Choice analysed 95 of these from popular outlets such as Boost, Donut King and Wendys, and found that, while they seem good in theory, the inclusion of fruit concentrate and added sugar – along with serving sizes that can be larger than an average plate of food – poses serious health issues for people consuming these drinks as between-meal ‘snacks’.
Scientific studies, including those recorded in the Australian Dietary Guidelines, show people whose diet is high in fruits, vegetables and legumes have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and type-2 diabetes.
On the other hand, diets high in added sugars are associated with obesity and dental health issues, which means the ‘hidden’ sugar in these products isn’t likely to do your health – or waistline – any favours.
High sugar content
When fruit is juiced, the sugars, fluids and flavours are extracted from the fruit fibre, but the kilojoule content remains much the same. In addition to the fruit concentrate that is already high in natural sugars, some drinks also contain added sugar.
All up, a large number of kilojoules can be packed into a small amount of liquid. Dietitian Dr Rosemary Stanton says while it is known the body doesn’t recognise feelings of satiety after drinking soft drinks, whether this also applies to juice is not known. However, any excess of kilojoules is a problem and consuming large amounts of fruit sugars without fibre on a regular basis isn’t ideal.
A meal in a drink
Another key issue Choice found was the difference in ‘regular’ or ‘medium’ serving sizes – from 280ml (at Donut King) to 650ml (at New Zealand Natural).
Stanton says that in addition to the problem of using fruit sugars without fruit fibre, the ‘regular’ serving sizes at some popular juice bars go far beyond what can be considered as a reasonable snack, except for those who are very physically active.
Given a regular flat white coffee provides about 500kJ of energy, consuming up to 2600kJ in one smoothie is simply encouraging people to overeat, she argues. Even the kids’ serving size at Boost (350ml) provides up to 1500kJ.
The draft version of the revised Australian Dietary Guidelines recommends limiting food and drinks containing added sugars – particularly sugar-sweetened drinks. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating suggests a single serving of fruit juice shouldn’t be bigger than 125mL, while a serving of yoghurt (a common ingredient in smoothies) is capped at 200g.
Products reviewed included:
Source: Choice
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