The latest craze in the fashion world has now been identified: juice fasts. To be honest, I’m not sure how many of us really want to be as thin as Karlie Kloss but the NYTimes Style section tells us that most models don’t eat for four days before a fashion show. They go for the option of juice only instead. I have to admit, while it is better to see models drinking a cup of fruit than puffing on cigarettes, these juice brands are present at most runway shows. But the question is are they good for us? Roopal Patel writing for the NYTimes voices her thoughts, informing us that this juicing craze really messes up our system.

The British Medical Association found that people who consumed whole fruit, such as blueberries, apples and grapes were less likely to get type 2 diabetes. Those who drank fruit juice however, were at an increased risk.

Companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi have bought a large portion of fruit companies all over the world, including global names like Innocent smoothies and Tropicana smoothies. However, a decade ago the professors blamed high fructose corn syrup in soft drinks in 2004 for being a danger to our health, which was detrimental for soft drink companies.

Now Barry Popkin and George Bray, who are professors at the University of North Carolina, have found that “smoothies and fruit juice are the new danger”, with risks being found as the craze becomes bigger and more prominent in the fashion world. They believe that “the potential damage from naturally occurring fructose in fruit juices and smoothies is being overlooked.” A recent article in The Guardian informs us that Smoothies and fruit juices are a new risk to health.

These drinks that models opt for because of the so-called health benefits actually contain a huge amount of sugar, as much or more than sodas. When people choose to substitute meals for energy shakes, this option that we tend to see as ‘healthier’ or ‘better alternatives’ are actually full of artificial sweetners. Shock!

Thinking you’ll drink Diet Coke to help you lose weight? Think again. People who opt for the diet/zero versions of these drinks have been linked to health problems such as obesity, diabetes or heart disease. This was found in a study by Purdue University, who found that just like normal versions of these drinks, the diet options also have negative effects on our bodies.

So, it’s been proven that these juice fasts and healthier alternatives are actually not as healthy as we initally thought. The risks have been identified and therefore when models choose to do fasts days before shows and people detox on these juice diets, it can actually do more harm than good.

It does have harmful repercussions when people detox for a few days, then jump straight into a ‘retox’. It’s a big shock to our bodies. The research from Purdue University and the University of North Carolina is hard evidence to support this, which is something we should all think about next time we are being pressured to drop a few pounds. - Ceylan