Mothers Need to Know the Health Risks of Sweet Drinks for Children

Children consume sweet drinks more often than mineral water? Be careful, Mother, these habits can cause various health problems that harm your child. Rarely eating chocolate, candy, or cakes does not mean that sugar consumption is controlled. Try to re-examine the sugar levels in drinks that are often consumed by children. Lest the amount is far more than what is obtained from the main food.

How Many Sugar Spoons are in a Children's Drink?

Besides having an important role in adding flavor, sugar actually produces energy for muscle work. However, sweet drinks often contain more sugar than is needed. Experts recommend that children consume no more than 226 grams of sugar or less than 6 tablespoons of sugar per week. While one can of 350 ml of soda alone contains more sugar than that. Sugar in excess levels can be found not only in soft drinks, but also in sports drinks, tea, coffee, vitamin drinks, mineral drinks with a certain taste, to fruit juice in containers. Here are some types of drinks and sugar content in them:

• 1.5 liters of cola drink can contain 15-18 teaspoons of sugar.
• 600 ml of soft drinks can contain 16 teaspoons of sugar.
• 600 ml of sports drinks can contain 11.5 teaspoons of sugar.
• 300 ml of fat-rich milk contains approximately 7 teaspoons of sugar.
• 250 ml of orange juice contains 5 teaspoons of sugar.
• 200 ml of other fruit juices can contain 4.5 teaspoons of sugar.
• 250 ml of energy drink contains almost 7 teaspoons of sugar.
• 600 ml of sports drinks contain 9 teaspoons of sugar.

On the packaging label, you need to be careful because the sugar in children's drinks is not always written as "sugar." You can recognize various other names such as: corn sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, fructose, glucose, dextrose, honey, lactose, syrup malt, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, or sucrose.

The Bitter Effects of Sweet Drinks for Children's Health

Sweet drinks are high in energy but very little nutrition. There are also drinks with artificial sweeteners that do not gain weight, but still make children become accustomed to consuming more sugary drinks. Below, you can listen to the negative effects of drinking too much sugary drinks, including:

• Children who drink too much sugar-containing drinks are more difficult to control weight.
• Children are at risk of developing cavities if they often drink sweet and sour drinks.
• Children also tend to be picky eating, lack of appetite, and can experience bowel obstruction.
• Children who often consume sweet drinks are also more at risk of digestive disorders, such as diarrhea, so they do not get enough nutrition and energy.
• Children who are accustomed to drinking soda will almost certainly drink more soda as an adult. Besides sugar, soda also often contains caffeine that is not needed by children.
• Children who consume too much sugar are more at risk of experiencing health problems such as hypertension, obesity, to heart disease as adults.

Given the many negative effects of sugar in drinks as above, now is the time for Mother to get children to drink healthier drinks.

Providing Healthy Drinks for Children

If the child is used to drinking sugary drinks, it takes time to limit consumption of these drinks. The following guidelines can be applied:

• Give Milk

Breast milk is the best drink for children under one year. After that Mother can provide mineral water and milk.

• Give milk after the age of 2 years

After the age of 2 years, milk can be given in the form of milk with limited fat. Milk without a taste is better than sweetened milk which is certain with high sugar levels. It's a good idea to give low-fat milk (1%) or nonfat milk. In addition, make it a habit for children to drink mineral water or water.

• Avoid the habit of bottle feeding

Mother should not get used to bottle milk as a means of sedating the baby. In addition, babies should no longer drink from bottle milk after passing the age of a year.

• Familiarize children consume fresh fruits and vegetables

Instead of drinking fruit juice in containers, make it a habit for children to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Besides being rich in fiber, eating fruits and vegetables can teach children different tastes and textures, and can be a healthy alternative to snacks. If the child doesn't like to eat fruit and really needs to drink juice, Mother can make sure the juice is made from fresh and clean fruits and vegetables, with just enough sugar added.

• Limit soda drinks

It is best not to forbid children from drinking soda at all. This will actually make soda drinks more interesting to try. Limit only occasional consumption, such as during a birthday party, to a minimum.

• Sport drinks are only given if recommended by a doctor

Sports drinks can replace fluids, electrolytes and sugar lost during physical activities that make you sweat. But avoid giving this drink too much to children, because the nutritional content is not necessarily suitable for children's consumption, so the risk of causing stomach pain and palpitations. Consult your doctor first about the safety of children in consuming this drink.

It is no less important, limiting children to consume sweet drinks means Mother also needs to apply the same thing. Accustomed to consuming healthy drinks and healthy eating patterns, Mother can give examples and educate healthy eating and drinking habits in children, so as to reduce the risk of dangerous diseases in the future.