Mass Media article on the above
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... rinks.htmlMy comments on the published article
Besides the points made above...
Juice is not food it is a "substance/ingredient" extracted from food.
The problem with fruit juice is not so much the fructose, though that can be an issue if large amounts are consumed, it is the calories which are liquid calories that lack fiber, are very low in satiety and also the overall calorie and sugar concentration that are the issues.
The article references 150 ml as a serving which is 5 oz. In America, a serving of fruit juice is 4 oz or about 120 ml. If someone had 4 oz on occasion it is probably not a big deal.
We often hear that juice is "better" because it has more vitamins and minerals than other sugar sweetened beverages (like coke cola). While this is true, it is missing the point.
The main health problems we are facing (overweight, obesity, diabetes, CVD, etc) are not cause by the lack of a few nutrients and most people following my recommendation are already consuming a highly nutrient rich diet. So, nutrient deficiencies are not the main issue... excess calories, lack of fiber, and to some degree, excess sugars are as are excess weight, obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Adding a few nutrients to coke would not make it a health food.
In regard to vegetable juices, they generally have less calories & sugar than fruit juices, & as such their recommended serving size is 6 oz, not 4 oz as for fruit juice. However, some veggie juices, like carrots & beets, have almost as much sugar as many fruit juices (and even more than some fruit juices), so, for them, the concerns are the same.
Other veggie juices, especially green veggie juices like those made with kale, can be fairly bitter so most people will not drink them without something sweet added. Usually this ends up being sweet veggies (carrot, beet, etc) or fruit juice (apple, orange etc) or coconut water, so we are back to the same issue as with fruit juices. Just look at all the ones sold over the counter in supermarkets, most all the veggies & green juices are loaded with fruit juices.
This is why i always have said...
A serving of fruit juice is 4 oz & veggie juice 6 oz. Having a serving on occasion is probably not a big deal for most. Realize though that most juice servings/containers today are now 12-24 oz which is 3-6 servings. So, be careful because once we open them, we tend to drink the whole container.
However, if excess weight, diabetes, blood sugar, A1c, triglycerides are an issue, it may be best to skip juices completely.
It is interesting to note that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend juice for infants & has defined set limits for it for younger & older kids.
http://m.pediatrics.aappublications.org ... /1210.full"Intake of fruit juice should be limited to 4 to 6 oz/d for children 1 to 6 years old. For children 7 to 18 years old, juice intake should be limited to 8 to 12 oz or 2 servings per day."I think we should follow their lead though in doing so, also remember that most all the people who come to us (or this diet) for help are fairly unhealthy people, not healthy kids, So, for this audience, I recommend the following limits....
1 serving per day at most on occasion. I would also prefer if it is not consumed on its own (ie, just drinking a glass of juice as a snack or a meal) but used as flavoring/condiment as part of a recipe or included with other food (in a healthy recipe) and/or used to get you to eat more healthy low calorie dense foods (ie, if a little juice is used in a salad dressing so you eat more salad or added to oatmeal as a flavoring so you eat more oatmeal, or a veggie juice added to a soup or chili recipe so you eat more soup and or rice and beans, etc) but within the recommended limits.
In Health
Jeff