The Liquid Marketing Squeeze $$ The Truth Behind The Juice
Did you know that most of the information we know about food, is nothing but paid propaganda from food companies and has no real basis in nutritional science at all? What is scarier is that most of this marketing is focused on children. One “Big Food” industry myth that I love debunking the most is the juice myth! I literally want to cry when someone hands their kid, or my kid a juice and says, “here’s fresh juice for some good vitamin C”. Most “fruit juice” (even when labeled 100% juice) contains additives, flavorings, or preservatives or even worse food coloring and dyes, which studies have linked to ADHD in children. Even if they are labeled 100% vitamin C, it is usually not vitamins derived from the fruit or vegetable but synthetic vitamin C that is added to juice concentrates along with sugar and water.
The recommended serving size of juice for a toddler diet is four ounces per day, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, but that is less than almost all juice boxes you can buy!!! Consuming sugary juices and drinks can lead to insulin resistance and type II diabetes even in children. To go even deeper here, if you are getting really good at reading your labels and you find a juice that is 100% organic with only fruits and vegetables listed as the ingredients… is juice really good for your kid? According to the mayo clinic, “there’s no sound scientific evidence that extracted juices are healthier than the juice you get by eating the fruit or vegetable itself.”
But really according to Charity Lawson (clinical nutritionist and my beautiful sister lol) juicing removes the fiber of the fruit or vegetable so all the child is left drinking is the sugar and minimal nutrients. The fiber allows for a slower delivery of the sugars in the fruit, which will prevent the famous “sugar crash” but instead provide a longer lasting energy. Breaking down fruits and veggies into juice actually is the fastest way to consume excess calories and create a vicious roller coaster of highs and lows. So please ditch the fruit juice and just let them hydrate by eating the entire fruit or vegetable.
Dr. Tommy John tells parents that he would be thrilled to finally see the day when instead of reminding kids to take their water, they’d say, “Don’t forget your apple.” He explains that not only is it fiber-packed and an all-natural appetite regulator, but it is 84% water, which is why he calls them nature’s water bottle. Since the child is eating the whole fruit they will benefit from the fiber and polyphenols (which feeds good gut bacteria) but also the delivery of natural sugar inside them offers an even stream of energy!
So please ditch the fruit juice, for the entire fruit!
