A new Canadian study published on-line in the Journal of the American Medical Association on April 30, 2016, showed that drinking juice can be beneficial to children with mild dehydration, vomiting, and diarrhea. In this study, titled “Effect of Dilute Apple Juice and Preferred Fluids vs Electrolyte Maintenance Solution on Treatment Failure Among Children With Mild Gastroenteritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” researchers found that children who drank diluted apple juice were rehydrated better and were less likely to need to return to the hospital for further treatment, than children who consumed a traditional electrolyte drink.
The study evaluated 644 children aged 6 months to 5 years admitted to the emergency room at a children’s hospital with gastrointestinal symptoms and mild dehydration. Children were given either half-strength apple juice or an apple-flavored electrolyte drink to replace nutrient losses from sickness. The positive effect of drinking apple juice was particularly strong in children 2 years and older.
Conducted over a five year periods at a children’s hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the lead author was Dr. Stephen Freedman, who works at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Freedman, S., Willan, A., Boutis, K., & Schuh, S. (2016). Effect of Dilute Apple Juice and Preferred Fluids vs Electrolyte Maintenance Solution on Treatment Failure Among Children With Mild Gastroenteritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.5352
