Turns out, the limit does exist.
 |
| Getty Images |
By Elizabeth Narins, Cosmopolitan
Although you probably spent your childhood hitting the juice bottle hard (and still do, because what's life without mimosas?!) experts are now calling for parents to avoid giving juice to babies before their first birthday — and to seriously limit intake among older children, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which recently released new fruit-juice guidelines in the online journal Pediatrics.
[post_ads]For kids, the problem with juice isn't just its high sugar content — although that can lead a child to take in excess calories and amp up the risk of cavities. The drink also lacks filling fiber and protein, meaning kids who consume too much juice could end up gaining too much or too little weight for their age, according to the AAP.
The new recommendations also note that excessive juice consumption can contribute to chronic diarrhea, gas, bloating, and abdominal pain among toddlers who can't digest some of the carbs found in juice — and no one wants their child to have to deal with that.
Although you probably spent your childhood hitting the juice bottle hard (and still do, because what's life without mimosas?!) experts are now calling for parents to avoid giving juice to babies before their first birthday — and to seriously limit intake among older children, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which recently released new fruit-juice guidelines in the online journal Pediatrics.
[post_ads]For kids, the problem with juice isn't just its high sugar content — although that can lead a child to take in excess calories and amp up the risk of cavities. The drink also lacks filling fiber and protein, meaning kids who consume too much juice could end up gaining too much or too little weight for their age, according to the AAP.
The new recommendations also note that excessive juice consumption can contribute to chronic diarrhea, gas, bloating, and abdominal pain among toddlers who can't digest some of the carbs found in juice — and no one wants their child to have to deal with that.
How Much Fruit Juice Is Healthy for Kids?
For infants (<1 year old):
None, unless your pediatrician recommends it for something like constipation.
[post_ads_2]
For toddlers (ages 1 to 3):
[post_ads_2]
For toddlers (ages 1 to 3):
Cap it at 4 ounces of juice per day, served in a cup, not a bottle. (Nursing a bottle of fruit juice can prolong sugar exposure, which could lead to cavities.)
For young kids (ages 4 to 6):
For young kids (ages 4 to 6):
No more than 4 to 6 ounces per day, although whole fruit is preferable.
For older kids (ages 7 to 18):
No more than 1 cup a day — but again, the first choice should be fruit.
The takeaway is that even 100 percent fruit juice is no longer considered an A+ option for children, so there's no better time to wean your juice-loving kid off the bottle.
More:
