Too much sugar consumption is bad for kids, sugar has a lot of adverse effect on the body, it stresses the liver, rots the teeth and it’s addictive. If we as parents choose to take sugary foods, we should avoid giving them to our kids, because for the children, the risk of high sugar intake is bad, it can put their health at risk including obesity and high blood pressure, a new study has warned.
Meanwhile, high blood pressure can lead to heart attack. According to the research carried out by Emerald university in the US, kids between the ages of 2-18 should take less than two spoonful of sugar, that’s roughly 100 calories or 25 grams of sugar.
“For most children, eating no more than six teaspoons of added sugars per day is a healthy and achievable target,” said Miriam Vos the lead researcher.
Also, the study revealed that children who consume high levels of sugar are less likely to eat healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. And this will only make matters worse, as overweight children who consume added sugars in their diet are more likely to be insulin resistant, which usually precedes Type 2 diabetes.
Added sugar are table sugar, honey and fructose which we usually add to or use in preparing foods or beverages. Meanwhile, it is important that you don’t add sugar to the food of children who are not up to 2 years old.
Giving children who are not up to age 2 sugar is improper, in that, their calorie needs is lower than that of older children and adults, so when you give them foods and drinks containing added sugar, there’d be little room left for them to eat nutritious foods.
From childhood, children form taste preference so if you start them off with junk foods, sugary foods and other unhealthy foods, they are more likely to crave junk and unhealthy foods later in life and if you introduce them to healthy food starting from now, you are giving them a good start at healthy living.
“The best way to avoid added sugars in your child’s diet is to serve mostly foods that are high in nutrition, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meat, poultry and fish, and to limit foods with little nutritional value,” said Miriam.
Children’s calorie needs varies, from 1,000 a day for a sedentary 2-year-old to 2,400 for an active 14-18-year-old girl and 3,200 for an active 16-18-year-old boy.
Mirriam added: “If your child is eating the right amount of calories to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight, there is not much room in their food ‘budget’ for low-value junk foods, which is where most added sugars are found.”
