The Periodic Table of Juicing

Creating the Periodic Table of Juicing

Centuries ago, Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Our juicing and plant-based communities intuitively know what this means and have personally experienced the impact fruits and vegetables have on our bodies. But there is also a disconnect between the benefits of food and the medicine prescribed for wellness (and illness).

It has always been my hope to merge medical science with food science to support our juicing community. Fruits and vegetables have unique vitamins, minerals, and health benefits that can be overwhelming to try to put together from memory. When I came up with and presented the concept of a table to my team, and then Dr. Ruhoy, there was a resounding ‘YES.’ So here we are, with the new and evolving Periodic Table of Juicing.

How Do You Use the Periodic Table of Juicing?

We created this table to guide juicers worldwide on the benefit profiles of fruits and vegetables and favorite juiceable nuts and roots. Our goal is to make it easy to design delicious, healthy recipes and estimate their yield. We divided the Periodic Table of Juicing into ten sections and 138 element tiles composed of 100 unique elements. We then organized the table based on the body’s organ systems; digestive (gut health), cardiovascular, nervous system (brain), skin & hair, immune, etc. “Within the groups are vegetables or fruits that contain at least one ingredient that has at least one known benefit for that system,” says Dr. Ruhoy.

We gave Gerson Juicing its own section because it matters to so many people in our community. We also included two trending sections: Mental Wellness and Mitochondria. Mitochondria are the powerhouse in every cell in our body. Dr. Ruhoy is an expert in the field of mitochondrial health, and she will dive into more detail to help us understand how mitochondria work in the body. Please note, there are more systems than there was space for in the table for instance, the reproductive system is not included, but we will write about this system and its juicing elements in the future.

“There is much overlap as the plant foods have many ingredients that have important benefits for more than one organ system.” – Dr. Ilene Ruhoy

How We Designed the Table of Juicing

The Periodic Table of Juicing is just like the Periodic Table of the Elements. It is a foundational document that organizes information at a structural level. Everyone I show it to can see a way to use it, whether as a way to create recipe combinations or to see what foods have what nutrients and what specific properties. In compiling the Periodic Table of Juicing, we discovered that raw fruits and vegetables are underrepresented scientifically. For instance, since we cannot find the glycemic index for raw fruits and vegetables, we will endeavor to assemble this useful information in future months.

We have researched the nutritional value of each element and its active ingredients and worked extensively with Dr. Ruhoy to perfect groups of elements. (ex. Carrots have beta-carotene, lutein, & lycopene).

Unlike the Periodic Table of the Elements, the rules for PURE’s Periodic Table of Juicing are not defined by atoms and subatomic particles. Our table is a softer system to connect a food element with its active ingredients to create unique recipes and diets.

If you have an underlying health condition, consult with your doctor.

Why Cold-Pressed Juice Matters

Suppose you have found us online and wondering how juice and a table of juicing elements matter, let us explain. At PURE, we see juice as a cornerstone or a building block. We do not view cold-pressed juice as a supplement but as a component of a balanced, plant-based diet. When we provide what our bodies need, lots of seasonal produce, we feel our best. We do not claim juice is a cure-all. We believe that a diet rich in cold-pressed juice, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats, combined with exercise, is a great foundation for well-being.

PURE’s proposition is simple, for every quart of juice we drink, we are consuming three pounds of produce. At the core, we are saying, “you are what you eat.”

Dr. Ruhoy is a vegan, board certified neurologist with a fellowship in integrative medicine. She is part of a new wave of healers that went into medicine, knowing there is a deeper connection between nutrition and health than has traditionally been accepted. As a doctor, she treats one patient at a time. At the time of writing, as PURE’s Chief Medical Officer, she could share her knowledge with many. Her goal is to make a meaningful contribution to the body of knowledge about plants, nutrition, and juice. We are honored to work with her.

Today, we know more than ever before about phytonutrients and the underlying chemistry and physiology of food. Modern medicine is only just beginning to understand nutrition at the cellular level. Dr. Ruhoy is uniquely qualified to connect juicing to plant-based nutrition. She had this understanding before attending medical school and has been passionately taking a deep dive into plant-based nutrition all of her adult life. You can read more about her story in an interview we did with her and Mimi Kirk.

I Started PURE to Make the World’s Best Juicer

As time has gone by, I’m continuously drawn into the world of health. Yes, we made a unique two-stage juicer and perhaps the only juicer that will efficiently juice some of the elements (like broccoli juice). But more importantly, this is about the incredible community of people who enjoy cold-pressed juice as part of their daily routine. As the founder of PURE, I hear from many people about the place juicing has in their lives, and I can share my own experience of the sense of well-being that comes with it.

The Periodic Table of Juicing is for everybody, not just PURE Juicer owners (although the yield estimates apply to the PURE Juicer). I want anyone and everyone who can see a benefit from how we have organized this information to use it and be well. Our goal is for those who see it intuitively to understand how to use the content to plan their juices better. My family doctor said she would give it to her patients, other friends would use it as a menu planning guide, and for most of us, a way to make the best juice, share recipes, and be part of the juicing community.

The Future of the Periodic Table of Juicing

This table is a living document that we add to based on your experience and ours. We are all connected and deeply share in understanding the meaning the original periodic table of elements provides. Intuitively and at-a-glance anyone looking at the Periodic Table of Juicing will see we are connecting the foods we juice (the elements) with the body systems (the sections) they relate to.

As an aside, something I look forward to is different regional tables. There should be other charts for different geographic regions. I can’t wait to collaborate with you on these regional tables.

Recipes and Education for Each Section

Dr. Ruhoy’s blogs dive into the science of each system and include recipes to try out. You can see how this works in our other blogs about the Periodic Table of Juicing.

This project collaborates with Ilene Ruhoy, MD, Ph.D., who was our Chief Medical Officer at PURE at the time, and David Jenkins, the mastermind behind the graphic design. I would also like to thank my entire team for their input, edits, juice testing, and being a part of my passion.

David

David Feinberg

CEO | Founder

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before changing your diet, especially if you have a health condition or take medication.