From NY Times: The Fruit Juice Delusion

A recent commentary revisits the common misconception of fruit juice being healthy.

Key points:

• “Americans drink a lot of juice…children consume on average 10 ounces per day, more than twice the amount recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.”
• “One 12-ounce glass of orange juice contains 10 teaspoons of sugar.”
• Eating whole fruit is “associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, drinking fruit juice is associated with the opposite.”
• “Juice may also be a ‘gateway beverage’–[to drink] more soda in their school-age years
• “There is no evidence that juice improves health…Parents should instead serve water and focus on trying to increase children’s intake of whole fruit.”

My take (borrowed from authors): “we have succeeded in recognizing the harm of sugary beverages like soda. We can’t keep pretending that juice is different.”

Related blog posts:

• Do you think fruit drinks are healthy?
• Can parents not know if their child is overweight …
• Water -Often Missing from Diet | gutsandgrowth
• Eliminating sweetened beverages to help obesity | gutsandgrowth