The Sun reports that fruit juice may not be as healthy as we think it is. According to experts, all natural fruit juice (ie the 100 percent no-sugar-added stuff) poses the same health risks as sodas like Coca-Cola and Pepsi. They say that even if fruit juices provide nutrients like vitamins and minerals they also contain fructose which when taken in excess can cause diabetes and heart disease. Studies also show that a glass of fruit juice contains more calories than a glass of Coca-Cola, Pepsi or any other soda.
Experts warn that the effect of eating a fruit and drinking its juice is not the same. They say that when a fruit is eaten, the fructose found in it enters the body slowly giving the liver time to digest it. But drinking fruit juice overwhelms the liver and causes adverse effects to the body. So experts say that it's better to just munch on a fruit than drink its juice.
Infact in 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued guidelines saying fruit juice should not be given to children younger than 6 months, and that there is no nutritional reason to give it to them before age 1. After that, juice is optional, though they do urge parents to limit juice to 4 to 6 ounces a day for children up to 6 years old, and to no more than 8 to 12 ounces for older children. Experts say pudgy children should avoid juice altogether.
In my opinion, these findings are confusing and shocking. Didn't health experts say that fruit juice is the healthier alternative to sodas? And now they're saying that fruit juice is not healthy too? Is water the next target? Can we really trust these experts to stick to what they're saying ten years from now? Dr. Frank Greer of the American Academy of Pediatrics said that he cannot believe some health experts trying to put fruit juice down to the level of sodas. Well, neither can I.
But I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. While I'm not going to stop my kids from drinking fresh juice, I do plan on mixing it with water to reduce the amount they are having.
