Kids and Fruit Juice Consumption

Did you know that fruit juice consumption offers very few benefits? Did you know that it also has potential harmful effects? High sugar content in juice contributes to more calorie consumption and the risk of developing dental caries.

Children and adolescents remain the highest consumers of juice and juice drinks. Children age two to 18 years consume nearly half of their fruit intake as juice, which lacks dietary fiber and predisposes them to excessive caloric intake.

Fruit juice offers no nutritional advantage over whole fruit. A drawback of juice is that it lacks the fiber and nutrition of whole fruit and can be consumed more quickly than whole fruit. Also, dark juices can cause stain on your teeth and the spike in sugar can spur acne breakouts.

Drinking juice throughout the day leads to excessive exposure of the teeth to carbohydrates and sugar. Both of these promote the development of dental decay and cavities.

Juice should not be introduced to infants before one year, unless indicated by their pediatrician. Juice intake should be limited to four ounces per day in toddlers aged one through three years, four to six ounces per day for children aged four through six years, and eight ounces per day for children/young adults aged seven through 18 years.

The Children’s Dental Clinic of Green Bay, Dr. Shetty suggests diluting fruit juice with water by 50%; two ounces of juice and two ounces of water.