Is Fruit Juice Good for Children?

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Benefits of Fruit Juice
• Drawbacks of Fruit Juice
• Guidelines for Giving Your Child Fruit Juice

Fruit juice might seem like a healthy drink option when compared with sugary sodas. But the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends limiting how much juice your child drinks and not giving them any at all if your baby is under age 1. Too much fruit juice can contribute to health problems for your child. Water and milk are the healthiest drinks for children.

High in nutrients. Fruit juice contains many of the same vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals as whole fruit. Phytochemicals are health-promoting plant compounds that can help fight cancer and other diseases. In some studies, drinking pure fruit juice in moderation has been linked to lower blood pressure and a lower risk of heart disease.

Readily available. Fruit juice may be a cost-effective method to help the dietary guidelines for fruit consumption. Many children don’t eat enough fruit. Children should get between 1 and 2 cups of fruit daily depending on their age. Combining fruit juice and whole fruit may make it easier for children to get enough fruit in their diet. Fruit juice may also provide access to a larger variety of fruits year round.

Lack of fiber. The main thing missing from fruit juice is the beneficial fiber in the whole fruit. Children in the U.S. eat less than half of the recommended daily fruit servings. Half of the fruit servings they do consume come from juice. Additionally, 9 out of 10 children in the U.S. don’t get enough fiber. ‌

Fiber from fruit may be particularly beneficial because of its prebiotic effects. Children who eat more whole fruit have more good bacteria in their guts. This good bacteria is associated with better immune system function. Fiber from fruit is also associated with fewer bad bacteria and protection from diarrhea from bacterial sources. Additional benefits of fruit fiber may include:

• Lower likelihood of constipation
• Reduced risk of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease
• Reduced risk of obesity
• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Lower cholesterol
• Reduced risk of high blood pressure
• Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
• Reduced risk of colon cancer
• Less severe asthma attacks
• Reduced risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Better emotional control
• Better relationship-building skills
• Reduced aggressive behaviors
• Reduced risk of depression
• Lower levels of inflammation‌

High in sugar. Fruit juice is a concentrated source of sugar for children. For example, 1/2 cup of apple juice has 13 grams of sugar and 60 calories. Your child can get the same serving of fruit from 1/2 cup of apple slices, which only has 30 calories, 5.5 grams of sugar, and 1.5 grams of fiber.

Fruit juice contains about as much sugar per serving as soda. Too much sugar, even from fruit juice, has been associated with:

• Obesity, especially excess fat around the waist
• Liver problems
• High blood sugar
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Increased risk of heart attack
• Increased risk of stroke

Preference for sweets. Drinking juice may cause your child to prefer sweet flavors over plain water. This may result in juice taking the place of healthier options like water or milk. One study of 75 children who were 3 to 5 years old showed that they ate more vegetables when they were served with water than when they were served with sweet drinks.

This effect held up regardless of how picky the children were about food. This finding suggests that what your child drinks may set their taste expectations for their meal. 

If you do decide to give your child fruit juice, keep these guidelines in mind:

• Don’t give juice to your child if they are under the age of 1.
• Limit juice to no more than 4 ounces daily for children ages 1 to 3.
• Limit juice to no more than 4 to 6 ounces daily for children ages 4 to 6.
• Limit juice to no more than 8 ounces daily for children ages 7 to 18.
• Don’t give juice in a bottle or sippy cup because it encourages drinking too much.
• Don’t give your child juice at bedtime because it can cause cavities.
• Don’t give your child unpasteurized juice because it may contain disease-causing microbes.
• Don’t give your child juice if they are gaining weight too slowly or too quickly.
• Encourage your child to eat whole fruit over drinking fruit juice.

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When Can Babies Drink Juice? Fruit Juice Guidelines for Babies – Happiest Baby

By
Dr. Harvey Karp, MD, FAAP

Juice has traditionally been a widely accepted drink for babies and toddlers. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released information and details on when your baby can drink juice. Due to the higher sugar levels and lack of nutritional contents of fruit juice (apple, orange, prune, etc), it’s best to follow the guidelines set forth by the AAP.

When can babies drink juice?

When can babies drink juice? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says it’s best to wait until after your baby is 1 year old before giving them juice unless your doctor recommends it earlier for managing constipation. Growing concerns about increased rates of obesity and tooth decay prompted the change of when you could give babies juice from the previous recommendation of 6 months.

Apple Juice for Babies and Infants

When I was a young doctor, we thought apple juice was a great first drink for babies, but it turned out to be a bad idea…resulting in the early introduction of sugar addiction.

It turns out that fruit drinks and fruit juice (including apple juice) are the food equivalent of an “alternative fact.” Actually, the “fruit” (the pulp and most nutritious parts of the fruit) is thrown away, leaving “juice” (pretty much just sugar and water). This includes apple juice, orange juice, and even prune juice.

Your baby is better off without juice in the early days!

What can babies drink if juice is out?

For the first 6 months, babies should only have breast milk or formula (it’s even better if you can breastfeed for a full year, per the AAP). But after you do wean, formula and water are the preferred drinks, until your baby’s first birthday. I also recommend offering non-caffeinated mint or chamomile sunshine tea. Just drop the tea bags in a pitcher of room temperature water and let it sit in the sun and self-brew for an hour. They are naturally sweet without sugar…and kids love them!

How much juice can toddlers and big kids drink?

After 1 year of age, pure 100% juice is OK as a special treat. Don’t think of it as a daily beverage for your little one to sip throughout the day. But that said, when you do give juice, AAP recommends you stay under the following daily limits:

• 4 oz. a day for 1 to 3-year-olds
• 4-6 oz. a day for 4 to 6-year-olds
• 8 oz. a day or 7-year-olds & up

So, if you were asking yourself the question “When can I give my baby juice?” Now you know! However, don’t let these juice restrictions confuse you about fruit—whole fruit is full of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. When you introduce solids to your baby, pureed and mashed fruit should be part of the mix.

About Dr. Harvey Karp

Dr. Harvey Karp, one of America’s most trusted pediatricians, is the founder of Happiest Baby and the inventor of the groundbreaking SNOO Smart Sleeper. After years of treating patients in Los Angeles, Dr. Karp vaulted to global prominence with the release of the bestselling Happiest Baby on the Block and Happiest Toddler on the Block. His celebrated books and videos have since become standard pediatric practice, translated into more than 20 languages and have helped millions of parents. Dr. Karp’s landmark methods, including the 5 S’s for soothing babies, guide parents to understand and nurture their children and relieve stressful issues, like new-parent exhaustion, infant crying, and toddler tantrums.

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Have questions about a Happiest Baby product? Our consultants would be happy to
help! Connect with us at [email protected].

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or
condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or
yourself, please contact your health provider.

Benefits and harms of apple juice for children

Stores sell baby juice, which, according to the label, can be given to a child from four months. Pediatricians are against such complementary foods, and even in the first months of a baby’s life. What do mothers think of this? As part of the study of apple juice, Roskachestvo initiated a survey on a topical issue.

A survey for the Roskachestvo portal was conducted on her Instagram by Tatyana Butskaya, founder of the all-Russian movement “Council of Mothers” and the people’s award “Parents’ Choice”, a pediatrician, an international expert in children’s products.

The survey involved 1215 people living in both large and small Russian cities. The majority of respondents (70%) are between 25 and 34 years old. Most of them (60%) have one child. We decided to find out the attitude of parents to juices from the store.

– Doctors are now wary of juices. They cannot find any benefit in them, but there is more than enough harm: allergies, obesity, caries, intestinal dysfunction, changes in eating behavior.

The beginning of this list of deviations lies in the first drops of 100% juice, which is recommended to be given to a child from the age of four months.

Now these recommendations cause a storm of indignation. And if a doctor prescribes juice to a child in the first six months of life, then they discuss the qualifications of this doctor.

But what about vitamins? I agree, no one canceled the benefits of fruit. But remember the five main rules.

Regulation No. 1

Instead of fruit juice – fruit puree! In the first year of life, complementary foods in the form of juice were replaced with mashed potatoes. The puree retains the pulp, which has the most positive effect on intestinal motility, does not provoke obesity (on the contrary, it contributes to the rapid satisfaction of appetite) and reduces the allergic potential of the product.

Regulation No. 2

The first sip of juice is a gift for the first birthday. Before a year, a child does not need to give juice, it is not physiological.

Regulation No. 3

If you choose between juice from a home juicer and a product of industrial production, then trust the professionals! Ready juices are made from proven fruits, they contain a calculated amount of vitamins and trace elements. Buying apples in the market or picking them in your own garden, you do not know what kind of rain watered the apples yesterday, on what soil they grew.

Regulation No. 4

Do you buy juice not in a transparent container? First, pour it into a transparent glass, and then give it to the child. It is necessary to exclude “surprises” in the form of mold, which may be inside the closed package due to improper storage or damage to the package.

Regulation No. 5

An opened container of juice cannot be stored without a refrigerator! Be sure to look at the expiration date of the product, do not risk consuming expired juice.

The results of a study of apple juice conducted by Roskachestvo specialists, read HERE

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from how many months can a child be given

0003 Reading time: 5 minutes

Apple juice is one of the foods pediatricians recommend as one of the first foods to introduce into a child’s diet from an early age. This is a healthy and tasty drink, which is a unique source of vital vitamins, minerals and natural acids.

But in order for fruit and vegetable juices to bring maximum benefit to the child’s body, it is necessary to introduce complementary foods in a timely manner. That is why many parents are interested in the question – when can a baby be given apple juice and how to properly “acquaint” a baby with a new dish.

1 When can apple juice be given to babies

1.1 Composition and benefits of apple juice for children

1.2 Early introduction of juice – the main dangers

1.3 From what month can apple juice be given to babies

1.4 How to make and give apple juice to babies

1.5 How to choose a good industrial juice

1.5.1 Related posts:

The composition and benefits of apple juice for children

Fruit juices are real, natural sources of active ingredients necessary for the full intellectual and physical development of the baby.

1. Fruit juices contain vitamins B and C, which help to strengthen the body’s immune forces and have a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system.
2. The high content of iron normalizes the level of hemoglobin in the blood and prevents the development of anemia.
3. Potassium, calcium, sodium and other minerals regulate metabolic processes and ensure the full development of the child’s body.
4. A large amount of organic acids is very useful for digestion, it helps the stomach in the complete assimilation of food.
5. Organic fiber – has the ability to eliminate problems with stool, helps with constipation, accelerates the removal of toxins and waste from the gastrointestinal tract.

Green apple drink is ideal for baby food, as they are well tolerated by the child’s body and cannot cause allergies and other negative reactions.

Early Juice – Major Dangers

Apple juice is extremely beneficial for babies and many parents want to introduce juice to their newborn as early as possible. This is not necessary, because in this case, stool upset and digestive problems cannot be avoided.

Fresh juices in the child’s diet – negative consequences:

• if you start introducing fruit foods too early, this can lead to upset stools;
• in a child of the first year of life, the use of apple juice can cause disturbances in the work of the stomach and pancreas;
• apple drink in children under six months can cause allergic reactions.

A baby at the age of 3 months should not be given apple juice, his stomach still cannot fully digest natural, organic products. The baby is fed only breast milk or is given milk formula. For this age, feeding a baby is allowed only with water.

At what age is it allowed to give apple juice to a baby? For a breastfed baby, the introduction of juices into the diet should be carried out 1-2 months later than for an artificial child.

Rules for the introduction of apple juice for the first feeding:

1. A bottle-fed baby can “get acquainted” with an apple drink after reaching 4-5 months.
2. At what age can a child be given fruit foods – apple juice is best given to a breastfed baby after 6 months.
3. The introduction of a new product begins with a third of a teaspoon, after which it is necessary to observe the reaction of the child’s body for some time.
4. An important point is that only a one-component type of drink is introduced into the first complementary foods. Apple fresh cannot be mixed with carrot or any other.
5. Fruit complementary foods are given to the child only after the introduction of puree in a small amount. Read more in the article Baby applesauce: how to make baby for the first feeding
6. For the first time, apple juice can be diluted with water in equal proportions – especially if the baby is prone to frequent allergic reactions.
7. Pediatricians emphasize that it takes at least 10-15 days for a child’s body to get used to a new product. Only after that, other types of products can be included in his diet.
8. A baby who is breastfeeding should not be fed with a bottle, but with a spoon. But you need to ensure that there is no pulp in the drink – this can cause constipation.
9. The daily norm of a fruit drink for a child of 7-8 months is 90-120 ml.
10. Apple juice is recommended to be given to a child only in the morning, not on an empty stomach. The optimal time is an hour after feeding.

We also advise you to read our full article How many months old can an apple be for a child: how to give the first complementary foods – many questions will disappear.

See Dr. Komarovsky’s opinion on the question – “Which is healthier: an apple or apple juice”:

What is healthier: an apple or apple juice? – Doctor Komarovsky

Watch this video on YouTube

Any new product, including fruit foods, is not recommended to be introduced into the baby’s menu during a cold or immediately after it.

Pediatricians also advise against giving a child under the age of one year thick juices with pulp, including apple juice. They contain an increased concentration of organic acids and other active substances that can lead to digestive problems, bloating and upset stools.

Regardless of when and from how many months you decide to introduce an apple product into the children’s menu, it must be of high quality. The drink recommended by doctors is natural fresh, prepared by oneself.

How to prepare and give apple juice to babies

Mothers need to know not only how much and when is the best time to introduce apple juice to their baby, but also how to prepare it correctly. The easiest and easiest way to prepare is to use a juicer.

Even more useful is making homemade apple juice for children under one year old, which consists of several steps:

• Rinse apples thoroughly under running water before drinking;
• peel the fruit, cut in half and remove the seeds;
• grate the fruit pulp;
• Squeeze out the juice obtained from the resulting mass, using gauze folded in several layers.

Fruit juice is prepared for one serving only. Before each use, it is worth preparing a new portion of apple juice. For the preparation of fruit foods, it is better not to use a metal grater, as this leads to an oxidation reaction.

The drink has a pleasant sweet taste, so there is no need to add sugar. Homemade juices are very concentrated, so they should not be given to a child before feeding. This may impair his appetite and cause him to give up less sweet breast milk or formula.

How to choose good industrial juice

For children’s diet, you can use not only home-made apple juice, but also natural industrial juice. There is a wide range of quality baby food drinks on the market that have undergone strict quality control and have a balanced composition.

What to look for when choosing a product for a children’s menu:

• carefully study the juice label – the drink should contain only fruits, without sugar, stabilizers, emulsifiers, dyes and other synthetic additives;
• the manufacturer must indicate at what age and in what quantity the child can drink the drink;
• clarified juice from green apples has a pleasant golden-honey color, without sediment;
• juice must be one-component, it must not contain additions of other fruits, berries or vegetables;
• carefully check the shelf life of the product – too long a shelf life may indicate that preservatives have been added to the juice in addition to fruit.
• commercial apple juices can be given undiluted to babies as they are less concentrated than homemade drinks.

Industrial natural fresh juices are packaged in small glass jars or cardboard packages with a volume of no more than 250-300 ml. Open packaging with a drink should not be stored after consumption, as fresh quickly loses its beneficial properties.

Read on From how many months you can give your baby juice: how to give and what kind

Apple juice is a tasty and healthy drink that pediatricians recommend giving to children in the first year of life. When exactly to introduce fruit fresh depends on the characteristics of feeding and the state of health of the crumbs. We use a simple rule:

Read on the topic From how many months can an apple be given to a child: how to give the first complementary foods

Read on the topic Baby apple puree: how to make baby applesauce for the first feeding

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