Nutrition

Is juice as bad for you as pop?

Is juice as bad for you as pop?

Nutrition

Is juice as bad for you as pop?

Do you start the day with a big class of OJ? Drop a juice box into your kid’s lunch? According to many health professionals and dieticians, you and your family may as well be chugging soda.

The issue appears to be heating up, as fruit juice may soon be phased out of the fruits and vegetables category of Canada’s Food Guide, according to an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

From a recent obesity summit in Toronto, the CMAJ reports that Hasan Hutchinson, Director General of the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion at Health Canada, implied the sweet drinks are on the chopping block as a good choice as a servings of fruit.

"You won't be seeing that anymore … and there'll be a fair number of new materials coming out in the next few months," he said, according to the CMAJ. He also admitted that while the guide repeatedly states Canadians should choose low sugar foods, it could be more clear on the link between portions and sugar control.

Over the sugar limit
The guide currently recommends up to six servings of fruit and vegetables for children up to thirteen and up to eight servings for women up to age fifty.

It can be easy to forget that a serving of juice is just a half a cup. A few glasses and you’ve filled your daily fruit requirement with a huge amount of sugar. (A single glass of juice can put you over the daily sugar limit recommended by the World Health Organization.)

But some researchers say juice shouldn’t be vilified across the board, according to Postmedia reporter Sharon Kirkey.

A recent study of more than 14,000 U.S. adults found that people who drank about eight ounces of 100 percent fruit juice daily had lower odds of obesity and better blood sugar and blood-insulin levels, she writes.

Choose whole fruit
Still, other research has linked juice drinking with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Replacing juice with whole fruit appears to reduce that risk, she writes.

While the juice debates continue, that’s the easiest life hack to try: If you think you guzzle too much juice, try swapping out a glass for an apple or orange.

Read on too see if you’re eating too much sugar and the 25 healthiest fruits to try.

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Nutrition

Is juice as bad for you as pop?

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