January 18, 1997
It's not uncommon to see a toddler at the supermarket or riding in a car with a bottle of fruit juice in his or her mouth. And what parent hasn't prepared for a long car ride by packing along a few juice boxes to satisfy those predictable thirsts?
In fact, juice is a nutritious snack. But too much may stunt a child's growth or foster obesity suggests a new study in the January issue of Pediatrics.
Barbara A. Dennison and her colleagues at the Mary Imogene Bassett Research Institute in Cooperstown, N.Y., asked the parents of 223 healthy young children -- either 2 or 5 years old -- to log everything they fed those children over a 7-day period.
Most of the children drank between 5 and 6 ounces of juice daily, and between 10 and 11 ounces of milk. However, 11 percent of the kids consumed at least twice the average amount of juice. Among this group of children, 42 percent were short -- that is, they fell within the lowest 20th percentile for their age. This was roughly three times the rate of short children seen in the groups that downed just 5 or 6 ounces of juice daily.
There was also no evidence that the heavy juicers substituted their fruity drinks for milk. On average, they consumed as much milk as did the children who drank less juice. Nor were their calorie counts low. In fact, the researchers report, for each age, both the higher- and lower-juice consuming groups took in roughly equivalent amounts of fat, protein, cholesterol -- and calories.
Nevertheless, the researchers found that children downing at least 12 ounces of fruit juice daily -- one and one-half cups -- faced a significantly higher risk of obesity. More than half were overweight, falling within the top 25 percent of national data for their age and height. Among kids drinking less juice, the overweight rate was just 32 percent.
So what's happening?
Dietary analyses showed that the children drinking 12 or more ounces of juice daily consumed a greater proportion of their calories from simple sugars. "For the most part," Dennison's team notes, "simple sugars are empty calories."
In addition, studies have shown that the body has a relatively difficult time absorbing certain of the sugars found in commercial juice drinks -- especially fructose and sorbitol.
Though "both of these factors could adversely affect growth," Dennison's group points out that these are not likely to prove the full explanation. Indeed, survey information on the children's activity levels showed that the overweight 5-year-olds were more likely to be couch potatoes than were their normal weight peers.
"As with most things in life," the researchers conclude, "moderation is probably best." They add, "Until other studies prove otherwise, it seems prudent for parents and caretakers to limit young children's consumption of fruit juice to less than 12 fluid ounces per day."
References:
Dennison, B.A., H.L. Rockwell, and S.L. Baker. 1997. Excess fruit juice consumption by preschool-aged children is associated with short stature and obesity. Pediatrics 99(January):15.
Related Readings:
Popkin, B.M, M.K. Richards, and C.A. Montiero. 1996. Stunting is associated with overweight in children of four nations that are undergoing the nutrition transition. Journal of Nutrition(December):3009.
Raloff, J. 1996. Juicy anticancer prospects. Science News 149(May 4):287.
_____. 1996. Umbilical clamping affects anemia risk. Science News 149(April 27):263.
Raloff, J., and D. Pendick. 1993. Pesticides in produce may threaten kids. Science News 144(July 3):4.
Sources:
Barbara A. Dennison
Mary Imogene Bassett Research Institute
1 Atwell Road
Cooperstown, NY 13326
This week's Food for Thought is prepared by Janet Raloff, senior editor of Science News.
Illustration: Wendy Temple.
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