Fruit juice has always been disguised as healthy, but unfortunately, it’s not the best option for children, especially babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics released a new set of guidelines highlighting that fruit juice for children younger than 1 is not recommended. They are also recommending sharply limiting juice consumption for toddlers and older children.
ABC News Chief Women’s Health correspondent, Dr. Jennifer Ashton explained why to Good Morning America. “While some 100-percent juice can be O.k., in general, it doesn’t pack the nutritional punch that a lot of parents think it does,” explains Dr. Ashton. The big difference is in the amount of fiber that juice has, which is really important for gastrointestinal issues, which if you want to get the benefits from fruit, you should always eat the fruit, not only the juice.
Take unsweetened apple juice, for example, it has 114 calories, 24 grams of sugar, and no dietary fiber, while a medium apple contains 4 grams of fiber, explains the doctor.