Parents, stop feeding fruit juice to kids under a year old, new guidelines out of the American Academy of Pediatrics say.
It’s sugary sweet, packed with empty calories, has little nutritional value and it could be hurting your little one’s teeth, the pediatricians warn.
The academy notes that “historically” doctors recommended fruit juice as a source of vitamin C and even to treat constipation, but it’s now urging parents to cut back on the sweet stuff.
The updated policy is timely as global health officials grapple with a growing childhood obesity epidemic and the long-term health care implications that come with the chronic disease.
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“Fruit juice is marketed as a healthy, natural source of vitamins and, in some cases, calcium. Because juice tastes good, children readily accept it,” the AAP wrote in a new study.
“High sugar content in juice contributes to increased calorie consumption and the risk of dental caries. In addition, the lack of protein and fibre in juice can predispose to inappropriate weight gain (too much or too little),” the AAP statement said.
In summary: “Fruit juice offers no nutritional advantage over whole fruit.” It’s consumed faster and doesn’t come with the fibre or whole fruit.
It has “no essential role in healthy, balanced diets of children,” the study said,
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But children and adolescents are still the “highest consumers of juice and juice drinks.” In the meantime, there’s been a steady rise in the consumption of “hybrid” drinks like tropical fruit, teas, sports and energy drinks, along with low-calorie, unsweetened drinks.
So how much fruit juice should your child drink? Here’s what the new guidelines are suggesting:
For babies six months and under: Stick to human milk only, if possible, until the six-month mark. If moms can’t breastfeed or are choosing not to, rely on infant formula instead for nutrition.
“No additional nutrients are needed. There is no nutritional indication to give fruit juice to infants younger than six months,” the guidelines warn.
“Offering juice before solid foods are introduced into the diet could risk having juice replace human milk or infant formula in the diet, which can result in reduced intakes of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals such as iron, calcium and zinc.”
The Canadian guidelines are incredibly similar.
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“Babies and children don’t need to drink juice. Too much juice, especially apple juice, can cause diarrhea and can fill up small stomachs, decreasing your baby’s appetite for nutritious foods. Too much juice can also cause early childhood tooth decay,” the Canadian Paediatric Society says on its website.
1 year: Parents should “completely avoid” feeding their infants juice before the age of one. There’s worry about cavities at this age and it’s been tied to juice consumption.
If juice is doled out because of medical reasons, give your child juice in a cup, not a bottle and don’t let your little one take the bottle to bed.
Instead of juice, feed your kids whole fruit that’s mashed or pureed.
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After 1 year: Juice can be offered as part of a meal or snack, the experts say. It shouldn’t be sipped on throughout the day or used as a means to calm an upset child. Stick to about four ounces of juice per day – this makes up half of the recommended daily serving of fruit for kids.
Under six years old: While you may not have limits, you’re going to need to set some parameters, the guidelines warn.
“Fruit juice and juice drinks are easily overconsumed by toddlers and young children because they taste good. In addition, they are conveniently packaged or can be placed in a bottle or transportable covered cup and carried around during the day,” the guidelines warn.
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Give your kids whole fruit over fruit juice whenever possible.
Kids 7 to 18 years old: Growing kids at this age shouldn’t drink more than eight ounces of juice per day – that’s half of the daily allotment for calories that should come from fruit.
See the full AAP guidelines published in the journal Pediatrics.
carmen.chai@globalnews.ca
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