- Drinking fruit juice daily was associated with weight gain in children and adults, according to one study.
- Researchers found that each additional serving of 100% fruit juice per day was associated with an increase in weight.
- Dietitians explain the link and offer tips for how to avoid weight gain while still enjoying fruit juice.
If you’re trying to lose weight or merely trying to eat healthier, you likely know that beverages can be tricky terrain. Besides water, there are many sips that are good for you, but only in certain quantities or formulations (looking at you, black coffee). Now, a large study found fruit juice linked to weight gain, casting doubts on the benefits of a beverage that many people drink daily. Read on to discover what the researchers found, plus how to choose the healthiest fruit juices so that you don’t need to cut out your morning sip.
Meet the experts: Melissa Mroz-Planells, D.C.N., R.D.N., national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and member of the Prevention Medical Review Board; Jackie Newgent, R.D.N., C.D.N., chef, nutritionist, and author of The Plant-Based Diabetes Cookbook.
The meta-analysis, which was published in JAMA Pediatrics, looked at how drinking 100% fruit juice may impact weight gain in children and adults. The researchers analyzed 42 studies: 17 in children and 25 among adults, encompassing over 300,000 participants.
For children, they found that each additional serving per day of 100% fruit juice was associated with a 0.03 higher body mass index (BMI) change. For adults, they found that each additional daily serving was associated with a slightly smaller 0.02 change in BMI. (Note: Prevention no longer uses BMI as an indicator of health).
So, how might drinking fruit juice contribute to weight gain? When portions are not closely monitored it can be easy to get a lot of extra calories from drinks like juice, sugar-sweetened beverages, and added enhancers like sugar or cream in tea and coffee, said Melissa Mroz-Planells, D.C.N., R.D.N., national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and member of the Prevention Medical Review Board. “These extra calories can add up over time which easily contributes to weight gain.”
The difference between eating fruit and drinking fruit juice also plays a role. According to the Mayo Clinic, fruit juice contains most of the vitamins, minerals, and plant chemicals found in the fruit, but whole fruits and vegetables also have healthy fiber, which is lost during most juicing. When you drink fruit juice instead of eating whole fruit, you take away the fiber and the structural parts of the food, and our body digests and metabolizes it differently.
Drinking fruit juice may also contribute to insulin resistance, which can lead to weight gain. A half-cup serving of juice, like orange juice, has about the same amount of carbohydrates as a slice of bread, said Mroz-Planells. “Most people do not drink a half-cup of juice and will drink two or three times the recommended serving. This leads to a high contribution of rapidly digested sugars that, when consumed habitually, can contribute to weight gain and insulin resistance,” she explained.
Consistently overconsuming juice, coupled with a family history of type 2 diabetes or being overweight or inactive, is a combination that may increase your chances of developing insulin resistance, agreed Jackie Newgent, R.D.N., C.D.N., chef, nutritionist, and author of The Plant-Based Diabetes Cookbook.
So, how much fruit juice can you drink every day? According to Mroz-Planells, guidelines recommend that at least half of our fruit intake should come from whole fruit. If you are consuming fruit juice, it’s critical to choose 100% juice without added sugars. “I generally recommend that if you are consuming juice, find one that is lower in sugar and keep it to 4 to 6 ounces total,” said Mroz-Planells. If that feels like a small amount, she suggested mixing it with some sparkling water for a refreshing cooler.
Keep in mind that a juice glass is not the same as a 12- or 16-ounce grab-n-go bottle, added Newgent, as the latter will likely contain more calories and carbohydrates than the serving you would pour yourself at home. She recommended looking for juices labeled “no sugar added,” “unsweetened,” or “freshly squeezed” to minimize those added sweeteners.
The bottom line
While the reasons for weight gain were not discussed in this study, it makes sense that weight and body mass index were higher in those who consumed more servings of fruit juice than in those who did not, said Mroz-Planells. “It reinforces the notion that the calories from our beverages can impact our weight and cause weight gain.”
But this doesn’t mean that you need to cut fruit juice out altogether. It can be part of a healthy lifestyle, said Newgent, but it shouldn’t be your go-to strategy for consuming fruit. “Your best bet is to aim for whole fruit first for more fiber benefits and chewing satisfaction!” she said. Then if you want to have a small glass of unsweetened juice here and there, you can do so guilt-free.
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