Is Sugar a Harmless Part of Childhood?

Hi Parents (grandparents, and all the adults that like to spoil children with sweet treats!)

The media and child behavioural books blame sugar for everything from behavioural problems to childhood obesity and diabetes.  Which begs the question:

Is sugar really poison, or is it a harmless part of childhood?

Paediatricians and nutritionists agree that, in modest amounts, sugar is a healthy part of a child’s diet.  Many children, however, have diets with too much, too often. What makes this a problem is that sugar-rich foods tend to be full of empty calories and often displace the nutritious foods vital to a child’s healthy physical development.  Also, eating high-sugar foods in early childhood creates a craving for sugary foods throughout life.

Parents can “train” the taste buds of a young child to curb the craving but, just as children differ in body type, activity level, and temperament, there is no set measuring spoon for the right amount in a child’s diet.  Sugar contributes to various health issues and the following facts can help guide you towards the right balance for your child:

Cavities

Sugar does not cause cavities but it does fuel the growth of bacteria that do.  Regular brushing helps prevent cavities, but a steady stream of sugar in the mouth increases the likelihood of developing cavities in spite of regular brushing.

Behavioural problems

Studies have confirmed that sugar does not cause hyperactivity.  In fact, a few drops of sugar water can soothe a fussing baby or toddler.  When sugar enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain, it temporarily increases calming neurochemicals, such as serotonin.

Sugar-overload, however, results in phenomenon that all parents have experienced at one time or another – meltdown.  This occurs when blood-sugar levels rise too high.  The body responds by producing a large amount of insulin, which is a hormone that removes sugar from the blood and into the cells of the body.  Blood-sugar levels then drop so quickly that the child may feel shaky or sluggish.  Low blood-sugar levels then trigger a craving for more sugar, and a vicious cycle of sugar highs and lows are created.

Post-sugar meltdowns can be prevented by regulating the amount of sugar consumed by your child at any one time.  Control sugar portions by diluting fruit juices, choosing treats low in sugar, and ensuring that healthier food is eaten before, or even at the same time, that your child is eating sugary food.  Protein (cheese, meat, nuts) and fibre (fruits, veggies, grains) help to slow the rise and fall of sugar levels.

Obesity

Children gain excess weight when they ingest more calories than they burn. Unfortunately, sugary drinks and treats typically supply calories above and beyond what children need to satisfy their hunger.

Sugar calories also tend to go down too fast and easy. A can of fizzy cool-drink contains ten teaspoons of sugar (160 calories), and many sweetened fruit drinks contain an equal amount, if not more.  By drinking one sugary drink a day (fizzy, fruit, or sweetened iced tea) the risk of obesity is increased.

Fruit juices contain concentrated amounts of fruit sugar and can also be unhealthy when consumed regularly or in large doses.  Paediatricians recommend:

• No fruit juice for babies under 6 months
• No more than 0.170 litres a day for babies 6 months to 1 year
• No more than 0.170 litres a day for kids 1 to 6
• No more than 0.350 litres a day for kids over 6.

Diabetes

A high-sugar diet can increase a child’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes or the pre-diabetic condition known as Insulin Resistance Syndrome.  Both conditions result when the body becomes less sensitive to insulin, and both are associated with a variety of serious health problems in later life, including heart disease and infertility.

According to endocrinologists, a high-sugar diet may raise the risk of diabetes and Insulin Resistance Syndrome indirectly, by contributing to obesity (a strong risk factor) and directly, by overworking the pancreas, which is the organ that produces insulin.

Shopping for sugar

Granulated sugar is easily recognisable, but what about the corn syrup in sweetened fruit drinks, or the natural sugars in fruit juices?  What about honey, maple syrup and raw sugar?  What about artificial sweeteners?  Are they better or worse for children?

There are no good or bad sweeteners – just choices.  Some produce a faster rise in blood-sugar levels which then trigger rebound low-blood-sugar levels (emotional ups and downs).  Below is a guide to help you identify the hidden sweeteners in foods and drinks:

Sucrose

White, powdered, brown or raw, it’s all sucrose. On product ingredient lists, it’s usually just called “sugar.”  Related to sucrose are dextrose, glucose and maltose. In large amounts (more than a two teaspoons), all produce an immediate rise in blood-sugar levels.

Calories: 16 per teaspoon

Fructose

Fructose is fruit sugar and occurs naturally in fruits and fruit juices, and high fructose corn syrup is found in fizzy drinks. It produces a slightly slower increase in blood-sugar levels than sucrose, so it may be helpful for people who experience “sugar rebound.”  Fructose is easily converted into body fat.

Calories: 16 per teaspoon

Sugar alcohols

Often found in sugar-free gum and no-sugar-added pastries, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol and xylitol are also in fruits. They are a good choice because they don’t produce a significant rise in blood sugar, they’re lower in calories than more quickly absorbed sugars, and they don’t cause cavities.

Calories: 9 to 12 per teaspoon

Artificial sweeteners

The advantages of artificial sweeteners are that they are calorie-free, they don’t produce a rise in blood sugar, and they don’t cause cavities. The disadvantages are that saccharin, aspartame and acesulfame potassium don’t taste like sugar. Also, aspartame can’t be used in baking or cooking.

Calories: 0.

Honey and maple syrup

These contain sucrose, fructose and water and produce a quick rise in blood-sugar levels. Honey isn’t safe for babies under 1.

Calories: about 22 per teaspoon.

As a parent, it’s  hard to say no when your toddler is begging for a chocolate, and it’s often easier just to give in (for even 5 minutes of peace and quiet!).   Here’s wishing you all the luck in the world next time your toddler wants a chocolate and you say no… 

Until next time!

Lynne