A recent review of 42 prior research found that children and adults who consume one glass or more of 100% fruit juice daily are more likely to gain weight.
Published in JAMA Pediatrics on Tuesday, the study discovered a favorable correlation between children’s BMI, which is a measurement that accounts for both height and weight, and their consumption of 100% fruit juice. Additionally, it discovered a link between adult weight increase and daily consumption of 100% fruit juice.
100% fruit juice was characterized as having no added sugar.
The gains varied by age, with younger children showing larger increases in BMI. For instance, among youngsters, each additional serving per day was linked to a 0.03 higher BMI.
Children under the age of eleven “showed a larger BMI growth after every 8-oz extra serving per day of 100% fruit juice than the older children,” according to the study’s analysis.
Does this imply that you should completely avoid juice? Not always, although the research did advise paying closer attention to how much you eat.
The authors state that their findings “confirm public health guidelines that restrict intake of 100% fruit juice to prevent overweight and obesity.”
It also begs the question, “Why can 100% fruit juice cause weight gain if the fruit is healthful and advised as part of a diet?” The authors suggest “liquid calories” as a potential contributing element.
“The use of liquid calories has been demonstrated to result in increased weight gain compared with the absorption of solid calories, and might be a possible mechanism connecting 100% fruit juice to weight growth,” they write.
They also explain that juice has “little to no fiber compared with the whole fruit form, resulting in poor satiety,” which means that consuming fruit alone will leave you feeling more satisfied than drinking juice.
The authors also point out that their results are consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that kids under the age of six should drink “less than a glass of fruit juice per day,” with an 8-ounce portion being the standard amount.
Children under the age of one should likewise abstain from juice completely, according to the AAP and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The following are the AAP’s recommendations for other ages:
- Youngsters ages 1 to 3 should only have 4 ounces of juice each day.
- Children aged 4 to 6: no more than 6 ounces every day.
- Children aged 7 to 18: no more than 8 ounces each day.
To savor the taste of fruit without sacrificing calories, the CDC suggests mixing a splash of 100% juice into either regular or sparkling water to create a “refreshing, low-calorie drink.”