Here’s what we were all waiting for – an outright mess-up by doctors. Pediatricians have literally made an announcement telling parents not to let their kids drink fruit juice! If you’re a natural health fan, you’re probably shaking your head and throwing your hands up in the air like me.
When Pediatricians Give the Wrong Advice in Public
So here I was browsing through Google news again when this really ridiculous headline caught my eye. Like, it was legit wrong. It read something like, Pediatricians Say Fruit Juice Offers No Nutritional Benefit for Children. Mouth agape, I clicked.
The American Academy of Pediatrics announced that parents shouldn’t give their children fruit juice. They argue that it’s contributing to the prevalence of childhood diabetes and cavities. Are they trolling? That’s like saying you shouldn’t exercise because it wears your muscles or something and could increase their risk of tearing? Or it’s like saying you shouldn’t eat nuts because they’re high in fat (good fat by the way).
Remember that natural fruit juice is one of the most healthiest things you can drink! They’re filled with antioxidants that ward off many diseases, including cancer and diabetes. They’re also filled with vitamin C and other minerals and vitamins that you can’t get from meat or dairy. Some juices, like grape and tart cherry, have powerful compounds like resveratrol, which do wonders for your heart. Resveratrol also mends your DNA, and some researchers think it’s possible it also helps you stay young.
But yeah, no. Pediatricians are telling people to stop giving kids these healthy drinks. Instead, I guess, we should give kids sodas, ice cream shakes, and other fat-filled, sugar-heavy drinks that offer almost zero nutritional value? I don’t get it.
What They Want You to Give Your Kids Instead of Fruit Juice
Okay, let’s give these pediatricians some credit. They redeemed themselves when they gave their advice for what to give your kids instead of fruit juice. They want you to give your kids fresh fruits instead of fruit juice. They say it’s because fruits have fiber, while fruit juice doesn’t.
Fiber, as you all know, cleans out your colon and protects your heart. It also slows down the absorption of sugars (from the fruits), which prevents blood sugar spikes. So it also helps give your kids a steady supply of energy throughout the day without causing sugar crashes and making them go hungry too soon.
But telling parents not to give their kids fruit juice at all isn’t right! They might as well tell parents to give their children celery sticks and spinach leaves instead of fruits or fruit juice.
I don’t agree with their advice. It seems like they’re putting down a good thing for dumb reasons. All you have to do is be a more responsible parent and get your kids to brush their teeth and not sleep with their sippy cups. You can feed your children healthy quinoa instead of white rice or potatoes, and give them carrots and fruits – but if you aren’t responsible enough to make sure they clean their mouths and not eat too many servings of these carb-rich holistic foods, then yeah they’ll be more at risk for developing oral disease and metabolic problems.
The bottom line: Don’t stop giving your children fruit juice – just be more responsible about it?
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