Fruit juices that contain sorbitol or high levels of fructose as sweeteners may cause restlessness, gas and stomach distress in infants. The sweeteners may cause problems in babies because young children often have difficulty breaking down carbohydrates, including these sugars. But the study authors note that a juice manufacturer's survey found that 90% of infants drink some type of fruit juice by 1 year of age.

Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 1999;153:1098-1102. ?

COMMENT: Most people know that I am no fan of fruit juice. It is wonderful to see this finally being documented in traditional medical journals. Unfortunately, they are not seeing the big picture. The study focuses on the relatively minor issue of bowel pain due to the fructose and sorbitol fermentation in the gut.? What the researchers and most all of traditional medicine fails to recognize is that the sugars in fruit juice contribute to major distortions of insulin balance which leads to hormone and neurotransmitter shifts which increase a child?s risk for ear infections, ADHD and allergies. I believe that fruit juice and milk are two of the most misunderstood foods in our culture. Most people believe they are health foods, while the polar opposite is true. They tend to be pernicious fluids that worsen most people?s health. One of the easiest and most powerful steps that someone can take is to switch all of their fluids over to pure water.