BANGALORE: The practice of drinking fresh green juices is thriving 15 years after it began as a fad at the city's parks.
Sold every morning in the early hours, the juices help joggers and strollers begin their day with something other than caffeine.
A sneak peek into a juice-maker's house revealed that many greens and vegetables go into the concoctions.
The business lasts two hours in the morning (6 to 8 am) and is transacted from a platform. A glass of green juice costs anywhere between `15-20. The business is popular in the southern and central areas of the city—Basavanagudi, Jayanagar, Padmananabha Nagar, Banashankari, Malleswaram, Vijayanagar, Sadashivanagar and Majestic.
Twenty varieties: About 15-20 types of juices are available, and include amla, Bermuda grass, carrot, beetroot, spinach, mint, radish, basil, bael, neem, cucumber, and white pumpkin.
Some customers gulp down their mix every day, while others indulge in it only during weekends, but not all doctors approve of the drink.
Raw juices are popular with diabetes and heart patients. Concoctions said to reduce flab and improve skin are favoured by women and younger customers.
'Energises us': At 6.30 am, a group of youngsters, all software engineers, make a beeline for their drink, a mix of 4-6 vegetable juices. Before the drink, they jog for an hour at the verdant Vishnuvardhan Park in Jayanagar 4th T Block.
They say the juice invigorates them after their rigorous exercise.
Mahesh (45), who owns a supermarket, is an avid supporter of green drinks. “Compared to the fruit juices, which contain sugar, these green juices are healthy,” he told City Express.
West Gate stall: Lalbagh attracts thousands of walkers every morning, and green juices are sold just 50 metres from its West Gate.
A walker here, Krishnamurthy (50) says, “I drink a concoction of two or three juices every second day and it has helped my acidity.”
Narendra Babu, managing director of a private company, used to drink a mix of neem and curry leaves at Lalbagh and M N Krishna Rao Park. “After a while, I stopped because I was scared about water-borne diseases," he explains.
The highly perishable juices are packed neatly in steel cans. "But how do we make out whether they are as hygienic as they look?” he said.
On the other hand, Shankar, a businessman, believes in their efficacy. “It is good for diabetics. I have been drinking it for 10 years. It is a natural drink with no preservatives and sugar. No ice is added and it is made the same day.”
Juice sellers: Padmanabha, a mechanic during the day, hawks juices in plastic cups at Basavanagudi, Makala Koota and Jayanagar. For him, it is a passion to get up at 4 am, collect the juices from a distributor and sell it from 6 am.
“The trend has caught the fancy of youngsters and become popular in the past decade. Every day, I make about `600-`800,” he says.
Samrat sells green juices at the mini forest in JP Nagar and at two other parks. He says, “Business is good. Even in Mumbai, this habit is catching on.”
Naveen sells juices in paper cups at a park near film star Ambareesh’s house in JP Nagar, and finds younger customers open to testing new varieties.
Juice makers: Shyama (55), a yoga teacher at Prakruthi Chikitshalaya in Chandra Layout, is also a juice maker.
She makes 16 varieties, from tulsi, neem, bitter gourd, gooseberry, white pumpkin, Brahmi, radish, beetroot, ginger, garlic, bilwa leaves, mint and curry leaves.It takes her almost half a day to select, clean and grind all the vegetables and refrigerate them. At 2 am, she removes the juices from the fridge and prepares to distribute them. Business starts at 4 am.
“People don't like drinking cold beverages in the morning, so I keep the juices out at room temperature. There is no chance of spoilage as it is sold before 8 am,” she explains.
Ashok makes and sells green juices to a dozen vendors in the Banashankari area and southern parts of the city. He makes garike (grass), banana stem, brahmi, amla, and neem concoctions. “People like anything green as it has enzymes and vitamins,” he says.
Water risks: Sounding a note of caution, Sithar Dolma, consultant dietician, Nova Speciality Hospitals, says, “This is not the right way to drink green juices. They are not made by people with food licences, and there is always a question mark about the quality.”
Sceptical voice: The green juice business started 15 years ago on a small scale and spread to different parks in southern Bangalore.
Chandrashekar, owner of Ice Thunder (a restaurant in Gandhi Bazar) says, “It caught the imagination of the people during their group walks. If someone drank the bittergourd juice for his diabetes, another just followed suit."
Doctors’ take: Debunking the green juice fad, Dr Amit Agarwal, CMD, Medihope Hospital says a human body requires everything in moderation and a glass of green juice every day for 4-5 years will definitely cause damage like organ failure, joint pains and gout.
He adds, "Although these juices are healthy, one should not go overboard and consume it everyday. Otherwise in the long run, this high protein diet can increase uric acid crystals in the body."
Dr Sharadha, Ayurvedic physician says, “One has to follow certain rules, it is always preferable to have green juices along with breakfast. However, the need differs from person to person. For example, juices are good for diabetic people but others may not have the same requirement.”
Why is green good?
The benefits of vegetable juices are said to be many as they contain enzymes and micro-nutrients. According to many nutritionists, they can control heart disease, reduce cholesterol, improve immunity and vision, and heal external wounds. Since juices require hardly any digestion, the nutrients are absorbed fast, while the digestive system gets a rest. Another benefit is that juices detoxify the system. Sithar Dolma, consultant dietician, says, “These juices should be taken fresh and at room temperature. They can be preserved only for two hours and if refrigerated, only for four hours." She recommends home-made: ground in a mixer and consumed fresh in the morning: "If such a juice is filtered, it loses all its nutrients.”
Victoria’s raw movement
Many countries in the West now have green juice bars that attract athletes, gymnasts, models, and film stars. Using 100 per cent organic raw vegetable ingredients, they make juices from produce in season, and available locally. Victoria Boutenko is the author of many books on green juicing. In 1994, the Boutenko family, also known as the Raw Family, became seriously ill. Victoria sought out alternative health paths and discovered the raw food lifestyle, which she says enabled the family to regain vibrant health. Victoria now offers classes on healthy living all over the world. As a result of her teachings, millions are drinking green juices and eating raw food.