How is Cold-pressed juice different from Fresh-pressed juice?

Extracted with a hydraulic press under thousands of pounds of pressure to keep all the goodness of the fruits and vegetables intact, cold-pressed juices are just the thing you need for your body. As no external heat or oxygen is used in the process, no nutritional value is lost at the time of juicing the ingredients.

In other words, all the nutrients of your fruit and veggie are well protected and preserved in cold-pressed juices. And as no heat is involved, you get all the health benefits.

So, now let’s move forward to understand why and how cold-pressed juices are different from normal-pressed juice.

Difference 1 –

One of the major differences between cold-pressed juice and normal or freshly-pressed juice is that cold pressing says no to heat and external oxidisation.

Don’t believe it? Try yourself…

Try a single sip of cold-pressed juice after drinking your normal juice, you will be able to immediately tell the difference. Cold-pressed juices are more refreshing, full of authentic flavour, perfectly balanced for sweetness, and rich in all the essential nutrients.

Cold pressed juices are significantly enriched with more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, digestive enzymes and other vital nutrients as compared to normal juices that involve heat in their juicing.

Made with a hydraulic press, cold-pressed juices are usually extracted in a two-step process. Firstly, the raw ingredients for the juice are inspected for quality and then thoroughly washed, chopped or ground into smaller chunked and put in a special filter bag.

Following the second step, these bagged ingredients are loaded into the hydraulic press and the press machine applies thousands of pounds of pressure to squeeze out the juices from the fruits and vegetables in the bag.

This leads us to our second difference …

Difference 2 –

Cold pressed juices are usually extracted in smaller batches to bring out a fresher, richer, brighter and more authentic flavour to the drink as compared to the normal juice which is simply blended with heat in a centrifugal juicer which alters its nutritional benefits.

However, these cold-pressed juices have a shorter shelf life span of 3-4 days post which microbes start forming. Thus, it has to be consumed before that, because post it, these juices pose major food safety risks. Evidently, the threat is greater in younger children and in pregnant women.

To ensure this doesn’t happen, most of the cold-pressed juices available in the market are pasteurised under the method known as High-Pressure Processing (HPP). The ones that are already bottled are submerged in cold water under high pressure in HPP to kill the pathogens and increase the longevity of the juices from 3-4 days to a span of 30 to 45 days.

Moving towards the next one …

Difference 3 –

Unlike cold-pressed juices, normal juicing involves a centrifugal juicer. The sharp blades at high-speed spin to pulverise the ingredients to extract their juice, the process of extraction is quite faster than cold pressing. However, unfortunately as generated with heat its quality and nutrient level degrades.

As normal juices are degraded in their nutritional value, are less fresh and lack the rich vibrant flavour of the ingredients. And, to compensate for the low quality of the final product, these juices are pumped full of added sugars or sweeteners, artificial flavours, or other chemicals.

These juices are pasteurised as well, and during pasteurisation, the juice is heated to a temperature as high as 161 degrees Fahrenheit. Although the process kills harmful bacteria, it also destroys many healthy bacteria, and enzymes and dramatically reduces the richness and benefits of raw fruits and vegetables. This process also tampers with the flavour of the juice.

And lastly,

Difference 4 –

Although fresh juice is labelled ‘fresh’, it doesn’t always prove to be the best option for you. Extracted with heat, added with sugars, and quick in the process, the freshly squeezed juices are quick in the process but are truly beneath the bar of nutrients. On the contrary, cold-pressed juices are juiced in a much slower and strenuous process which keeps all its nutrients intact and for the most part, the preserved pulp makes the juice richer in both protein and fibre.

Why should you switch your regular juices to cold-pressed juice?

Cold-pressed juice benefits your body in innumerable ways, no matter who you are or what your physical state is, cold-pressed juices will always do wonders for you. After all, they are known for their ways to assist you in detoxifying and healthifying your body.

Thus, switching cold-pressed juices with your regular beverages and normal-pressed juices helps to ease the strain of detoxification on your body by filling it with all the essential nutrients to combat the toxins and boost your immunity and health. As these juices lack the thick fibrous pulp of whole fruits and vegetables, it becomes easier for the body to absorb them into the system instantaneously as the body doesn’t have to break the fibre down in the digestive system.

So, you can take pleasure in sipping your cold-pressed juice when you’re feeling down and looking for instant ways to kick-start your day from ways other than caffeine. Well, you can also have it before going for a HIT training, cardio or weightlifting session to break a sweat or suppress your heavy hunger pangs.

What should you look for in a cold-pressed juice?

Okay! Now that’s an interesting question…

As different things have values, different nutrient benefits, and different ways they enrich the body, before getting a cold-pressed drink for you make sure that you read the label and ingredients mentioned on the bottle correctly and thoroughly.

You need to decide as per your body requirement and at the same time you must look out for sneaky ingredients like sugar which might enter your body through your “health” drink because even if the label reads “all-natural” or “organic”, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are unadulterated.

So, before getting your cold-pressed juice to ensure that you have done your research and you know what you’re consuming and whether you’re providing your body with the best quality things or not.

Be very precise and pay close attention to the ingredients listed on the back of the bottle, check whether each ingredient is made from only whole foods like fruit or vegetable, and look out for scientific-looking unpronounceable names, in case you come across any, and check the properties right away. Make sure the juice has no added sugar in them, at times, these artificial sweeteners or sugars are disguised as sucrose and fructose, so be extremely cautious while you make your decision. Also, if you aren’t certain about any particular product it’s better to stay at a bay’s length from it.

Also, check the calorie count and the serving size. If the bottle is meant for two servings then it definitely has more calories than you expected there would be. This is because as cold-pressed juices are nutritionally dense, they contain a higher calorie count. To make the consistency of the juice thick, more amount is added and hence there would be more calories present in it than a single piece of fruit.

And also, check the shelf-life before getting your juice as they have a minimum shelf life of 72 hours and usually don’t contain preservatives, making it a very healthy and fresh choice.

Thus, be mindful of the amount you are consuming and just because it’s healthy don’t go overboard with it.

And! Here are 3 top tips you should consider when consuming cold-pressed juice –

Now, if you just came across the trend of cold-pressed juice and totally new to it, here are our 3 top tips for you to incorporate cold-pressed juices in the best and healthiest way into your diet.

Tip 1: Go Organic –

Well, isn’t that quite obvious? Umm, yes… so, when choosing your cold-pressed juice, try to choose an organic one. Cold organic pressed juices use organic fruit and vegetables. It means that these fruit and vegetables are grown in organic ways using natural manure and techniques without the use of herbicides, pesticides, or nasty chemicals. And this clearly means that these ingredients are good for the environment and indeed better for you.

Tip 2: Add Cold-Pressed Juices To Your Diet Healthily –

No, you can’t survive alone on juices so make sure that you intake all the nutrients that your body needs by eating a healthy and balanced diet. However, staying hydrated in the morning is the best and smartest way to balance your fluids so, we highly recommend you to begin your day with a delicious and healthy cold-pressed juice alongside a nutritious breakfast. Or you may even have it with a mid-morning or afternoon snack.

Tip 3: Try a little “Mix and Match” –

There’s no harm in trying out various flavours as each juice is rich with different ingredients, meaning there are different minerals, nutrients, and vitamins in each of them. Ensure that you don’t stick to “one” and try other variants as well to consume as many nutrients as possible.

Are cold-pressed juices worth buying?

Cold-pressed juices are much more than just squeezed juices and are juiced in smaller batches with a hydraulic press and thus are typically more expensive. So, if you want the best of the best and prefer quality then go for a cold-pressed juice. Adding it to your diet will significantly improve your nutrient intake and add servings of more fruits and vegetables to a balanced diet.

Hence, cold-pressed juices are healthier than fresh-pressed ones, as they lack heat, oxidisation, pasteurisation and artificial sweeteners. However, relatively new to the concept of cold-pressed juices, studies have shown that hand-squeezed juices are preferred for their nutrients, while fresh commercial juice and freshly pasteurised juices are preferred for their nutrient contents over processed juice.

While these above-mentioned differences are significant in the nutrition content and quality of the juice, you must bear in mind that juice should not replace servings of whole vegetables and fruits. You should definitely add juice to your diet as it can alter the microbiome in the intestines to absorb nutrients better. Studies and research have concluded that adding or undergoing a juice cleanse for four days results in compounded good gut bacteria and a significant result with decreased body weight.

So, are you still baffled? Well, it’s a big YES from us. Cold-pressed juices are indeed the healthiest with high nutrition as they are pasteurised under high pressure and are more satisfying.