Including fruit juice in 'five-a-day' healthy portions bad for health

Researchers at Bangor University have proposed that fruit juice should not be included in 'five-a-day' healthy portions because it contains too much sugar.

They further revealed that overweight and obese people have a 'dulled' sensitivity to the drinks, but enhanced 'subconscious liking' of the sweet taste, reports the Daily Mail.

“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,” said Hans-Peter Kubis, of the university's School of Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences.

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

In the wake of rising obesity and diabetes, Kubis 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.

“I'd also question the wisdom of including fruit juice in the five-a-day message. Fruit juice is higher in sugars than people realise,” he said.

Furthermore, the researchers are also advocating parents to give their children water instead of 'healthy' fruit drinks as well as carbonated drinks and cordials, which have high concentrated sugar.