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One thing I’ve discovered since becoming a parent is that wherever children go, juice seems to follow. Whether at school or on the playground, the ubiquitous juice box seems to be a staple of childhood. And why not? Juice is healthy–full of vitamin C and all the other goodness of fruit. Children like it, it’s easy to tote around, and it’s relatively inexpensive. What’s not to like?

Well, according to a study published in Diabetes Care, juice isn’t as harmless at it looks. The results of an 18-year nurses’ health study showed that women who had just one glass of fruit juice a day raised their risk of type-2 diabetes by 18 percent. This was in contrast to women who ate three servings of whole fruit each day. The whole fruit was found to decrease the risk of diabetes by 18 percent. Adding an additional serving of green vegetables lowered the risk of diabetes by 9 percent.

Can Juice Cause Diabetes?

Of course, this is not to say that diabetes is caused by juice consumption. There are many other, more significant risk factors for diabetes, and merely drinking juice will not cause anyone to become diabetic. What this study does show, however, is that for women already at risk for diabetes, cutting out juice consumption is a significant way to reduce the risk. It also raises some important questions about the whether juice has a better reputation than it deserves.

Should We Say No to Juice?

So what does this say about children’s juice consumption? Although the effects of juice on children differ, there are some points to consider before you start handing out the juice boxes.

One of the problems with juice is its high sugar content. This is especially true if your child is drinking fruit punch or any other drink with added sugar. Fruit juice also lacks some of the benefits of whole fruit, such as fiber, making it less nutritious than people sometimes assume.

Another downside to juice is that it contains significantly more calories than water, making it a poor choice for children who are overweight. Too much juice is also associated with cavities, diarrhea, gas, and bloating. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children between the ages of 1 and 6 should get no more than four to six ounces of 100-percent fruit juice a day.

Some nutritionists also worry that parents rely on juice as a way of ensuring that their children get enough servings of fruit. While juice might offer some much-needed vitamins for a child who is extremely picky about fruit and vegetables, most children are better off eating the real thing.

The Juice Alternative

With my own children, I try to limit juice simply so that they will learn to enjoy water. I have seen children who absolutely refuse to drink plain water after becoming accustomed to the sweeter taste of juice. Children who have been drinking juice from infancy often have a difficult time adjusting to the plainer taste of water. For this reason, it’s a good idea to avoid making juice a first beverage.

For babies who are old enough to start drinking something other than breast milk or formula, water is the ideal beverage. Most babies like water, and this is the best way to start a lifelong good habit. As children get older and begin to ask for juice, try to keep it a secondary beverage so that water is still their primary source of liquid. It’s probably unnecessary to entirely ban juice, but limiting it will help your child reduce sugar consumption and maintain a healthy weight.

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