Dental Experts Issue Fruit Juice Warning To Parents
Dental experts have issued a warning to well-meaning parents, who are giving their children fruit juice on a regular basis. Fruit juice is branded as a healthy product, but it is acidic and often contains a large amount of sugar, which is a lethal combination for the teeth.
The British Dental Association has urged parents to limit the amount of fruit juice they give their children to try and reduce the risk of cavities and acid erosion. According to a survey, 25 per cent of children drink fruit juice on a regular basis and two thirds of children eat sugary snacks and treats.
Natural fruit juice, which does not contain additional sweeteners, does count as one of your recommended 5-a-day, but crushing fruit releases sugars, which makes juices much more damaging to the teeth than whole pieces of fruit. Experts advise children to drink no more than 150ml of fruit juice per day.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said that many parents believe that they are giving their children healthy drinks when they buy fruit juice and smoothies, but the reality is that many products are harmful for the teeth because they are acidic and they contain sugar.
Dr Carter said that it is impossible and implausible to completely remove sugar from a child’s diet but advised parents to keep an eye on their child’s sugar intake and to avoid giving them anything other than milk or water between meals. He added that the frequency of acid attacks is much more important than the amount of acidic or sugary foods or drinks children consume. Restricting sugary foods and drinks to mealtimes can reduce the number of acid attacks the teeth go through during the day.
The advice from dental experts comes shortly after it was revealed that a small bottle of orange juice from Pret a Manger contains the same amount of sugar as 13 hobnob biscuits and an Innocent smoothie contains the same sugar content as 3 and a half Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
Join this Discussion