Fruit juice ‘too sugary to be a five-a-day food’

Fruit juice has too much sugar and should not be one of our “five-a-day” health foods, according to research.

Academics at Bangor University in North Wales say their study has shown for the first time that overweight and obese people have a “dulled” sensitivity to the drinks, but enhanced “subconscious liking” of the sweet taste.

Hans-Peter Kubis, of the university’s School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences, has called for sugar to be taxed to stop an impending health “disaster”, and for fruit juice to be taken out of the “five-a-day” health message.

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He said: “This has serious implications for public health. This research shows how little sweet food stuffs are required to actually change your taste perceptions and how powerful sweet tasting products are.

“We are headed for a multi-level health disaster with rising obesity levels and the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes.

“From our research it’s clear to see how this situation may have created a cycle of sweet food and drink consumption. As taste satisfaction levels drop, the more sweet foods are consumed, contributing to these problems.”

Researchers are encouraging parents to give their children water instead of “healthy” fruit drinks.

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Natural fruit juice, as well as carbonated drinks and cordials, are all “too high in sugar and too sweet”, according to the findings.

In the trial, lean and obese people were asked to rate their perception of and enjoyment of sweet and salty tastes.

The initial trial showed that overweight and obese participants rated drinks as being less sweet than the lean participants.

In further experiments the subconscious preference for sweet food underwent a computer-based test finding that overweight and obese participants had a stronger preference for sweet. The conclusion was that overweight and obese participants had a “reduced sensitivity” to sweetness but an “enhanced subconscious preference” for sweet food.

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