04.25.12
Consumption of 100% fruit juice is closely linked to improved nutrient adequacy among 2-18 year olds, according to new research published in Public Health Nutrition. The new study from researchers at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and Baylor College of Medicine highlights the effect that consumption of fruit juice had on select nutrients (ones that have been identified as “nutrients of concern” and are most frequently under-consumed in children’s diets), namely: dietary fiber; vitamins A, C, and E; magnesium; folate; phosphorus; calcium; and potassium. According to the findings, with the exception of vitamin E and fiber, consumption of 100% juice was associated with higher usual intakes of all of the aforementioned nutrients. (Of note, although juice drinkers did not exhibit higher intakes of dietary fiber, their fiber intake was not lower than nonconsumers, as experts have previously speculated may occur).