Fruit juice not linked to teen weight gain

HOUSTON, March 4 (UPI) -- There is no link between 100 percent juice consumption and weight gain in teens; in fact, the teens had more nutritious diets, U.S. researchers found.

Lead researcher Dr. Theresa Nicklas of the U.S. Department of Agriculture/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine said the study found no association between 100 percent fruit juice consumption and weight status in the nearly 4,000 adolescents examined.

The study, published in the March/April issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion, also found those who drank more than than 6 ounces of 100 percent juice a day also consumed more whole fruit and fewer added fats and sugars. Milk consumption was not affected by juice intake, the study said.

Data for the analysis came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002.

"One hundred percent juice is a smart choice," Nicklas said in a statement. "Encouraging consumption of nutrient-rich foods and beverages such as 100 percent juice is particularly critical during adolescence -- a unique period of higher nutrient demands."