Even though cold-pressed juice has existed for a long time, you have probably heard this term more often now than before.
What is cold-pressing
This process extracts the juice from fruits and vegetables through the use of a hydraulic press instead of a centrifugal method (juicer or blender). This method compresses the juice through extreme pressure and without using any heat and allows it to be in optimal form for up to 5 days without the use of preservatives or pasteurizers. The fiber is left behind, and the juices become “easier” to absorb.
Pros
It produces a pure form of juice, made from 100% fruits and vegetables without any additional water, thus it contains a higher amount of nutrients and vitamins. Some blenders and centrifugal juicers produce heat while working and heat could kill some nutrients or micronutrients, cold pressing as its name says it produces 0 heat to maintain all properties. Finally, cold-pressing prevents the contact between the juice and air, which oxidizes its ingredients faster, whereas other methods allow this contact.
Cons
Cold-pressed juices are usually priced at a high point since it requires a large amount of produce compared to any other juices. The manufacturing process is costly and to date, no difference has been proven between the nutritional content of a cold-pressed juice vs centrifugal juicing or blending. Some vegetables actually benefit from heat, like carrots and the very famous juice ingredient spinach, however, with most juicers this heat is not the largest differentiator and does not cause big differences.
Bottom line:
Cold-pressed juices concentrate higher amounts of fruits and vegetables into one serving, meaning that you will get more vitamins and nutrients. Watch out for your daily fiber consumption and make sure to meet it through other means since cold-pressing eliminates it from your juice. You could achieve the same nutritional benefits eating the fruits and vegetables throughout the day or in a salad, but juicing sure makes it easier!