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'Juicing" (with a capital "J") has parlayed the obvious and thoroughly documented the nutritional benefits of raw fruit and vegetables-as juice or eaten out of hand - into one of the latest and most persistent in a long line of fad diets. Juicing is presented through persuasive pitching as the road to health - indeed, as a way of life. Its claims to cure disease and prolong life are just that - unsubstantiated, personal claims made by earnest and fast-talking sales folks. Its strongest selling point is an attractive "labor-saving" kitchen gadget - a reasonably well made machine that combines a grinder and centrifuge to mash up undeniably nutritious raw foods - then separate the pulp from the juice, which is touted as "packed with vitamins and minerals." No argument there, either.

The problem is, "Juicing" removes and discards the pulp - 100% dietary fiber that ishighly touted elsewhere as a gut-cleansing, cancer-preventing boon to health. It seems to us that "Juicing" removes half of the dietary value from raw fruits and vegetables.

In the old days, pulp was scraped off a carrot or apple section with the back of a knife by parents trying to feed their babies or folks who had trouble chewing or digesting raw produce. Today, fruits and vegetables can be ground into a juicy pulp in any food processor, or a powerful food blender, such as Vita-Mix (our favorite) can be used to whack pulp fiber to easily ingested and digested microbits - that, or lose half the total potential food value with a juicing machine.

In sum, "Juicing" is a harmless exercise based on questionable claims that are persuasively presented with the aid of TV tricks, reinforced by the lure of a mechanical kitchen novelty. If it persuades gadget-loving folks to eat more unprocessed fruits and vegetables than they normally would, the net effect is beneficial. At worst, users are forced to find their dietary bulk elsewhere.

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