Pediatricians Advise Parents to Limit Their Kids Fruit Juice Consumption

The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its official stance on fruit juice, recommending none of the sweet stuff before age 1. Despite the common assumption that 100 percent fruit juice is healthy, pediatricians are now advising parents to limit consumption.

“Kids can drink a lot of calories with fruit juice, and it doesn’t always make them feel really full and they may want to keep drinking it and keep drinking it,” said Dr. Steven Abrams, Dell Medical School Pediatric Chair.

Many drinks that are marketed as fruit juice actually contain just a small percentage of juice.

“Diluted fruit juices at 5 or 10 percent fruit juice have a lot of added sugar and are no healthier than sodas,” said Dr. Abrams.

Pediatricians advise limiting kids to about four to six ounces of fruit juice a day, and babies under one year of age should not consume any.

However, the real goal is for children to eat actual fruit.

“Raw fruits contain fiber which helps kids and their diet. They also tend to have a lot less calories per serving, and they fill kids up more readily,” said Dr. Abrams.


more on twcnews.com