What are the best types of juices to be drinking?
The government recently called for a ban on fruit juice at the dinner table because of the amount of sugar and the negative effects on health, but should we banning it?
The Government’s chief obesity advisor has said that parents should only serve water or milk with meals and ban fizzy drinks and juices from the dining table, in order to reduce their children’s intake of sugar.
The recommendation was made ahead of scientific advice being published about how much sugar people should consume and proposed measures to reduce public levels of consumption.
Government advisors blame fruit juices for rises in obesity, type-2 diabetes and heart disease. Experts now want parents to treat fruit juices as they would fizzy drinks.
Nutrition expert Mel Wakeman has responded; “If children are going to have fruit juice (ideally not made from concentrate and with ‘bits’ in) it is preferable to have it at meal times rather than in-between meals. Fruit juice is preferable to many other soft and fizzy drinks which are a problem in terms of their sugar content and we advise children to drink water or low fat milk products during the day.
“I think to say fruit juice should be banned at meal times is too strong when there are other worse culprits in terms of sugar content. Eating the whole fruit is always going to be better and I would suggest diluting fruit juice but I think we need to focus on the ultra-processed soft drinks instead.”
Mr Rupert Allen, Lead Dietitian at The Lister Hospital, and Ms Evelyn Toner, Consultant Dietitian at London Bridge Hospital go on to explain the benefits and dangers of fruit juice and a diet high in sugar.
What is the current daily recommended sugar intake?
Mr Rupert Allen comments: “The current recommendations for 'added sugar' is up to 10% of daily calories, which works out to be approximately 70g sugar per day for men and 50g sugar per day for women. Although a new report (from SACN - Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition) suggests this should be reduced to 5%.”
Ms Evelyn Toner comments: “Previously the recommendation was that sugar should contribute a maximum of 10% total energy, this has been revised to an average population target of 5% total energy which is 35g sugar/day for men and 25g sugar/day for women.”
How much sugar is there in a glass of fruit juice?
Mr Rupert Allen continues: “A glass of fruit juice contains around 13g sugar (typical serving 150ml, around 9g per 100g), although some fruit juice drinks may contain added sugar. A 150ml glass of fruit juice counts as 1 of your 5 a day and therefore provides vitamins and minerals. UnsweetenedFruit juice can also be a source of fibre, particularly if they contain fruit pulp.”
Are there any health benefits to drinking fruit juice? Is it more beneficial to eat fresh fruit instead of drinking juice, or is this still too high in sugar?
Mr Rupert Allen comments: “Freshfruit is generally more beneficial as the sugar is contained within the fruit structure, and is slower to be absorbed. Also fresh fruit will contain lots of fibre, which has many health benefits. Fruit will also fill you up more than fruit juice which may reduce the tendency to snack on other high sugar / high fat foods.”
Ms Evelyn Toner continues: “There are many health benefits from eating fresh fruit; they provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre. There is no evidence that fructose, the sugar in fruit, leads to adverse health outcomes.”
Is there a difference between shop-bought juice and homemade fruit juice? Which is better for you and why?
Mr Rupert Allen comments: “Fruitjuice made at home is likely to be better for you, as it will contain plenty of pulp and flesh and therefore will be higher in fibre. You can also guarantee what and how much fruit is in the drink and therefore be assured there is no added sugar.”
What are the dangers of a high sugar intake?
Mr Rupert Allen comments: “High sugar foods can cause tooth decay, especially if consumed regularly as a snack. High sugar foods also tend to be high in calories and therefore can contribute to heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Also people who tend to have a high sugar intake tend to have a diet lower in other nutrients.”
Ms Evelyn Toner comments: “A high sugar intake carries the danger of increased risk of dental caries, diabetes mellitus, weight gain and an increase in BMI.”
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