Fruit juice has been marketed (and in some cases, recommended by physicians) as a healthy, natural source of vitamins and calcium. Kids like the way it tastes — in fact, children and adolescents continue to be the highest consumers of fruit juice and juice drinks.
But there is no reason to include them in the diets of children less than a year old, the American Academy of Pediatrics now says.
Steven Abrams, MD, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, co-authored the policy statement, released today. It also recommends limited consumption for older children and adolescents.
“There’s never been a question that whole fruits are the best choice for children — adults, too, for that matter,” Abrams says. “On the other hand, water and low fat milk are much better choices for most children. We just have to take a step back and realize that there are harmful consequences to consuming large amounts of juice by children.”
Fruit juice, defined separately from fruit-flavored and other juice drinks not made from 100 percent fruit, lacks the dietary fiber of whole fruits. Since juice can be consumed more quickly than whole fruit, a child who sips fruit juice throughout the day may fall into a pattern of consuming excessive sugar and calories and experience weight gain later in life.
For a Flexible Fruit Choice, Proceed With Caution
The concerns are fewer for older children and adolescents. In small amounts, 100 percent fruit juice may even be a good way to increase fruit intake, particularly as a child’s caloric needs increase with age.
Since juice has a longer shelf life and is easily transportable, it offers a flexible option for families who may not be able to provide whole fruits to meet 100 percent of a child’s recommended daily intake. Even still, juice should be limited to half of a child’s daily fruit consumption — two 4- to 6-ounce servings is more than adequate.
“At the end of the day, it’s about instilling good eating habits in kids,” Abrams said. “Establishing a healthy, balanced diet early in life is one of the best ways to ensure that kids grow up healthy and stay healthy as adults.”
Most fruit juices in commercial quantities also contain a lot of sugar. Even without being “improved” this applies to some juices. For a child that supplement gives needed energy, but the sugar habit is likely to become harmful in subsequent years and result in diabetes in adolescent and later life. For this reason I am opposed to all bottled or canned sweetened drinks.