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Researchers Prescribe 100pc Fruit Juice as Part of Healthy School Lunches

by Tanya Thomas on Oct 8 2008 3:33 PM

Researchers have now tried to quell parental fears on the amount of 100 pct juice that is healthy for children. They say that such juices still make up for healthy school lunches as they combine several essential nutrients and are clearly not linked to childhood obesity.

Hundred percent fruit juice has long been included in school foodservice meals or in the lunches, and is still considered healthful beverage that can serve as a daily fruit serving.

Parents have been fearing that excess of the juices might prove to be harmful to their children, because of the natural sweet taste of fruit juice.

After examining all the scientific literature, the study, titled A Review of the Relationship Between 100% Fruit Juice Consumption and Weight in Children and Adolescents," concluded: "There is no systematic association between consumption of 100 per cent fruit juice and overweight in children or adolescents."

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the appropriate amounts of 100 percent juice daily for children of 1-6 years are 4-6 ounces, and the same figure for older children from ages 7-18 is 8-12 ounces daily.

In fact, the USDA Food Guide Pyramid has included guidelines for incorporating 100 percent juice as a fruit serving.

Also, fruit juices make up for substantial contributions of several nutrients in higher amounts in the diet as compared to whole fruits, including vitamin C, folate and potassium.

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Besides, 100 percent fruit juice contains many naturally occurring phytonutrients that contribute to good health.

The findings have been published in the American Medical Association's Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (AJLM).

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Source-ANI
TAN


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