Carrie HS Ruxton and Madeline Meyers
Nutrients, May, 2021
The authors performed a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of fruit juice and health outcomes over the three years prior to the publication of the study. They focused their review on finding literature that showed public health benefits and risks of consuming fruit juice.
Key Findings: The data in the study found fruit juice consumption, in appropriate amounts, does not increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease or poor glycemic control. In fact, regular daily consumption appears to confer health benefits in terms of vascular function and reduced blood pressure. Furthermore, the researchers found that studies have reported fruit juice consumption is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. The authors also found that:
- Fruit juices are not the same as other SSB’s in terms of health effects and nutritional composition. SSB’s are associated with negative health side effects, such as weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Fruit juice does not have this association.
- By swapping 75-100% of SSB’s with fruit juice, a person may decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by a .74 hazard ratio and CHD by a .85 hazard ratio
- A greater association exists between fruit juice consumption and reduction in stroke mortality risk than in whole fruits or vegetables and stroke mortality. – Nutrients in juice, such as potassium, vitamin C, folate, etc. can have an antiinflammatory and antioxidant effect when juice is regularly consumed.
- A 2020 study found no statistical association between regular fruit juice consumption and body mass index or weight gain in adults.
