Who can forget that memorable–and convincing–commercial for V-8 Juice when I was

growing up.

The words “Wow, I could have had a V8” literally sent me to the kitchen to pour a glass

of that flavorful vegetable cocktail.

The compelling ad gave us the impression that this bottled vegetable beverage was the best

healthy beverage we could drink.

It was touted as a healthier substitute for the sugary beverages and a great way to help meet

our daily requirement for vegetables.

Little did I know that canned or bottled conventional vegetable juices like V-8, were not as good

for us as their ads implied.

A quick online seach of concerns about drinking V8 Juice–and other commercial vegetable drinks

prepared in a similar manner–revealed some interesting points:

It’s High in Sodium

A thought-provoking post on Vegfamily asks “V8 Vegetable Juice – You Could’ve Had a V8, But Should You?” 

 “V8 100% Juice Vegetable ingredients: Tomato Juice from Concentrate (Water, Tomato Concentrate), Reconstituted Vegetable Juice Blend (Water and Concentrated Juices of Carrots, Celery, Beets, Parsley, Lettuce, Watercress, Spinach), Salt, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Flavoring, Citric Acid.

Calories 50 (8 oz serving), Total Fat 0g,  Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 8g, Protein 1g and an off-the-charts sodium level of 620mg.That’s like getting 25% of the daily recommended intake of sodium in a single 8-ounce glass of juice… Campbell’s offers this classic veggie blend in a low-sodium version. It contains the same health benefits, but they come with a fraction of the sodium (95mg of sodium).”

As with many other packaged foods, V8 uses table salt to add flavor and preserve the juices.

This can become problematic, especially if you are trying to manage your salt intake.

The daily recommended amount of sodium intake is less than 2,300 mg daily.

Therefore, drinking more than one serving of V8 along with other foods in your diet can cause

you to exceed your daily value.

High sodium in the diet can lead to water retention and an increase in blood pressure levels.

Over time, this could lead to congestive heart failure, kidney disease, stroke and heart disease.

It’s Reconstituted

According to FoodBabe’s article: “Reconstituted Fruit and Veggie Juice – good or bad?”

“In a nutshell, it’s produced from concentrate. Although using a juicing machine also produces freshly squeezed juice like I was drinking, the goal of reconstituting juice is to reduce the water content. To reduce it to a concentrate, they remove nearly 80% of the water content. Many companies do this to store and transport it.

The problem with reconstituting fruit juice (or vegetable juice) is that it doesn’t offer the nutritional measures or enzymes that would help your metabolism or the immune system. Those enzymes are basically destroyed during the heating, boiling, and reconstitution process.

Now that doesn’t mean I am saying don’t drink V8 juice. It’s got a little sodium and they do add vitamins to the stuff so it’s better than drinking a soda or coffee by a landslide as a morning pick-me-up.

If you can simply eat 5 fruits and 5 veggies, raw if you can that’s the best way to get the fiber, enzymes, vitamin and trace minerals you need to keep your immune system in good condition and metabolism boosted everyday!”

It Lacks Fiber

Healthline’s article: “Is V-8 Good For You points out that”:

“Drinking V8 certainly isn’t as bad as drinking non-nutritive drinks like soda, but the juice may have some surprising drawbacks. The pureeing process used to juice the vegetables removes a large portion of their fiber content. Fiber, found in vegetables and other foods, is extremely important because it:
• keeps you full
• prevents weight gain caused by overeating
• regulates blood sugar
• prevents constipation
• protects against heart disease”

May Cause Diarrhea or Acid Reflux

According to Livestrong’s post: “Bad Side Effects of Drinking V8 Juice”, one possible bad side effect from drinking V8 juice is diarrhea and acid reflux, plus it is  high in sodium content:

“Diarrhea
One possible bad side effect from drinking V8 juice is diarrhea. While generally eating cooked vegetables along with other foods does not cause diarrhea, if you consume a large amount of V8 juice daily – over the recommended serving size — you could experience diarrhea. Signs of diarrhea include loose or watery stools and abdominal cramping that occurs more than three times a day, explains the National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse. If you have an underlying digestive or intestinal disorder, such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, drinking V8 could cause diarrhea or loose stool flare-ups, resulting in frequent trips to the bathroom.

Acid Reflux
Many fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes such as those found in V8 juice, contain a small amount of acid. Some individuals may find that drinking V8 stimulates the acidic juices in the stomach, causing them to rise up into the esophagus. This is because V8 is a processed vegetable drink; some of the added preservatives can increase acid levels in the stomach. If you choose V8 fusion, which combines both vegetables and fruits, you may find some of the fruits could irritate your stomach as well. Signs of acid reflux include heartburn, burning sensation in the chest, nausea, hiccups, and, in severe cases, regurgitation of food.”

It May Contain Dead Animal Parts

Again, a post on FoodBabe reveals that “There Might Be Dead Animal Parts in Your V8!” V-8 is made from vegetables, but it is not vegan:

“Did you know that Campbell’s V8 Juice has possible dead animal parts inside? I thought the “V” stood for “Vegetables” – but I guess I was wrong. “Natural Flavor” is one of the most deceptive ingredients on a label of any product – it could mean anything found in nature, including ingredients you weren’t expecting like meat! Campbell’s confirmed their “flavoring” may include “meat/seafood/poultry/dairy” this week on Twitter and within their question chat box on their website with us. They also confirmed they don’t offer any vegan products – this means the “100% Vegetable Juice” claim on the label of V8 is just plain FALSE!”

It’s Pasteurized and Not Organic

V8 juice and other conventional juice blends contain toxic pesticide residue from non-organic vegetables.

Certified organic vegetables are grown according to strict agricultural standards and are generally

safer and free of pesticides.

V8 is also pasteurized–a process which destroys key minerals, vitamins and enzymes.

Why would I want to drink a glass of pesticide-filled vegetable juice?

For me, that defeats the purpose of consuming a “healthy beverage.

Vegetable Juice with a Side of BPA?

It is important to note that some tomato-based vegetable juices, including V8, are sold in cans.

It is critically important to avoid canned tomato products because since tomatoes are highly acidic,

they draw out more of the BPA into the food from the can lining. 

Canned tomatoes have an especially high risk of leaching BPA into the tomatoes because of their acidity.

This is not to say that other canned goods do not also pose BPA exposure risks (they most certainly do),

but tomatoes are one of the worst offenders.

 

Keep in mind that this is not a wholesale indictment of V8.

These are simply some of the reasons why I have grown to appreciate and prefer making fresh, organic

vegetable smoothies and juices, instead.

Fresh Vegetable Smoothies to the Rescue!

These fresh, organic spicy and savory vegetable smoothies are quick and easy ways to spice

up your day in a healthy, delicious way!

So grab your organic veggies and let’s get started!

Hot and Spicy Veggie Blend

Ingredients

8 tomatoes

2 large red bell peppers

1 organic zucchini

2 onion slices

8 large celery stalks

1 teaspoon flax seeds

1 tablespoon chili powder

a dash of cayenne pepper

1/4 avocado

Directions

Wash and prepare vegetables for blending.

Add all of the ingredients to your high speed blender.

Blend on high until smooth.

Taste.

Adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve and enjoy!

Spicy Green Vegetables

2 cups romaine lettuce or baby spinach

1 tomato

1 cup coconut water

1 carrot, chopped

1 cucumber, peeled

1 avocado, pitted and peeled

1 lime, peeled

2 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon Himalyan sea salt

a pinch of cayenne pepper

4-6 ice cubes

Directions

Wash and prepare vegetables for blending.

Add all of the ingredients to your high speed blender.

Blend on high until smooth.

Taste.

Adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve and enjoy!

Savory Tomato 

Juice from 1/2 lemon

6 Roma tomatoes

1/2 bunch of kale

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1/2-inch jalapeno pepper

1 small clove garlic

1 cup ice from filtered water

1 cup filtered water

Directions

Wash and prepare vegetables for blending.

Add all of the ingredients to your high speed blender.

Blend on high until smooth.

Serve and enjoy!

“Better Than V8 ” Vegetable Smoothie

Ingredients

7 large tomatoes

1 peeled cucumber

1 red or yellow pepper

1 carrot

3 kale leaves

8 spinach leaves

1/2 jalapeno pepper

juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

Wash and prepare vegetables for blending.

Add all of the ingredients to your high speed blender.

Blend on high until smooth.

Serve and enjoy!

Fresh “Vegetable Juice” Cocktail

If you wish to make your own fresh vegetable juice blend in your juicer, here’s

a delicious recipe to try:

Ingredients

1 large tomato

1 cup spinach or your choice of greens

2 medium carrots

1 small beet

1 celery stalk

½ cucumber

½ red or yellow bell pepper

1 garlic clove

pinch cayenne pepper

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

Clean your produce.

Slice veggies as needed to fit the mouth of your juicer.

Run all ingredients through your juicer, except the lemon juice.

Stir in lemon juice before serving.

What are your favorite spicy and savory veggie smoothie combinations?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.

 

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