"Inclusion of fruit juice, in amounts consistent with dietary recommendations, as part of a healthy diet can provide important nutrients without increasing weight in children."

- Nicklas et al. American Journal of Health Promotion. March/April 2010.

Study Reveals 100% Fruit Juice Contributes Positive
Attributes to Children's Diets

Source: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, January 2003

CHICAGO, IL - According to a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, children and adolescents can benefit health-wise from drinking 100% fruit juices. This new university research from the University of Florida's Food Science and Human Nutrition Department adds strong evidence to an ongoing debate about consumption of 100% fruit juice and finds that fruit juice consumption is not linked with problems related to overweight and growth problems in children.

After analyzing beverage consumption of more than 10,000 children from various age groups, the researchers found that while most children are within guidelines established by the American Academy of Pediatrics for juice intake, children's consumption of less nutritious beverages surpasses their intake of 100 percent juice as early as age 5.

"Consuming 100 percent fruit juice has been positively associated with children achieving recommended nutrient intakes," said Miami-based registered dietitian and ADA spokesperson Sheah Rarback. The research also identifies that at around age 7, children's consumption of 100 percent real juice flat-lines and is replaced with beverages that have significantly less or no nutritional value.

When it comes to a child's diet, parents and caregivers should always discuss their child's nutritional requirements with their pediatrician, family physician or other health professional, especially for children under the age of two.

 

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