Drinking 100% fruit juice increases the weight of young children

A glass of fruit juice option, even 100% natural, does not seem ideal for young children: it is better to eat the whole fruit.

Bad news for anyone who thinks a glass of fruit juice is equivalent to one of the recommended 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. Disclosures by Geraldine Zamansky, Journalist Health magazine France at 5.

franceinfo: A study shows that we should limit this drink, especially for children, and prefer to eat oranges for example?

Geraldine Zamansky: Yes! Sorry for the parents reassurance about the balance of their kids’ breakfasts due to morning orange juice. In fact, it is for people under the age of 8 that each additional daily glass of this drink can cause the most weight gain. That’s the unequivocal conclusion reached by Canadian researchers from an analysis of 42 studies involving a total of nearly 46,000 children and more than 268,000 adults. And, for those hoping to escape the verdict with 100% pure juice, without added sugar, I will immediately disappoint: this was the only type of juice chosen by the 300,000 volunteers.

So replacing soda with fruit juice isn’t enough to protect children’s health?

No, and the culprit is—you guessed it—sugar. An average of 20 grams per glass, almost as much as the most famous soda! This has been tested many times. However, this represents the entire recommended daily amount of sugar for a child, as Dr. Explained by Vasanti Malik, a nutrition researcher at the University of Toronto who coordinated this massive work. Thus each additional glass leads to an increase in sugar which explains the weight gain. So Dr. Malik recommends no more than half a glass of fruit juice per day. But above all, try to avoid this habit and choose to eat the whole fruit.

But what is the difference between whole fruit and its juice for health?

The big difference is the fiber. These famous fibers are essential for the good health of our digestive system. With better, less brutal absorption of sugar by the body. And then vitamin intake is guaranteed. Along with this routine for her own children, Dr. Malik also puts pieces of fruit in a jug of water to recreate the drink he likes. Before concluding, a thought for adults. Of course, proportionally, 20 grams of sugar affects them less, but studies still show that with more than 2 glasses per day, the risk of weight gain becomes real. Especially with apple and grape juice, compared to for example pomegranate juice, or even some “super juices” that are rich in vitamins, taken in small amounts.

To go further: Study (in English).