In recent years, the presence of sugar in children’s diets has become a public health problem. So much so that it requires not only the attention of institutions and specific initiatives that contribute to the control of its consumption.
Currently, “different policies are already in place to reduce or limit the consumption of free sugars,” says Eduard Baladia, dietitian-nutritionist and member of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. However, “with the evidence we currently have, we should conclude that the policy of reformulating foods and beverages by replacing part of the free sugars with sweeteners is not working, Nor does it seem like it will do so in the long term. At least, not as much as expected. On the other hand, the policies carried out in the school environment, not only those of education but above all, those focused on limit access to products with free sugars in the school environment from a very early age, they are possibly being more effective. Of course, with a more localized reach, not global.»
Given the lack of effectiveness of current policies related to sugar in children, Baladia believes that other strategies should be prioritized. «Among them, the application of a tax to unhealthy foods; another, to sugars and syrups; limiting the advertising of unhealthy foods, especially that aimed at children; or the application of clear warning stamps on the front labeling of the presence of high in free sugars and other harmful ingredients or nutrients such as trans or saturated fats.
What are blood sugar levels?
To understand where this concern about sugar comes from, the first thing is to understand what happens in the body when those blood sugar levels (in strict terms it is ‘glucose levels’) are excessive. «In adults, blood glucose values between 72 and 100 mg/dl are considered normal. If they are between 100 and 125 mg/dl, the person is considered to have altered blood sugar levels and at risk of having prediabetes. If it is repeatedly at values greater than 125mg/dl, said person could have diabetes,” summarizes Baladia.
These values are considered good as long as they are taken on an empty stomach. “If taken in the first two hours after a meal, normal values should be below 140 mg/dl. We would talk about prediabetes with values between 140 and 199 mg/dl and diabetes with values of 200 mg/dl or higher,» he points out. As for children and adolescents, we move in very similar ranges.»
How excess blood glucose affects children’s health
Children and adults with diabetes, either type 1 or type 2, with poor control of carbohydrate intake may have hyperglycemia. This has short and long term effects. In the first case, «diabetic ketoacidosis (more common in type 1 diabetes) and hyperosmotic hyperglycemic state (more common in type 2 diabetes) will appear, conditions that will require emergency treatment. In the long term, sustained hyperglycemia can damage blood vessels and the heart (cardiovascular problems), the nerves, especially those of the extremities (such as the feet, causing diabetic foot), the eyes (diabetic retinopathy), and the kidneys (diabetic nephropathy)», summarizes Eduard Baladia.
Furthermore, childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes or hypertension are closely related to excess blood glucose. «When there is an increase in body fat above healthy values, that is, when there is obesity, there is a great risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is because The accumulation of body fat hinders the complex system we have to maintain blood sugar levels (blood glucose) sufficiently stable. Children with obesity who develop type 2 diabetes, if their diet, physical exercise and/or medication are not controlled, will have high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia),” he says.
On the other hand, «in the long term, including in children, if high blood sugar levels are constantly maintained (hyperglycemia), these levels can damage nerves and blood vessels. In addition, the loss of flexibility or hardening of the vessels and Even their narrowing can lead to high blood pressure and a greater risk of cardiovascular events,” he warns.
Symptoms of excess sugar in children
Before reaching the consequences that Baladia refers to, parents may suspect that the child has hyperglycemia if they detect certain signs. In this sense, the expert highlights the following symptoms:
- You have to urinate more.
- You want to drink more water.
- Feel more hungry.
- Lose weight.
- You feel more tired than usual.
At the other extreme, that is, in those cases in which low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) are detected, «the causes must be explored. The most common in the general population would occur when doing very strenuous and physical exercise. There is no good eating pattern. If this happens, the reserves in the body could be used up and hypoglycemia could appear. On the other hand, a drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia) could also occur in people with diabetes who do not «have well calculated the relationship between insulin pause-carbohydrate intake-and physical exercise,» explains the expert.
What to do in cases of hypoglycemia
If the sufferer is conscious, «the first thing is to verify that it is really due to a drop in sugar (people with diabetes often measure their blood sugar levels, if the value is below 72 mg/dl, there is hypoglycemia). This is the most common scenario. Afterwards, we should offer these people foods with free sugars that are quickly absorbed: fruit juices, water with added sugar, some candy, etc.,» advises Baladia.
When choosing that ‘emergency sugary’ food we must take into account that it does not have a lot of fat, nor is it high in fiber, since they would slow down the absorption of sugar, which is precisely what we are looking for in these circumstances. It also warns that you should not give products that, despite being sweet, their sugars can be replaced by sweeteners.
In the event that «the person has diabetes and is not conscious, confused, disoriented or weak, we must also first make sure that there really is hypoglycemia by measuring it with its corresponding measuring device. In that case, we will seek help immediately and try to locate your emergency kit of glucagon, a hormone that increases blood glucose levels, to administer it as soon as possible,» he advises.
Foods and drinks with high sugar content.
There are no secrets here: to avoid the problems of excess sugar, you must limit the amount of free sugars in our diet. «They are those added to foods and beverages by the manufacturer, the cook or the consumer, in addition to the sugars naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices,» emphasizes the expert. This means that you have to «control the consumption of all products and drinks with added sugars. «The ones that usually contribute the most free sugars to our diets are sugary drinks (misnamed soft drinks), breakfast cereals, pastries, sweets and other sweets.»
Alternatives to sugar in a balanced diet in childhood
Unfortunately, the black list of foods high in sugar is very close to that of children’s favorite foods. Fathers and mothers have the hard task of re-educating and looking for sweet alternatives, but not harmful to their health. «The best and first alternative that we should think about is to limit the consumption of these foods, so that it is not a habitual consumption (sometimes a week or a month). If it is done this way, it is more likely that the «Eating pattern was filled with healthy foods and drinks. In addition, it is important to highlight that most foods rich in free sugars provide few interesting nutrients and a high energy density,» highlights Baladia.
Are sweeteners welcome in the diet to reduce sugar?
Non-caloric sweeteners could be considered as a temporary patch, but not as a definitive and healthy solution for blood sugar control in children. «Although it is true that They are less harmful foods, they are still unhealthy. Therefore, we must also greatly limit its consumption, since if we do not do so, we run the risk of following an unhealthy eating pattern that is appropriate for child development,” warns Baladia.
The entry Sugar in children: how it affects their health and how to control their consumption was first published in Nutriiendo.
