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Why
the squeeze on Fruit Juice? -- Separating
fact from fiction
Newswise — Drinking a glass of 100 percent
fruit juice has long been thought of as a
healthy daily habit for both adults and
children—right up there with brushing your
teeth and eating your vegetables.
Recently, however, people have become
somewhat confused about juice—how much to
drink, how much to serve their
children—partly because of the natural sweet
taste of fruit juice.
According to Dr. Theresa Nicklas, professor
of pediatrics with Baylor College of
Medicine, who has conducted research on
juice consumption among children, parents
should be confident serving their children
appropriate amounts of 100 percent fruit
juice.
The AAP statement, as well as the USDA Food
Guide Pyramid, includes guidelines for
incorporating 100 percent juice as a fruit
serving. Juices are also healthy for
elderly.
Here are a few other fruitful points about
juice, from the Juice Products Association:
Are whole fruits a better source of
nutrients than juice?
Not necessarily. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines
recommend that a majority of consumers’
daily fruit servings come from whole fruit,
but adults and children are notorious
under-consumers of fruit. A serving of 100
percent fruit juice is a convenient way to
help meet the recommended servings of fruit.
Fruit juices also provide substantial
contributions of several nutrients in higher
amounts in the diet than do whole fruits,
including vitamin C, folate and potassium.
In addition, 100 percent fruit juice
contains many naturally occurring
phytonutrients that contribute to good
health.
Does fruit juice have a lot of sugar and
calories?
No. 100 percent fruit juice has a similar
sugar profile to fruit. The way
nutritionists look at foods and beverages is
in terms of “nutrient density” – or the
amount of vitamins and nutrients the food
provides for its calories.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans
acknowledge the role 100 percent fruit juice
can play in the diet. .
Does fruit juice make children fat?
No. The majority of research conducted on
100 percent fruit juice consumption in
children does not show a connection to
weight.
As
a child nutrition researcher, Dr. Nicklas
states that there are many factors
associated with childhood obesity that are
very poorly understood and more research is
needed regarding diet and also lifestyle and
activity levels.
Two recently published studies which
investigated the relationship between 100
percent juice consumption and children’s
bodyweight support the conclusion that
consumption of 100 percent juice is not
associated with overweight or risk of
overweight among children.
In fact, the research conducted by Dr.
Nicklas and her colleagues also demonstrated
that children consuming 100 percent juice
had higher intake of certain nutrients, such
as vitamin C, iron and folate, and lower
intake of total fat, saturated fat and added
sugar.
Her study is based on the largest, ongoing
government database on food consumption (NHANES
- National Health and Nutritional
Examination Survey).
Does fruit juice increase the risk of
diabetes?
Extensive research has never linked juice
intake with an increased risk for diabetes.
A recent analysis of the most recent NHANES
data (sponsored by the Juice Products
Association, not yet published) has
concluded that fruit juice consumption does
not cause an increased incidence of
metabolic syndrome (a precursor to pre- and
type 2 diabetes) or negatively affect
glucose or insulin levels. In fact, the data
actually show that 100 percent fruit juice
consumption is associated with a lower risk
of metabolic syndrome.
The latest information about 100 percent
fruit juice and how it fits into a healthy
diet for children and adults is available at
http://www.fruitjuicefacts.org.
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