According to researchers, one glass of this drink is enough to reduce weight, particularly in younger people.
In France, the typical breakfast is rather sugar and often consists of a hot drink (tea, coffee or hot chocolate), a cereal product (bread, pastries or cereals) and… a glass of orange juice, often perceived as a natural drink , healthy and energy booster. If orange juice provides vitamins, fiber and antioxidants, it could also promote weight gain and do slightly increase the Body Mass Index (BMI), especially in young children, according to a recent study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics conducted by American and Canadian researchers.
Consuming liquid calories leads to greater weight gain
To achieve this result, the researchers analyzed the data from a meta-analysis composed of 42 studiesincluding 17 conducted in children and 25 in adults, followed for approximately 4 years. Among the 45,851 children followed (average age: 8 years), daily consumption of a glass of fruit juice 100% pure juice 250 ml was associated with an increase in BMI. In detail, for each 250 ml glass of juice consumed during the day, BMI increased by 0.03. This increase was even greater among children under 10 years old (BMI increase of 0.15 for each drink consumed). Among the 268,095 adults studied (average age: 42 years), this same consumption was associated with a slight gain in body weight of 0.2 kilo. “A potential mechanism linking 100% fruit juice to weight gain is liquid calorie consumptionwhich leads to greater weight gain than ingestion of solid calories […] Compared to whole fruits, 100% pure fruit juices contain less dietary fiberwhich leads to a rapid absorption of fructose in the liver“, argue the researchers.
Beware of the cumulative effect
If the weight gains do not seem enormous, pay attention to the cumulative effect. “Each additional glass of orange juice is associated with an increase in BMI“, specify the researchers, especially if the juice is not 100% pure juice or if it contains added sugar. “It is therefore recommended to delay the introduction of 100% fruit juice in young childrenof moderate portion sizes and to favor whole fruits for breakfast and water as the drink of first choice. Although the effects are modest, small gains in BMI over time may occur over the lifespan; therefore, limit fruit juice consumption in children is an important strategy to help them maintain a healthy weight“, recommends co-author Michelle Nguyen, a specialist in children’s health, also from the University of Toronto, interviewed by MedPage Today.
No more than 125 ml per day
In France, since the updating of the National Nutrition and Health Plan (PNNS) in 2019, all juices are considered sugary drinks. “We do not have exactly the same nutritional quality (vitamins, fibers, etc.) in the pulp of a fruit as in a whole fruit that we bite into, but for all that, we cannot say that a glass of 100% pure fruit juice or pressed at home is bad for your health. Ideally, it would be better to eat fresh fruit for breakfastbut we can still afford a small 125 ml glass of fruit juice for breakfast or snackprovided you choose 100% pure juice (SO no added sugar, no water or additives) or squeeze it yourself (i.e. a squeezed orange)“, tells us Caroline Seguin, dietician-nutritionist. Juices from concentrate, smoothies, nectars or fruit drinks should be consumed exceptionally.