7 Reasons Kids Should Not Be Juice Cleansing

Just when I thought the world of juice cleansing couldn't get any crazier, I read about children who are jumping on the bandwagon. And the craziest part? Their parents are OK with it. And I'm not talking about simply drinking one of their parents' special juices, because if it was replacing a soda I would be fine with that. But according to a New York Post article from earlier this month, some moms and daughters are actually going on cleanses together to lose weight. This is just wrong on so many levels. Where should I begin?

1. Inadequate calories: Without proper calories, children cannot meet their nutritional needs and function at an optimum level -- plain and simple. And the more active a child is, the more calories he or she needs. Restricting calories overall could inhibit a child's ability to concentrate and do well in school, both scholastically and physically.

2. Inadequate protein: Protein provides our bodies with the building blocks they need to grow and develop. Every cell in our body is made of protein, which maintains and replaces tissues, like muscles. Because juices used in cleanses contain mostly fruits and vegetables, they provide very little protein. For example, a day on the BluePrint Cleanse would provide only around 12 grams of protein -- 34 grams fewer than the amount an average, healthy 14-year-old girl would need.

[Read: Taking the Juice Out of Juicing .]

3. Inadequate fat: Fat is a very important part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. Fats are used to make vitamin D and hormones, protect the entire nervous system and help transport some vitamins into our bodies. Without an ample amount of fat in the diet, a child will not develop properly -- particularly their brains. The majority of juice cleanses do not provide any fat.

4. Inadequate calcium: Calcium is essential to build and maintain strong bones throughout life, and it's crucially important for adequate intake before we hit our mid-20s. Sure, dark leafy greens are good sources of calcium typically found in juice cleanses, but they don't provide nearly enough to meet a growing child's nutritional needs.

5. Inadequate vitamin D: Vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption, making it essential for bone growth and health. Very few foods contain vitamin D, and juice is surely not one of them. One of the easiest ways for a child to meet their vitamin D needs is by consuming fortified dairy products and eggs.

[Read: Is Dairy Healthy or Not? ]

6. Diet promotion. This is my biggest area of concern. Parents are role models for their children. If you are telling them it is OK to restrict calories to lose weight, what are you teaching them about their bodies? We should want our children to develop healthy relationships with food and understand the important role it plays in their lives and health. Promoting harsh means to lose weight can set that child up for a life-long struggle. Even if a juice cleanse is just for a couple days, it definitely creates the wrong message.

7. Detox promotion. If parents believe the need to remove toxins from their bodies by eliminating food and consuming only juice, then I'm sure they must be teaching their children that too. I wish they understood more about the human body and that our liver's primary function is to naturally rid our body from toxins daily. And if they ate healthy year-round, they wouldn't falsely feel better when they eliminate all the crap they were eating. Teaching children about eating more fruits and vegetables would be a much better place to start.

[Read: How Do We Get Kids to Like Healthy Foods? ]

Keri Gans, MS, RDN, CDN, is a registered dietitian/nutritionist, media personality, spokesperson, and author of The Small Change Diet. Gans's expert nutrition advice has been featured in Glamour, Fitness, Health, Self and Shape, and on national television and radio, including The Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America, ABC News, Primetime, and Sirius/XM Dr. Radio.