Drinking 100 percent juice won't boost young children's risk for becoming overweight, according to a U.S. study that looked at the dietary habits of 3,618 children, ages 2 to 11. The parents detailed everything their children ate and drank during the previous 24 hours. The children's height and weight were also recorded. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Juice Products Association. The findings were presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meetings, in Toronto, Canada.

"We did not find a relationship between 100 percent juice consumption and overweight among children. Even among the children who consumed the most juice, we found no association at all with the children being overweight or at risk for overweight," Dr. Theresa Nicklas, a child nutrition researcher at the United States Department of Agriculture's Children's Nutrition Research Center at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said in a prepared statement.

Drinking 100 percent juice also had no impact on the amount of milk kids consumed, Nicklas said. The mean daily consumption of 100 percent juice among the children in the study was 4.1 ounces (about 1/2 cup), which is in keeping with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. About 13 percent of the children consumed 12 ounces or more of 100 percent juice a day, but this increased consumption was not associated with overweight or increased risk for being overweight.

In fact, the researchers found that children ages 2 to 3 who drank the most 100 percent juice were nearly three times less likely to be overweight or at risk for overweight than children the same age who did not drink any 100 percent juice.

The study also found that children ages 2 to 11 who drank any amount of 100 percent juice had healthier overall diets -- they ate less total fat, saturated fat, sodium, added sugars and added fats. They also had higher intakes of important nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, folate, B6 and iron, and ate more fruit.

Sources: HealthDay News - May 9, 2007 / Pediatric Academic Societies' Annual Meeting, Toronto, May 5-8, 2007. News release, Baylor College of Medicine.