New recommendation: No fruit juice for children under a year

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire Juice. Many people think of it as a healthy drink, something that should be part of a child’s diet. But it turns out that it’s not necessarily healthy at all — and doesn’t need to be part of a child’s diet. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics just came out with the recommendation that children under a year should drink no juice at all. This is a change from the previous recommendation, which was that children shouldn’t have juice before six months of age. This recommendation may seem surprising, but here’s why experts aren’t wild about juice: It doesn’t have much nutritional value. Yes, there are some vitamins in it, and the ascorbic acid in some juices can help the body absorb iron. But children are always better off eating the fruit (or vegetable) itself instead of the juice. It’s healthier and has fiber the body needs. It can lead to cavities, especially when children carry around bottles or sippy cups and drink little bits all the time. When children do this, there is cavity-causing sugar in the mouth all the time. It can lead to overweight. Our bodies are designed to eat our calories, not drink them; we don’t get filled up by juice, no matter how many calories of it we drink. It can lead to diarrhea, especially in toddlers. It can actually interfere with the absorption of some medications. It’s true that juice is healthier than, say, soda. But when it comes to overweight and cavities, juice isn’t all that...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Children's Health Healthy Eating Parenting Source Type: blogs