Drinking natural fruit juice daily makes you fat

100% fruit juices have been in the spotlight for some time. It contains essential vitamins, antioxidants and polyphenols that can be part of a healthy dietary pattern, but different research suggests that its consumption can contribute to weight gain due to its high amounts of free sugars and energy. These drinks contain little or no fiber compared to whole fruit, which means low satiety and higher intake. Now, a systematic review and meta-analysis of 42 eligible studies, including 17 among children (45,851 participants) and 25 among adults (268,095 people), found a positive association between 100% fruit juice intake and weight gain in children . . The results are published in the journal ‘Jama Pediatrics’. So far, the evidence on 100% fruit juice and weight gain has yielded mixed results from both epidemiological and clinical studies, possibly due to differences in juice types, consideration of total energy as a potential mediator, and the variable adjustment for potential important confounders. There are also no consistent international guidelines. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans allow this type of drink as a fruit serving and recommend limiting added sugars, which does not include natural sugars. For their part, the World Health Organization and Canada’s Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting free sugars, including those in 100% fruit juice, to less than 10% of total energy. Almost half of children and adolescents consume at least 1 serving of fruit juice per day, with the youngest children having the highest consumption rates. With increasing rates of overweight and obesity in children and adults worldwide, evidence-based recommendations for fruit juice consumption are needed. The meta-analysis published in ‘Jama Pediatrics’ performs a comprehensive systematic review and evaluates 100% fruit juice consumption and body weight in children and adults. Those studies that examined only 100% fruit juices (no added sugar, explicitly stated as 100% fruit juice) were chosen and those studies that also combined vegetable juices or sugary drinks such as soft drinks or fruit drinks were excluded. In randomized clinical trials, 100% fruit juice was compared with non-caloric controls (water or a non-nutritive sweetened beverage, such as a diet soda sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame or sucralose) or with the usual diet alone. The results indicate that 1 serving per day of 100% fruit juice is consistent with an increase in BMI among children. Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies in adults provides evidence that daily consumption of 100% fruit juice is associated with body weight gain, which is likely mediated in part by energy; However, this association was neither supported nor refuted by meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. More such high-quality studies are needed in both children and adults that explore the effect of juice consumption on body weight at different levels of intake and different types of juice. “Our findings support public health guidelines to limit consumption of 100% fruit juice to prevent overweight and obesity,” the authors conclude. Why it is better to take the whole fruit At a metabolic level, consuming the piece of fruit is not the same as consuming the juice. The insulin that is activated when we eat food is triggered much more when you drink the juice than when the piece comes. The latter contains fiber and causes sugar to be regulated and absorbed more slowly. Furthermore, if we bite into a fruit, with one piece we will feel satisfied, while in a juice we need to add more than one piece, which is equivalent to more sugars and calories. Therefore, the recommendation is to take the whole fruit instead of juicing it.