Juicing has been very popular recently because a lot of people believe in the wonderful health benefits it can give. But where and when did juicing begin?

According to the Dead Sea Scrolls (150 B.C. to 70 A.D.), the mashing of pomegranate and figs resulted in “profound strength and subtle form.”  It mentions the vegetarian diets of the Jewish Essene tribe. It is believed to be the first documented case of people juicing fruits and vegetables for nutrition and health benefits.

During the 1930s, juicing pioneer Dr. Norman Walker published a book called Raw Vegetable Juices and as a result, the Norwalk Hydraulic Press Juicer (or simply the Norwalk juicer) was developed. This machine is still available on the market today. It consists of grating and cutting the produce and then pressing the pulp in linen under a hydraulic press. Promotional websites erroneously claimed that Dr. Walker lived to be 116, 118 or even 119 years old because of juicing. But the truth is that Dr. Walker lived to be 99 years old.

1954 was the year the first masticating juicer was invented, first named as the Champion Juicer. It was the best juicer at the time since it could juice almost every type of fruit and vegetable.

During the 1970s American fitness, nutrition and exercise expert, and motivational speaker Jack Lalanne began actively tackling the power of juicing and the health benefits from non-processed, natural foods. He introduced a line of juicers called “Jack Lalanne’s Power Juice,” which inspired Lalanne to make the famous quote, “That’s the power of the juice!”