Researchers claim the amount of sugar found in fruit juices, fruit drinks and smoothies are not only incredibly high, but also intolerable for adequate standards. The study published in the journal BMJ Opens condemns the skyrocketed sugar levels contained in “fruit” juices that are supposed to be natural.
Considering that a vast majority of children drink juice, the study was set to determine exactly how much sugar children consume. Shockingly enough, a full day’s worth of sugar is contained in these juices, researchers claim.
Even though most juices, if not all, advertise a natural and fresh content for parents, they may be giving their kids the same amount of sugar contained in popular beverages. In order to test the veracity of this theory, researchers at the University of Liverpool studied over 200 fruit juices and smoothies advertised as 100% natural in the United Kingdom.
For the researchers surprise, however, they found that “natural” juices’ sugar content was off charts regarding the acceptable levels. The researcher team led by Professor Simon Capewell was able to determine that half of the juices involved in the study contained an excessive amount of sugar.
The results from the testing of over 200 “natural” juices even showed that smoothies are the most unhealthy ones for kids – unfortunately the most popular among children and people in general – as they contain the highest amount of sugar.
It’s a must for every company to be sincere when it comes to explaining what their products are made of, especially when the product is targeted for future generations’ health.
And even though the research was taken at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, researchers suggest the problem can be witnessed across the globe.
In the United States, for example, the problem with the accuracy of labels found in juices, food and even baby formula have also stirred discussions regarding the people’s health.
According to researchers at the University of Liverpool, the labels found in supposedly fruit juices lack proper intake guidelines. So it’s up to parents’ guard to prevent their kids from consuming the sugary juices, often called by health officials as “liquid candy.”
Source: The Guardian