Effects of 100% Fruit Juice Consumption on Weight in Adults:  A Systematic Review

Rahma Adiba; Dono Indarto; Ari Natalia Probandari

Rahma Adiba Undergraduate Program, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret
Dono Indarto Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret
Ari Natalia Probandari Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret

Keywords: Fruit juice, Obesity, Adults, Weight, Systematic review

Abstract

Background: There are claims of the harms of fruit juice for health due to its natural sugar leading to weight gain. Those claims are being used by several national and global health institution/s as a reference for recommendations to avoid fruit juice consumption. The current study investigating the effect of fruit juice consumption in adults that focuses on weight using RCT as evidence is limited.

Method: Reviewers searched PubMed, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and Scopus on December 12nd, 2020, and January 17th, 2021. The eligible criteria for the study is an experimental trial with control. Reviewer synthesized the result of studies fulfilling the criteria using Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Review guideline and Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWiM) guideline. The risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2 with two independent reviewers, and a senior reviewer helped resolved the difference in judgment.

Results: 15 data points from 14 RCTs (parallel and crossover) has a low risk of bias (1), moderate risk of bias (4), and high risk of bias (10). Those data show that short-term 100% fruit juice consumption (2-12 weeks) yields no significant effect on weight in healthy and other adults. The effect size was measured using median change in the intervention (0.4 kg), statistical sign test (p=0.0923), and clinical change value (1.6%).

Conclusions: Fruit juice consumption in adults does not significantly affect weight. Following research regarding the optimal dose to obtain the benefits from fruit juice needs to be conducted.