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Children under the age of two should not consume added sugar. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association (AHA) point out that children are consuming a lot of added sugar and that this consumption should be reduced as it can have negative consequences on their health.
In an AHA scientific statement, a committee of physicians notes that there is evidence that support the association of added sugars with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in children.
Children with a high intake of added sugars are more likely to have abnormal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. They also have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Added sugar restriction improves markers of heart disease and diabetes in a group of obese children according to a study conducted by the Dr. Robert Lustig, pediatric endocrinologist at Benioff Children’s Hospital, University of California, San Francisco.
Added sugar is that which is not found naturally in food or beverages . Added sugar is added when food is processed or prepared.
How much added sugar should children eat
Children and adolescents should consume less than 6 teaspoons of added sugars per day and drink no more than 8 ounces of sugary drinks per week , based on the first AHA scientific statement recommending specific sugar limits for children.
The panel of researchers also points out that: “Children under 2 years of age should not have added sugars, but should have nutrition.”
Children are eating too much sugar
The typical American child eats about triple the recommended amount of added sugars , with half coming from beverages sugar adas.
The main sources of added sugars are soft drinks, sugars, candies, cakes, cookies, cakes and fruit drinks; dairy desserts and dairy products (ice cream, sweetened yogurt, and sweetened milk); and breakfast cereals.
Pediatric experts recommend avoiding soda, sports drinks, sweet tea, sweetened coffee, and fruit drinks. They also suggest limiting fruit juice as it has more sugar per serving than whole fruit. They advise opting for fresh products and limiting processed and packaged foods and beverages.
The World Health Organization recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of the total caloric intake of children and adults. There are four calories in a gram of sugar, so if a product has 15 grams of sugar per serving are 60 calories from sugar alone, not counting the others Ingredients.
Parents should read Nutrition Facts labels. Sugar has many other names. In addition to brown sugar, cane sugar, and raw sugar, dextrose is included , fructose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses and sucrose.
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