Too Much Juice is Not Good for Kids

A 4-ounce serving of 100 percent fruit juice counts as one serving of fruit, as it provides your child almost the same amount of vitamins and minerals as an apple. However, approximately 35 percent of children between the ages of 1 and 6 consume 2 cups of juice or more per day, which is well above what is recommended for this age group, according to a June 2012 article published in "Diabetes Forecast." While 100 percent fruit juice is healthy in moderation, other types of juice drinks are not.

Types of Juice

A study published in 2012 in "Public Health Nutrition" found that children who drank 100 percent fruit juice had higher intakes of a number of essential nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, folate and vitamins A and C. However, other types of juice, including juice drinks, juice cocktails, juices made from powdered mixes and other fruit-flavored beverages contain large amounts of sugar and calories without providing any nutritional value, except perhaps vitamin C added during processing. These juice-like beverages sometimes contain more sugar than sodas.

Reasons to Limit Juice

Juice is high in calories and sugar, so consuming large amounts may increase your child's risk for obesity and cavities. Cavities are more likely if you let your child continuously sip juice throughout the day or go to bed with a bottle of juice, as this increases the amount of time that juice is in contact with the teeth. Juice can also fill your child up so she is less likely to consume more nutritious foods and beverages.

Recommended Consumption

Children under the age of 6 months should not drink juice. Those between 6 months and 6 years of age should only drink 100 percent fruit juice and limit their juice consumption to between 4 and 6 ounces per day; children between 7 and 12 years of age should consume no more than 8 to 12 ounces per day.

Considerations

Consuming whole fruit is better than consuming juice, even 100 percent fruit juice, as it provides more fiber and less sugar per serving. Milk and water are more nutritious beverages, but 100 percent fruit juice does provide some nutrients so it is fine to serve in the recommended amounts. Children who stick within the recommended intakes for 100 percent fruit juice are not at a higher risk for becoming overweight, according to a study published in June 2008 in the "Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine." If you are worried that consuming juice is keeping your child from eating enough nutritious foods, don't serve juice within 30 minutes of meals or snacks.

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