Arsenic in juice isn't the only danger

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - We've recently heard some surprising things about apple juice and other fruit juices. Some of them contain higher than acceptable amounts of arsenic. But pediatricians are much more worried about another ingredient.

Recent tests on 88 samples of juices revealed that about one in ten had higher levels of arsenic than the recommended maximum in drinking water. It was recommended that children should drink less juice. Pediatricians agree with that - but not because of the arsenic.

Dr. Teresa Quattrin said, "The problem with that is that generally speaking, juices have calories about 120 calories per cup. And so, those are calories added."

Dr. Quattrin is chair of pediatrics at UB and pediatrician-in-chief at Children's Hospital. She's an expert on childhood nutrition, and her research shows that, in our epidemic of childhood obesity, those extra calories hurt."

"A 3- to 5-, 6-year-old should be having anywhere between a 1,000, to 1,200, 1,300 calories at the most, the majority consumed way more than that," said Dr. Quattrin.

Drinking apple juice is not equivalent to eating an apple - apples have fiber and other nutrients that are missing from juice, and since it takes two or more apples to make a cup of juice, a kid gets extra calories without nutritional value.

Dr. Quattrin said, "Juice should not substitute a piece of fruit and vegetable juices should not substitute vegetables."

And if kids are thirsty, give them water.

"It's like anything else. If we cook with a lot of salt, our children are going to eat a lot of salt. If we give them a lot of sweets, they are going to acquire a preference for sweets. And so we have to try to have them acquire a preference for healthy food and healthy habits," said Dr. Quattrin.

If you're hungry and you eat an apple, you won't feel so hungry any more. If you drink apple juice, you'll get more calories, and it won't help your hunger so much. I'm told that the tiny amount of arsenic in apples is concentrated in the seeds, which are pressed with the fruit to make juice, but if you eat an apple and discard the core, you won't get that arsenic.