What Is The Sugar Consumption Limit For Children?
The consumption of sugar by children is essential in the diet, as sucrose or glucose provides energy for the body and mind. But what is the ideal amount of sugar that children should consume? All you need to grow without the risk of disease or develop tooth decay.
In the first months of life, sugar consumption by children occurs through milk. Breast milk contains enough water, fat, protein and sugar for babies to grow up receiving adequate nutritional values.
What is the ideal amount of sugar that children should consume?
As a child grows, their diet varies with consumption of different foods. These foods must guarantee the essential caloric balance to maintain a healthy body weight and for the child to develop his/her abilities.
Until the age of two, however, children should not consume sugar. From that age onwards, the recommended maximum is 15 grams per day until the age of three.
From four to fourteen, the limit is now 25 grams per day. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children’s sugar consumption should not represent more than 10% of total daily calories. This equates to a maximum of six teaspoons a day.
Risks of excessive sugar consumption by children
Sugar is necessary, so it should not be given up. Provides energy, good brain health and helps metabolize fats. Preferably, it should be obtained from natural sources in moderation, not from sweets and sugary drinks.
Minimizing the consumption of sugar through processed foods will avoid inconveniences and problems for the child, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular problems. According to the WHO, in 2016, there were more than 340 million children and adolescents, between five and nineteen years old, overweight or obese.
In excess, sugar raises cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure and damages the pancreas. Although it sometimes kills hunger, over time it can trigger various pathologies, such as hyperactivity, anxiety and depression.
The natural ones, the best sugars
Glucose is a monosaccharide or simple carbohydrate present in sucrose or sugar. When we consume it, it falls into the bloodstream, reaches the liver to produce energy, and the excess is stored as fat. Hence the importance of avoiding its excessive consumption.
the good sugar
Sugar is usually related to natural and refined foods. Good nutrients are usually found in dairy products, in the form of lactose. And also in fruits, fresh vegetables or honey, in the form of fructose. In these cases, there are no limits on consumption.
Honey and maple syrup are natural sugars. There are also others like stevia and thaumatin. Artificial or modified sugars are present in the sweetener, cyclamate, aspartame, among others.
Sugar can be obtained from various food sources. Sugar cane or sugar found in fruit provide calories in the form of carbohydrates. But the way to metabolize it is different.
Bad or unhealthy sugar
Refined or processed sugar sources must be controlled. This is a task for parents. Sweets or sugary drinks contain complex sugar, a product of the union of several molecules that form starch. In excess, they bring health risks and can trigger illnesses, some of them fatal.
Sugar in processed foods
It’s hard to pinpoint the amount of sugar a person can consume without realizing it. Not knowing the composition of foods increases the risk of consuming high levels of glucose.
To obtain the proper information, it is important to read the labels of processed foods before consuming. But this information is not always very visible.
Approximately 80% of the sugar consumed, often without even realizing it, comes from processed foods. Some are labeled as healthy and harmless foods.
Nutritional tables, a help
Nutritional tables offer the possibility to analyze the amounts of sugars and fats, in addition to controlling calories. Paying attention to this information is of great help, especially when it comes to taking care of children’s health.
Knowing how much sugar little ones should consume is critical to raising healthy children. This will allow us to offer balanced amounts of nutrients that the body needs for proper development.
