to use, and definitely easy to clean. It has a two-speed motor and a large 3″ feeding tube, which is great, but the downsides are it doesn’t extract as much juice and it only comes with a 1-year warranty.

“Which juicer is best for greens?”
Greens are hard to juice because they don’t have much juice in them. This is why most juicers just don’t juice greens very well. A pound of spinach gets you like an ounce of juice. Every time I tried to juice greens I always felt like I was wasting them, so many years ago I decided to just eat greens whole or blend them up in smoothies in my Vitamix.

“What do you think about the (insert brand name) juicer?”
What do you think about it? If you have one and like it, then keep using it. I have used other juicers, but I chose not to mention them in this post, because I think the juicers listed above are the “best” in their respective price ranges. Also, I didn’t want to overwhelm you by comparing the subtle pros and cons of dozens of juicers and give you analysis paralysis. So now you have my opinion, but when in doubt, remember what my friend Cherie Calbom says,“The best juicer is the one you will use!”

“I can’t afford a juicer”
If money is tight, look for used juicer on eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace. And ask around! Chances are, someone you know, a friend, a family member, a co-worker or a fellow church member, has a juicer they aren’t using that they will loan you or give to you for free.

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Chris Beat Cancer: A Comprehensive Plan for Healing Naturally, published by Hay House, is a National Bestseller as ranked by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly! Get it on Amazon here, or anywhere books are sold.

I've interviewed over 60 people who've healed all types and stages of cancer. Check them out here. Or use the search bar to find survivors of specific cancer types.

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This Post Has 117 Comments

  1. Jean

    What about the nutri bullet? It juices the whole vegetable.

    1. Pat

      The nutra bullet has been working great for me, just love it.

    2. Rusti

      Same here, I use nutra-bullet, affordable on HSN, and very easy to clean, which I love :)

    3. Rusti

      Nutri-Bullet works great for me too. Affordable (on hsn paying flex) and easy to clean! which I love :)

    4. Peg

      As Chris stated above, the nutribullet is a blender. So it makes smoothies, not juice. It is a wonderful product, but not a juicer

    5. bernard

      With juicing you’re not suppose to eat the pulp. You only drink the liquid.
      There is a difference. When you only drink the liquid, your body will absorb the nutrient almost immediately, practically no digestion process is needed.

      Where as when you “drink” the juice with the pulp. You’re practically “eating” a meal. Therefore digestion process is needed.

      You cannot eat 8 glasses of vegetable juice worth WITH the pulp. Nobody have large enough stomach to accommodate that.

  2. Bridget

    When my husband began his healing journey 3 1/2 years ago, someone gave us a Jack LaLanne juicer. Works great, easy to clean, and we are still using it now. It is probably not the one I would have picked, but we were in no position to turn down a free juicer. :)

  3. Linda

    Chris, I bought a Champion in 1982, and it is still going strong. I recently replaced the blade is all.

      1. Christine

        I was told carrot have too much sugar in them so I should do mostly greens, but not the cruciferous because they are hard on my thyroid. I juice alot of lettuce, green pepper, ginger, beet greens and swiss chard, green apple, parsley, celery and 1 carrot and/or beet. It makes alot of foam and pulp. Should I strain it again? Is this better with a certain type of juicer?

      2. L. H.

        I also LOVE the Champion. I have had three other juicers including the Greenstar, Breville and Huron, and I love the Champion the best as it is so easy to clean and very sturdy! When you run the pulp back through the Champion you can get ever more juice, usually about 1 to 1-1/2 cups more!

  4. Alex

    Thanks Chris – it’s great to hear from experience and not just opinion.

    One quick question – are the cheaper juicers any good with greens?

    Alex

  5. elaine

    wow iam going to bye the juicer and iam going to start my diet on that but its only that like u dont eat food are its just juice late me no iam going to do it

  6. camen

    Using a vitamix is still ok to get the nutrients in your body … does it really make a big difference with a juicer

    1. Peg

      A vitamix is fantastic, but not a juicer. Using the vitamix gives you the juice and pulp/fiber from the whole fruit. The philosophy behind juicing is that you can get the phytonutrients and enzymes from mass amounts of fruits and vegetables….much more than you could possibly eat. Using the whole fruit or vegetable limits your intake. It all depends what your goal is.

  7. Hope

    I have a Breville — not the model you showed but I think a bit less costly one. I love it. It works great, clean up is easy but you must use the brush it comes with to clean the blade/grater part. It can be tossed in the dishwasher too.

  8. David H

    Is whole juice (or blended juice) good for a non-cancer patient, as a prophylactic? I am working towards a raw vegan diet and already have a Blendtec.

  9. Carl

    Chris, Excellent information on juicers! Thank you! Most of the juicers that you talk about will not do greens very good. I believe that a Vita-mix would work great on leafy greens. Just blend them up and drink. Organic greens are excellent to clean and detox the body! Don’t forget you can hold your nose while you are drinking the green juice.

    1. Helen

      Chris, great post! Carl, greens are the reason I use the Greenstar! It is fast and easy enough to use. Greens, parsley, cilantro, wheatgrass, daily. Worth every second and minute, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

  10. Steve

    Review:

    Just got my 2nd BJE410 (Breville Juicefountain – the first is now with my daughter), and though it’s great, I’ve noticed that the quality of these things differ.

    The first one is perfect, does what it says it’ll do and “relatively” easy to clean (I prefer to do it by hand each time as my dishwasher tends to scratch the clear plastic – the BJE410 requires the user to clean 5 or 6 parts each time, so I’m pleased to hear Chris’ comments about only making juice once per day – that’ll save me some work).

    The 2nd BJE410 purchased only 3 weeks ago, spits out juice from around the edge of the blade enclosure as it works (found this out while juicing with a clean white polo shirt – now a green spotted polo shirt). I’ve had to fit a large rubber “O” ring inside of the blade housing to keep it from doing this. Not sure if it’ll work consistently, but Breville in NZ weren’t very helpful when I called to ask for advice.

    Also to reduce cleaning, I fit a plastic bag (which I get when I buy my veggies from the supermarket) into the collection bin of the unit to save me cleaning that each time.

    Hope this helps those who are researching which one to buy.

  11. Elaine

    1) What about needing to “chew” the juice, or swish every sip around in your mouth before swallowing so the digestive wnzymes in your saliva are released to get all the benefits? Is this true? If you don’t “chew” your juice are you missing out? How necessary is it to do this step?

    2) What about the claim that blending (Vitamix, green smoothies) are better than juicing because you consume all the fiber and everything from the vegetable or fruit versus just the juice?

    1. Chris Wark

      1) Yes I swish juice and smoothies around before swallowing to help break them down. I think it’s helpful.

      2) Neither is better. Both are great. :)

      1. Linda V.C.

        oh wow I have never swished before!

  12. Carien

    Good point, that the best juicer is the one you love to use. I went from a conventional juicer to a slow-juicer and I prefer it because this one gives me more juice from the fruits and vegetables. Thanks Chris for all the info on your site. Very happy to read you can store the juice for a day.
    I am going abroad and as a (pancreatic)cancer patient I want to have my juice, so my juicepresso travels along with me !

      1. Lobo Azul Tostadores

        Leo, this link you post talks really bad about The Gerson Therapy and sounds like your typical unconnected and average pharma doctor. I don’t think he is a good suggestion.

        1. Leo M. Schwaiger

          In his post (Greger’s) about The Gerson Therapy (coffee enemas in particular) he mentions that he got the info from medical journals which generally have not had good things to say about Dr. Max Gerson. He also mentions that he had not previously heard about Dr. Gerson–that sounds strange for someone interested and posting articles on whole foods. Read the comments people left stating they and others received benefits from The Gerson Therapy. Greger might not be considered the “typical unconnected and average pharma doctor” if his other approximately 1700 videos are considered.

  13. laurra

    Hi Chris,
    Not sure what you mean by factoid… About
    the organic carrots.. Never heard the word factoid… so its ok to use non-organic carrots, correct? that’s what ann used
    and that other man.

    thanks
    Laura

    1. Chris Wark

      Haha I used the word factoid “as in” fact, but then your comment prompted me to double check the definition of factoid and turns out it basically means a common but unreliable fact. So I changed it. Non-organic is ok, organic is best if you can get them. I only used organic.

    2. Rusti

      I did hear organic is best esp. for carrots. If you look, I’ve found them pretty affordable too.

  14. Ron

    I see that you recommend both juicers and blenders. Why would you need both? Also, I’m assuming that you would not recommend the use of conventional produce, correct?

    1. Chris Wark

      Juicers make juice, blenders make smoothies, nut butters, soups. I consume all. :)

  15. vivI

    Chris, I was just wondering about jucing 5# of carrots daily for cancer. Wouldn’t this increase the blood sugar and therefore the risk of diabetes? I don’t have cancer, but have thought of jucing carrots but have been afraid to because of this. What do you think?

    1. Gayle

      Do not be afraid! Do your research. Carrot juice is wonderfully healing. I have been juicing for 33 years. Carrot juice was #1 for me. I was able to heal my eczema. The whole reason why eczema happens is because of the “leaky gut” in your intestines. Juicing heals the lining of the intestinal walls and cleanses the whole “gut”. After 6 months all my eczema and I had more energy than ever before.

      1. Gayle

        After 6 months all of my eczema healed….

        1. Kristi

          I have eczema… This is encouraging. Thanks for sharing!

  16. Diane N.

    I got a Champion juicer for $30! at a yard sale. It even has the “blank” for making “ice cream” from frozen fruit.
    I consider it the BEST DEAL I’ve ever got. Thank you for your considered expertise and opinion on juicers.

  17. Kim

    I’ve been juicing awhile. I started with a regular juicer.Since it didn’t juice green very well and I thought it was wasting the greens i switched to a nutribullet. I really love it and it works well. When I want a nice glass of fresh juice I’ll pull out my juicer. The nutribullet blends everything into a smoothy. I put everything in the nutribullet like chai seeds and flax meal and protein powder. With a juicer I just put veggies in the drink. I like them both but use the nutribullet on a daily basis.Thanks Chris for all your info on juicers. You did answer a few of my questions that I always wanted to know the right answers.

  18. roy

    i use the ultra bullet. people need fiber in thier diet and that gives me juice and pulp which the body needs, i also have a juicer , the Breville , like your dad and you seem to like, so i used bothostly the bullet, because some thing you use in the bullet you just cant juce, such as healthy avacados and alot more things than that.personally i think useing both is a great idea for health.
    im also 64, and can do anything i could do in my late 40s, early 50s. so throw in some body movement in the mix.

  19. Brent Hammond

    Great information. Thank you Chris!

  20. Diane N.

    Chris, I read the article by Dr. Donaldson and I’m wondering if you always peel your carrots (and other vegetables)? I never have thinking it was best to leave the peelings on. I never store my juice. I make it fresh and drink it right away.

    1. Donna

      What I have heard is that you should peel non-organic carrots but only need to scrub organic carrots.

  21. Jen

    It’s very easy to make juice with a blender and super easy to clean up … you just need to use a Nut Milk Bag to strain the produce after you blend it. It’s silky smooth with no pulp and great for greens. I recommend using a large jug (I use a 3L one) to do the straining into. Happy juicing.

  22. Zyxomma

    Hey, Chris! Always good to read your opinion. I have an old Omega juicer (not very efficient, but it was all of $25) and an even older VitaMix (one with a reverse switch, a squared stainless steel container, an “Action Dome,” and a wooden tamper). They both get a lot of use.

    If you ever want to get your dad’s Green Star out of the attic, let me know — I’d gladly pay shipping ;). Health and peace.

  23. Dory

    Hi Chris, do you still juice everyday and how much per day if you do? And lastly, is your diet more like a paleo diet now?
    Thanks very much.

    1. Chris Wark

      I juice many days, but not every day. When I do, I make about a 16 oz serving.
      Not paleo. I eat mostly fruits and vegetables, organic meat about 3 times per week, and I eat grains like rice, barley and oatmeal. Raw dairy occasionally. Eggs occasionally. Wheat occasionally.

  24. Babs

    Hi – I am looking to buy a new juicer – I make mostly green juices with kale, beetroot etc. I would like a juicer that is versatile and can juice these green vegetables but can also make nut milks, any suggestions folks? Thank you.:)

    1. SeattleSue

      Babs, I LOVE my Omega. I does all of those things. Organic soy milk that tastes like love itself, organic almond butter, fresh fruit sorbet. Yum. 15 year warranty!

  25. Margaret

    I made my smoothies all on one day & froze in breast milk bags.

    Here is my take on this:
    People who said you have to juice and drink right away must have a lot of time on their hands.
    Plus a lot of money for organic veggies.
    I didn’t think there would be much nutrient difference by making my smoothie and freezing than having the veggies sit and (naturally) lose nutritional value (like red cabbage).
    Juicers are a pain to clean. With cancer, the task seemed even bigger. This way, I could just commit one afternoon to making a mess and freezing and I would be good for a while!
    I just juice my green apple and carrots (my friend, Tracy, gave me a Hamilton Beech she wasn’t using – THANKS Tracy!), pour into my Vitamix and add the rest. This way, I get enough liquid so it is not too thick and blends easily and I feel I get more (much needed) fiber.
    When I need one, I just take out a bag (portion) few minutes before and let it sit on the counter to thaw (like when I’m getting dressed or showering, etc.), then pop it into the blender with my protein powder and we are off!

    1. Donna

      Margaret,
      Thanks for your tip about storing in breast milk bags. I just kept my 4 mos old grandson and his mom sent these bags so we could keep frozen til needed. Never dawned on me to use them for juicing. What an awesome idea!! Thanks so much for sharing. It will be so helpful to prepare juice ahead to last longer.
      Blessings, Donna

      1. Margaret

        Yes, I should have mentioned that we also have 4 kids. At the time of my diagnosis, 4yrs., 6yrs., 6yrs., and 11yrs. Plus, we homeschool. I really didn’t have time to juice each day.
        The invention of necessity is a beautiful thing!

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  27. Maly Tran

    Thanks for the extra confirmation of what I already know. I have an Omega juicer, love it and organic carrots from Costco is my daily surplus. Blendtec is what I use for blending my spinach and kale…yes a waste to juice it in juicer. Thanks again for your wonderful information.

  28. Louise Thomas

    Thanks for you expert juicing machine suggestions. I have been looking at lots and there are so many to choose from. But I am going to buy the L’Equip 306601 XL Juicer, so many thanks for the tip!! And a huge well done for beating the cancer :-)

  29. elizabeth

    I love how straight to the point you are when writing your posts!! I think it makes the message so much stronger.
    Cherie’s book is the first and only juicing book I bought 4 years ago when I began my journey with raw, living foods. Such a good book!
    My juicer is the L’Equip. It has been my one and only juicer over the past 4 years. I hope it keeps going for many more! I just adore this juicer. So quick and so easy to clean.
    Peace & Raw Health,
    Elizabeth

  30. Carla

    Thank you for the fantastic info! We purchased our Green Star around 1998 and it’s still going strong. We love it but it does have a few drawbacks as you mentioned… when we are juicing mega amounts of juice it is super slow and can only go for about 1 hour max and it is very tedious to clean up. However, we were convinced from the beginning that the slower gears gave us maximum enzymes so we’re too old to switch! haha!

    We got the hard-sell last year on the Norwalk and were really convinced but just couldn’t spring for the purchase so we bought a Welles juice press and now use our Green Star for the pulp and finish in the juice press. WE LOVE IT!!! Maximum extraction for a fraction of the cost! We were so excited to see you list that as one of the most efficient methods. It’s great to get confirmation!

    We also like your tip on the greens. It does seem like too little return for the amount of greens we put through the juicer so Green Smoothies for us!

    Thanks again!

  31. Bernie H.

    Hi Chris, I tried to juice greens 2 days ago, hopeless, nada. Love carrot juice. My problem is, when is it healthiest to eat and/or take vitamins, time wise, in regard to juicing? When taking carrot juice,are some vitamins redundant and can be eliminated. AND what is the easiest and acceptable way to clean carrots for juicing? I would deeply appreciate your response. Thank you.

  32. Lisa F. @ The Valley Vegan

    I make/drink 1-2 juices every day (green + carrot) and I’ve seen a huge improvement in my gut health, my skin, and general well-being. I have been at it for over a year now, and although I can’t back it up with any scientific proof, I have not been sick at all during this time.

    I began with a Breville centrifugal juicer, but found that 1) it couldn’t keep up with the volume of juice I was producing, 2) it was highly inconvenient to clean and 3) I didn’t like the slightly elevated temperature of the juice.

    I switched to an Omega Masticating, and love it. I treat the time it takes to make the juice as a meditation, and since I’m only making juice twice a day I don’t find any real need to store juice at this time. Clean up isn’t exactly a cinch, but it’s much easier than the centrifugal. Also, I don’t have to worry about cleaning the machine halfway through making a juice to clean out the pulp!

    Thanks for all the great info here! I’m posting it on my page as well, so people can see that juicing isn’t just for the “hardcore”!!

  33. Cheri

    This is to all the people who had cancer and drank as much as 5 cups per day or more of carrot juice… did any of you ever have your blood work done after doing this over time… did your liver numbers go up? I have lymphoma and I’ve been drinking only 2-3 cups per day (I’m a little orange now) My friends who are nurses and a few doctors said I will ruin my liver from the high doses of vitamin A. Did anyone experience this? I’d like to drink more but I’m a little hesitant.

    1. Charlotte

      I also have lymphoma – diagnosed in July. I wondered the same thing about too much vitamin A. I just started juicing in October, first about 2 or 3 times a week, and now trying to make it a daily habit. I use more than just carrots in my juice, but there are lots of veggies high in vitamin A.

  34. Larry Winfield

    Hi Chris

    Thanks for all this information,
    I must invest in a juicer, perhaps
    the: L’Equip XL one for: $119.00
    may cost more here in: Nova Scotia.

    Best regards
    Larry

  35. Grace Gambino

    Hi Chris, thanks for all the information, you’re such an inspiration! I’m currently battling breast cancer with mets to the bones. I’m taking faslodex but also doing Budwig Diet and juicing among other things..when you were battling your cancer what veggies and fruits did you juice? I juice kale, beets, celery, carrots and green bell peppers with some ginger..is that good enough? Any suggestions? Thanks so much!

  36. Chris Pedersen

    Just want to chime in here about the fiber issue. You still get fiber when you juice.

    There are two kinds of fiber: insoluble and soluble. Think of it as pulp you can see (insoluble) and pulp you can’t see (soluble). You get the soluble fiber when you juice which has similar benefits to the insoluble type.

    Get your greens/veggies whichever way you like best: juice or blend. :)

  37. Kim

    great post about juicing and juicers. Thanks for all you do!

  38. Pat

    Great article, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in June of this year, they basically told me there was nothing more that they could do. I decided to take the natural route and bought a champion, loved it and it made great juice, but was slow and took too long to clean. After a month I was talking with to other cancer survivors that used diet, juicing and supplements to battle. I visited them and decided to get the same juicer as them since they both spent less than 20 minutes a day juicing (including clean up), it is the Breville. I have had it for the last 5 months and it is awesome! Cannot say enough about it, I also own a Santos Commercial unit and it is even faster (but cost 10 times as much).

    1. lorreann

      Is your Breville still holding up? And even more than that…how are YOU doing? I am thinking of getting a Breville because I really found the Champion too heavy and hard to clean. Thankfully I bought it at a garage sale and didn’t spend much. Just curious how heavy duty the Breville has been.

  39. Kimberly

    I think the line that made me laugh the most was, “..and gues what, they all juice.” I love your no nonsense practicallity Chris.

    Oh, and you can store the Green Star Juicer on my kitchen counter, until the Champion goes down.

  40. Diane N.

    I have loved reading all the comments here and appreciate the extra info from Chris and all you commenters. Just wanted to add that I use a lot of the fiber from juicing to make crackers in my dehydrator. I add nuts, flax meal gel, spices and such and it makes fabulous raw crackers. No waste.

  41. Terry Strand

    Thanks for another excellent and informative discussion. (Nice looking kitchen, Chris!)

    Terry

  42. Donald M

    I would suggest buying a Champion juicer on your local Craigslist. You can usually pick one up for under $75. I got mine off of Craislist for $40. Deal! They basically last forever.

    I have been having a hard time,however,finding a used juice press. They are very hard to come by.
    Any suggestions?

  43. Sally Oh

    Hi Chris, Love your posts! I have a Vitamix and would like to start making smoothies with carrots and a green (spinach or kale). Does anyone have a good not-too-sweet recipe for a Green Carrot smoothie? Thank you!

  44. David N.

    My first juicer was a Breville centrifugal juicer i bought for $99 off Amazon and used for about a year. But it wasn’t designed for wheatgrass and I decided to start growing wheatgrass at home and i bought the Omega you mentioned. The Omega definitely makes a bit more juice but I have to chop up everything whereas with the Breville you can drop in whole carrots and cut apples into maybe 3-4 pcs. The Omega probably cleans faster though and just plain looks better.

  45. libby

    Hey Chris thanks for the info. I bought a Champion in ’78 and it’s still going strong. Unfortunately the new screen and homogenizer have changed slightly in size, so finding replacement parts for one that old is challenging. It also doesn’t work well for greens. I’m curious though, I’ve been reading a lot of positive stuff about Hurom Juicers. Any opinion on using a “slow” juicer such as the Hurom?

  46. Terry L.

    My understanding is that vitamin C is very susceptible to any heating process and is destroyed with the centrifugal juicer. Any comment?

  47. Dotty

    Chris, had a gastric bypass 1yr ago and cancer runs in my family genes.Because of the bypass ,do you think juicing with the Champion juicer could help me in my situation?

  48. Sonia

    Greetings Chris
    This takes all the confusion out of which juicer is best for most nutritional value so thanks heaps for this. We have a Breville and I was concerned about losing nutrients but as you say, the best juicer is the one you use.

  49. Ru L

    Our champion lasted us 16 years. Quick, easy 2 clean. Great 4 carrots n ice cream. Not good wheatgrass. Ok other greens. Screen does get clogged with time and tedius to unclog with a needle. Any ideas for unclogging?? Using Healthstart last 18 months. Not as sturdy as champion, harder to clean and screen clogs up. Also slower. Have been juicing 2-3 per day.

  50. judy flowers

    oh this is great info, although we are not in a position to purchase a juicer today I will pray about the need, my husband has undergone treatment (chemo twice and radiation once) for stage 4 Colon. He eats all the time but does not keep nutrients as he has to go to the bathroom a lot
    He is on several meds now and he has A LOT of gas (stinky)
    He has a lot of bad habits, ie still smokes and drinks too much coffee.
    I hope I can get him to do this. I had just said earlier tonight I thought he should stop eating solid food and just drink.
    Thanks again

  51. Jennifer Quiroz

    I make juice in my vitamix, i just squeeze it through a nutmilk bag after blending it. :)

  52. Rebecca Cody

    Three years ago when I was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer I bought a Hurom. All the raw folks were touting them and I rather imagine they were being compensated because the juicer has been a huge disappointment. It puts so much pulp into the juice that I had to place a small strainer at the top of the container to catch the excess. I loved the quietness of it and the fact that it didn’t take up much counter space, but I quickly found that juice spilled out below the basket, making a mess to clean up. Within a few months it had stopped working at all. BAD CHOICE!

    I inherited my mom’s Champion and it’s still going strong. I did contact the Champion folks to see if they were making a wheat grass juicer to run on the same motor. They were, but it wasn’t ready for sale then. It is now, so if anybody wants to juice a lot of greens and wheat grass, you can do that with the new Champion wheat grass attachment.

    1. Wendi Rostan

      Thanks for your post on the Hurom. I have how wonderful it is and now I see that I should go with the Champion. I can’t thank you enough for your post including the information about the wheat grass attachment. I am also a BC survivor (stage IV) and am always looking for new ways to improve my health.

  53. Carole Delbridge

    Hi Chris, thank you so much for all your advice has been very helpful, I to am a cancer survivor [Breast 5years ago] also have a juice and green smoothie every day .Chris can you please tell me if it is ok to use agave nectar in a raw vegan cheese cake, many thanks and God Bless

  54. David

    I have a LaLanne centrigfugal juicer. My favorite is spinach, kale, cucumber, celery, garlic and lemon. I usually use equal parts kale and spinach, and when juicing greens, I roll them up into a ball. I use 4-5 celery stalks, one half to one cucumber depending on its size, three large cloves of garlic, and a whole lemon. No need to hold your nose for this spicy and tart drink! Some people add green apples instead of the lemon and garlic, but I must prefer the lemon flavor. I save my apples to mix with carrots, as per Gerson.

  55. Dale

    I’ve always found the Champion very hard to clean and the pulp too wet – I’ve had to run the pulp through twice.
    I also agree that any fresh juice is a plus no matter what the juicer. But the Omega 8004 and 8006 are the easiest to clean and juices so well that the pulp is really dry.
    That’s my two cents!

  56. Gillian

    I love my angel. Been going for 6 years now. It extracts the maximum out of the veggies and fruit and the pulp is minimal and extra dry. Veggies go just that bit further.

  57. Allison Hulley

    Great website, I regularly share it and also was wondering about what is mentioned here with juicing and juicers. So now This article has answered those questions!

  58. Ed

    Ha! Awesome, the truth about juicers. Thanks! I was just thinking about getting a new one but, maybe I’ll hang on to the old one for a while. I have an old juiceman juicer that’s almost 15 or 20yrs. old. Seriously, that thing is an animal but, it has a hard time with beets (now that it’s old) and some other veggies that have a high fiber content. Anyhow, thanks. :-)

  59. Liz

    I have a greenstar, a Breville, a nutribullet and a basic blender. I use the blender and strain the pulp to get the juice. I got really tired of spending over an hour a day washing, cutting, juicing and mostly cleaning those darned juicers. I now spend 15 minutes with my blender and have juice. No, I don’t get every drop of juice out but the pulp goes to my chickens so its not wasted.

  60. Ju

    Hi! My Mom was a colon cancer survivor, and I am trying to get in the vegetarian diet, juices and smoothies to reduce the risk about cancer. Could somebody suggest friendly recipies for this type of cancer? any suggestions? I mention friendly, because sometimes stomach gets upset about eating lettuce…..Thanks :)

  61. Bill Garten

    Chris – thanks so much for your email review on juicers – which juices are best for cancer? Thanks for any help you can give!

  62. rose

    I have tried juicing before and I’ve always got a lot of diarrhea. Now that I’ve had cancer and pelvic radiation I’m nervous to try this as I now have enteritis…which means that I don’t digest the fiber well. Any suggestions, Chris?

  63. Dr. Jacquie Mackenzie

    Like your mom, at least 20-25 years have passed since I bought my Champion. I love juicing. Since I live in Mexico, any morning on the streets, I can buy 12 ounces of fresh carrot, beet, or apple juice for $.77. It is juiced in front of me from organic carrots. I feel so fortunate.

  64. MarVelous

    I use a Champion Juicer and have been using it for approximately 35 years. It is still “kicking” and serves me well. I juice carrots, then juice some greens, then the carrots again so that the carrots can push the greens through a little at a time. It works great with kale, collards, mustard, and other greens. At the end of juicing I pour about 1/4 cup of water into the cavity to pull out the remaining residue of juices. I am currently working with a friend who was diagnosed with cancer several years ago. We started an intense program of juicing, exercise, hydrotherapy. The tumors have been arrested. Her bowels are moving for the first time in over fifty years (without the help of enemas). We are seeing results, slowly but surely. My brother was “cured” of Hodgins Lymphoma in the late 1970’s with lots of prayer, juicing, exercise, and hydrotherapy. He is still alive. He refused chemo and radiation and has outlived his doctors who died of cancer. The quality of life during the healing process is much better when using the natural juices, I believe, than with treatments using the alternative methods so commonly used today (chemicals). Those who are in doubt, try it and you will not be disappointed.

  65. Daryl

    I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in September 2013 and know very little about juicing and what veggies I should be fighting cancer with. I’m on Chemo now. I know its poison but it is working. I have a Breville Juicer, a Nutri Bullet and a Ninja Blender. I love the Nutri Bullet. It works great and doesn’t take long to make enough for me and my wife and its really easy to clean up. Haven’t used the Ninja yet but I’m going to.

  66. Teresa

    I am curious about the sugar content in the carrots and that all the sugar is extracted into the juice. Does this sugar feed the cancer? And do we lose some of the benefit thru juicing verses blending?

  67. Linda Heymans

    Hi Chris, Do you know a Dr. Mark Stengler?
    He says to have the answer for cures for Cancer???? I saw this via articles about Jenny Thompson.
    I kind of doubt him.

  68. Linda B

    I’ve had a NorWalk for 23 years and this is the one I use when I’m going on a juice fast. I also have a Vita Mix which is 23 years old and I also use it for some “juicing” and smoothies..

  69. Ed

    Thanks again for demystifying juicing. I found this very helpful and I am planning to re-post this on my blog. Please let me know if you object. If you read this after I have re-posted and wish for me to take it down I will.

  70. Robert

    I have owned over a dozen juicers in my life, including a Champion and a Green Star, and I currently use a Dash. It is very similar to a Breville. I make apple-lettuce-chard-celery juice, and the Dash seems to handle all of them well. Pretty high volume and easy to clean. Most importantly, I do not dread using it. :)

  71. Annette White

    Hey Chris….. After you wrote these reviews on juicers it totally freed me up from thinking the the I MUST buy the most expensive for it to work. I just needed someone to say what you said, so thanks so much. I purchased the L’Equip XL and it is a wonderful juicer. What I love about this juicer is that it is small (I have a small kitchen with limited space). It is very light unlike the champion I had borrowed from a friend. The clean up was very quick and easy. So thanks again.

    1. Chris Wark

      Hey Annette I’m so glad to hear that!

  72. Lisa

    These are all out of my budget, but was looking for something I needed on craigslist when a $50 juice fountain popped up. Woo Hoo. So this will be my juicer. The key now is getting the organic carrot at a reasonable price. The juice sure tasted better than store bought. I don’t trust the organic juices they sell now days as those companies are big on Monsanto and as stated above the are pasturized. The last bottle of berry juice i bought was $12, as I did not want any apple products in it. Almost all ORGANIC apples are sprayed w/ antibiotics, unless you get them from a local farm that does not spray. So I can also juice my antibiotic free apples. Even if I can’t go full force now, I can at least have juice that is not toxic!

  73. justyna

    Hi Chris, thank You for all the information about the juicers and
    healing cancer :). I would like to buy the juicer but with the ceramic
    piston ( I
    mean ceramic inner parts – these which are doing/squeeze/press the
    juice). Do You
    know where I could buy? Do these juicers on Your page have also ceramic
    inside? justine

  74. Nazz

    We used the Breville Juice Fountain for many years. It’s OK for the casual user BUT not for the serious juice consumer. For one, it doesn’t extract much juice from leafy greens or cruciferous vegetables. Most of em get blown out the shute due to the high velocity of the blade. It’s also extremely noisy. It’s OK with hard veggies like carrots and fruits like apples but a little moisture is left in the pulp, indicating that it doesn’t extract all the juice from the produce. For the last 3 mths we’ve been using the SlowStar by Tribest, it’s a vertical single augur juicer and is definitely worth the extra price and clean up time. It extracts the maximum amount of juice possible from leafy green, hard veggies and fruits as it squeezes, cuts and triterates at the same time. It’s not as bulky as the Breville and a heck of a lot quieter, you can hardly hear it. It does take longer though, as the name suggest, but is worth it for the amount and quality of the juice produced.

  75. Marie

    I live in the UK and bought my Champion Juicer 7yrs ago. I just love it!

  76. Sanya

    Thank you Chris for all the information. It has been very helpful. I was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer this Jan and had surgery in march. Now I am looking for alternative lifestyle to help cure my cancer.

    I read through the posts and your article about juicers carefully, however, I am still a bit confused. It seems that the blenders like Vitamix are not being preferred as they leave pulp behind. Is my understanding correct? Now there are blenders like Ninja that grinders the whole veggies to a level where there is no pulp involved. If you run it through a strainer , you will have no waste at all. Is that okay?

    I purchased the Omega 8006 and want to see if I can switch to one that eliminates any wastage like the Ninja. Any input will be very appreciated. Thanks again.

  77. Heather

    Chris–did you juice wheatgrass? Or just put that in a smoothie as well?

  78. Matt Kreinheder

    Great tip, I agree, if its too complicated to use or clean who cares if it has more enzymes. I’ve used the Omega J8006 and like it a lot.

  79. D.Durham

    I have never juiced but want to start, so your info was really helpful! Being such a newbie, is there a “juicing book” that you recommend?

  80. The daily sprout

    Lovely article! Helpful.

  81. Graham Lemon

    Dear All,
    I was diagnosed with CUP (unknown primary) with metastasis on lymph nodes in my groin recently and as an initial, somewhat “scared-out-of-my-wits” reaction, read everything I could find on the internet about “cures” and protocols etc, finally settling in on the suggestions in the Henderson/Garcia book which involves taking Budwig CC/FO smoothies, Beta-1 3D Glutan and other things. I also have a water alkalyzer and have radically changed my diet to mostly raw/steamed veg and grilled Mackeral (with the occasional roasted chicken breast), plus only drinking pure green tea with no sugar whatsoever (as far as I know). I have been sticking to this for about a week now (plus the addition of some CBD oil drops every day as recommended by a friend) and don’t expect to see an improvement yet or feel a reduction in the tumour size (the larger one on the RHS is about the size of a golf ball and encouragingly does not feel like it has grown at all. Given also that I don’t really have any pain anywhere, plus the recent PET scan confirmed there was no other indications apart from what the previous CT had detected (lymph nodes), I am now wondering whether I am going the right way with all of this or whether I am overloading on the anti-cancer fight. But, after reading the article above, I am now wondering whether juicing carrots may be a better way to fight my situation.

    Is there anyone out there who can offer some advice about juicing as an addition to what I am already doing, or as a replacement for some (or all) of the Henderson protocol?

    I really would like to decline mainstream medicine as I am horrified by what I read regarding chemo/radiation and I would dearly love any positive support from anyone who has maybe been through this and come out the other side?

    All the best
    Graham

    1. Roy Taylor

      I’m going through my own scare too. Look into the Gerson protocol as well as EWOT {exercise with oxygen therapy}
      Also, coffee enemas seem to be a big part of natural healing.
      Best of luck to both of us!

      1. LeeAnn Vitalis

        Hi Roy. I’ve read a lot about EWOT lately but I don’t know how to get an oxygen concentrator without a prescription. Did you have a prescription for yours?

  82. Cindy B

    Thanks for this list! I bought the Champion through the link you provided.

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