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Apple Juice. The Devil?

Okay. Well aware that I’m getting some nasty looks for giving fruit juice a bum rap. That’s probably because many parents believe that fruit juice is good for their kids. Can’t get him to eat an apple? Give him a box of juice. After all, it’s all-natural and has to have some of the goodness of real fruit, doesn’t it?

The reality is that excessive juice consumption has been blamed for malnutrition (either over or underweight kids), diarrhea, tooth decay, and a disturbing desire to wear Fruit of the Loom. Okay, I made the last part up. But the problem with kids drinking too much juice is a very real one for pediatricians. Juice is lacking in most of the fiber and nutrients found in real fruit. Fortified juices might have calcium or vitamins, but they end up replacing other foods in a child’s diet that contain “real nutrition.” (I could elaborate but I assume you’ve other things to do today.)

The problem is big enough that the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement on “The Use and Misuse of Fruit Juice in Pediatrics.” You can find it on their website: Here!

I’ll summarize for you: juice can be part of a varied and healthy diet, just like M&Ms can be. However, given their limited nutritional value, the following recommendations were made:
• No juice for infants younger than 6 months
• No juice in sippy cups or bottles
• Children 1-6 years should have no more than 4-6 ounces a day (1/2 a cup!!)
• Children 7-18 may have up to 8-12 ounces a day

Oh and by the way, we’re talking 100% pasteurized juice, not “fruit drinks.” And the AAP makes it very clear that they are providing upper limits of consumption, they aren’t actually recommending that children drink juice. So there you have it.

I am not stupid. I know that there will come a day when Eva and Zoe taste their first glass of Welch’s. But that doesn’t mean I have to hasten the process. Let them grow up thinking that juice is a seriously “sometimes” treat. If we’re on holiday or they get a glass at a friend’s house, I’m not going to freak out. It’s not the same caliber as letting them play near an open gun cabinet, for Pete’s sake. But I’m not making juice part of my weekly grocery list. Of course, this means that I should probably revisit my own diet soda habit…

Dr. Lara Zibners, Feb 01, 2011

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