The Importance of Limiting Your Child’s Sugar Intake

Remember when you were a kid and got frustrated when your parents wouldn’t let you have sugary sweet because of a potential “sugar high”? The link between excess sugar intake and hyperactivity may be a myth, but there are reasons too much sugar can be a bad idea.

At Child & Adolescent Health Center in Lathrup Village, Michigan, our skilled pediatrician, Dr. Fiona Carroll, provides well child visits and guidance on how to keep your child healthy and well-nourished from infancy to their teen years. 

Here’s what Dr. Carroll wants you to know about sugar and your child's health.

The complicated topic of added sugars

It’s estimated that added sugars account for up to 17% of what kids in the United States eat every single day. That’s a lot of extra sweetness that children (and adults) don’t need. But what exactly are “added sugars” and are they different from natural sugars?

Natural sugars are present in healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Added sugars are in addition to natural sugars and are usually added during food preparation or processing.

Finding added sugars

Added sugars may or may not be listed on the food label in a separate space. However, you can learn to spot them by scanning for the following on ingredient lists:

• Brown sugar
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup
• Dextrose 
• Fructose
• Glucose
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey 
• Lactose 
• Maltose
• Malt syrup
• Molasses
• Raw sugar
• Sucrose

You’d expect to find these in foods like cookies, but you need to learn to look for them in “healthy” foods as well, like yogurt, whole grain cereals, fruit cups, and more.

Negative health effects of added sugars

Sugar is empty calories with no vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, or dietary fiber. Humans require some sugar, but everything your child needs can be obtained from natural sources. Too much sugar can cause many issues, such as:

Inflammation 

Too much sugar intake has been linked to low-grade systemic inflammation, which can set the stage for chronic disease down the road. This largely hidden downside of a sugar-rich diet is often overshadowed by its most obvious drawback: weight gain. 

Weight gain 

Most people can make the obvious jump from excess sugar consumption to weight gain. One in six kids (16%) qualifies as overweight, and one in five (19%) kids is considered obese. Excess weight increases the risk of:

• Insulin resistance
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol

A side effect or complication of these health issues is elevated blood pressure. Even as young as age 18, hypertension can be a significant risk factor for later-life heart disease.

Cavities

Excess sugar consumption is also the main driver of tooth decay, one of the most common health problems among people of all ages worldwide. You can put your child at risk of cavities even from natural sugars if you routinely let them have milk or juice in a bottle or sippy cup without wiping down their gums and baby teeth afterward.

Energy level crashes

Too much sugar is often blamed for causing hyperactivity, but it’s not that simple. Some kids whose parents think they have sugar highs actually have low blood sugar most of the time, so their bursts of energy are more noticeable. The sugar crash is real; the high isn’t.

Sugar consumption guidelines 

Babies and toddlers younger than two years of age shouldn’t consume any added sugars — just naturally occurring sugars found in fruit and other healthy foods. After that, it’s recommended that kids and teens eat less than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugars per day and limit sugary beverages to no more than 8 ounces per week.

Foods containing 12 grams of added sugar include:

• One serving of boxed cereal
• Two average-sized cookies
• One fruit-filled snack bar

As for sugar-filled beverages, a can of soda can contain almost 40 grams of added sugar. 

Managing added sugar intake

Kids get most of their added sugars from soft drinks and sports beverages, so try to replace these with healthier choices. Also look for “no added sugar” versions of their favorite snacks. 

Massive change can’t and shouldn’t happen overnight, but look to make several changes a month until your child is steered away from added sugar and toward healthier options. They’ll thank you later.

Need more guidance on establishing healthy eating habits for your kid or teen? Call us today, or request an appointment online.