Fruit Juices and Smoothies Doing More Harm than Good

Fruit juices and smoothies are considered superior to energy drinks in terms of their nutrition content. Recent research has come up with shocking evidence of unacceptably high sugar content in these fruit juices and smoothies that are handed over to children without a concern since they are considered to be healthier.

A recent study was carried out by researchers at University of Liverpool and the University of London led by Dr. Simon Capewell. They analyzed the sugar content per every 100 ml of the fruit juice drinks, 100% natural juices and smoothies that are made especially for children. They took the information listed on the labels of these drinks. They calculated the amount of naturally occurring and added free sugars glucose, fructose, sucrose and table sugar in these drinks.

The Recommended Daily Amount of Sugars for Children

According to the recommendation of the American Heart Association (AHA), the daily allowed limit is 3-4 tea spoons of sugar for children and 5 teaspoons for teens. According to the UK's National Health Service (NHS), the daily allowed dose of sugars is 4 teaspoons in children aged 4-6 years and less than 5 teaspoons for children aged 7-10 years.

Fruit Juices- The Perfect Hiding Place for Sugars

The study found out that smoothie contains up to 13 grams of sugar per every 100ml. the average amount of sugar in the pure drinks was found to be 10.7 grams per 100ml. More than 40% of the drinks were found to have 4 teaspoons of free sugars which is equal to the maximum amount of sugar allowed for children.

The sugar content of the drinks that were assessed by the research team members fell within a range of 0-16 grams/100ml, the average of which was found to be 7grams/100ml. The sugar content of these drinks was considerably high and was found to be even higher in the pure fruit juices and smoothies.

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The Recommendations

Based on the findings of the study, the researchers put forth some recommendations

• Fruits should be consumed as whole, not as part of a smoothie or fruit drink.
• The fruit juices, drinks and smoothies with a high sugar content should not be categorized as “5 a day”
• Fruit juices should be diluted with water or unsweetened juices should be opted for. These drinks should be allowed only during meals.
• The daily consumption of fruit juices and smoothies should be limited to 150 ml per day, or just over 5 oz.
• If necessary, government intervention should be employed to stop the manufacturers from adding unnecessary sugars to fruit drinks, juices and smoothies.

Whole fruit, as opposed to fruit drinks, is rich in fiber which delays its digestion. This is why whole fruits are more filling than fruit drinks. Making the fruits into a drink takes the fiber out of them.

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This research has put a big question mark on the benefits of fruit drinks and smoothies, encouraging the parents to go for whole fruits instead of fruit drinks to derive maximum benefits from them.

Healthy Ways To Incorporate Fruits In Diet

Including fruits in diet is a serious challenge for people who rely on takeaways and deliveries and barely find the time out of their fast paced lifestyle to cook or eat a healthy meal. Fruits are a healthy source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and nutrients and are essential for a sound mind in a sound body. However, the fact remains that most of the people ignore their need to eat more fruits.

The best way of deriving optimal benefits out of fruits is to eat them whole since molding them into different forms like smoothies and drinks takes the fiber out of them and reduces their nutrition content. Moreover, the addition of sugars to these drinks does more harm than good. Here are some of the ways to incorporate fruits in your diet with a fun element without compromising on their nutritious benefits.

Fruit Salads

Fruit salads are one of the most popular ways of including fruits in your daily dietary regime. Tossing different fruits together in the form of a salad not only retains their nutrient content but also adds variety to the daily menu.

Fruit salads are also quite easy to make. It is the best way to have something nice to eat and load up on all the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals at the same time. You can have a bowl of fruits as breakfast in the morning, as a snack or even as dessert after normal meals.

Dried Fruits

Dried fruits serve as the best snacks. Although slightly less beneficial than the fresh fruits, dried fruits offer numerous health benefits. They also have longer shelf life and can be stored for long time periods. They are loaded with fiber, anti-oxidants and various nutrients. Having a bowl of dried fruits on your work table within easy reach helps you get your fill of fruits.

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Fruit Pancakes

Start your morning with a refreshing dose of fruits in pancakes. They can also be used as snacks in between meals. Apples, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, pears and pineapples are some of the fruits that can be made into pancakes to make your breakfast all the more delicious. Avoid canned fruits and go for fresh fruits instead, since canned fruits have high calorie content.  

Fresh Fruit Juices

Take some time out to invest in a good juicing machine and squeeze the fruits into delightful juices which are sure to whet your appetite for more fruits. You can blend two or more fruits together in the form of juices to get a greater variety. Although juicing the fruits takes the fiber out of them, it is, nonetheless, a great way to include fruits in diet, especially for children.

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Milk Shakes

Mixing fruits with milk is another great way to make sure that you are getting your share of the much needed fruits in diet. Strawberries, apples, bananas etc. can easily be made into delicious shakes that are more fun than eating whole fruits. In this way, even the fiber content of the fruits is retained.