Celebs and gym junkies have been at it for years - but is it worth it? And what's the deal with all this hemp and wheatgrass? Still a bit confused about blending and blitzing? Then here's our expert guide

 Isn’t it better if we just eat our fruit and veg in its whole, natural form?

“It is far better to eat fruit in its whole form rather than just juice, as you get the fibre too, which helps slow down the release of sugars in the fruit,” says Primrose Matheson, founder of Primrose’s Kitchen (primroseskitchen.com). “However, smoothies should, if made correctly, contain the whole fruit and be made smooth with water, so they’re just as good!”

 Is it really for people on diets, or can smoothies be part of general, balanced healthy eating?

Smoothies can definitely be part of a balanced diet and don’t need to be about weight loss – although they can help with it. They’re about increasing nutrition, and when our body gets the nutrition it needs, it doesn’t crave sugar to stay energised. Digestion takes a lot of energy – which is why you tend to feel sleepy after lunch – and smoothies can help maintain balanced energy through the day.”

 Are smoothies meant to be a meal replacement, or can you have them alongside meals?

Either – it depends what you’re trying to achieve and what you put in them. They can make a great snack between meals, deterring you from the less healthy lure of the biscuit tin. Alternatively you could create a nutritionally-balanced green smoothie by adding protein and essential fats, like some natural yoghurt and flaxseed oil.”

 I’ve heard too many juices and smoothies can wreak havoc with the bowels...

Some people, especially those with IBS, may be sensitive to certain fruit sugars, plus too much raw fruit and veg may trigger symptoms like bloating and diarrhoea. If you’re suffering with IBS, and consuming a lot of fruit-loaded concoctions, there may be a link. Play around with variations until you find ones that work for you.

 It seems everybody’s adding ‘superfood’ and protein powders to their smoothies these days — what’s that about?

There are lots of powders on the market — it can be a bit of a minefield. Generally, green powders like barley grass, spirulina, wheatgrass and chlorella are about nutrient support and detoxification. These can be added to smoothies, although on their own, the last three can be rather challenging on the palate! It helps to add more fruit to smoothies that you use green powders in, or add baobab, acai or lucuma powder, which are vitamin-rich dried fruit powders. Protein powders are popular with athletes; whey, hemp, pea and soya. Protein’s important for sustaining our nervous system, building muscle and maintaining blood sugar balance. There are other plant foods, like maca, a root vegetable great for improving stamina and supporting hormonal health and immunity, or mushroom powders like cordyceps that help energy levels.”

l Why is everybody obsessed with ‘green juice’?

A green juice is the industry name for a juice made without using fruit – it is veg-based and tends to be more savoury. These are favoured by people trying to cut down their sugar intake. Calorie content tends to be lower, because vegetables have fewer calories than fruit. Other juices normally have a fruit base, something like apple. This gives it a sweeter taste.