Sugar is a significant ingredient consumed amongst kids as they generally favour sweeter tasting foods.

The World Health Organisation recommends adults consume less than 25 grams or 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day for optimal health benefits (there are about 4 grams of sugar in one teaspoon).

Children should have even less. Their parents or caregivers relatively control the health and diet of young kids.

So to parents and caregivers of young children who don’t manage their diets and eating habits, it’s important to understand how sugar affects the immediate and long-term health of children.

We need to maintain the intake of sugar that our kids have, as too much of it will bring many negative implications such as obesity, poor dental health, behavioural issues, and long-term health complications.

Here Are Common Effects of Excessive Sugar Consumption for Children.

Weakened Immune System

The body’s microbiome is made up of trillions of good bacteria that digest food, prevent bad bacterias from harming the body by causing diseases or illnesses and produce vitamins essential for the body.

When kids consume excess amounts of sugar, it creates an imbalance between good and bad bacteria. This will result in a weakened immune system leaving the child more vulnerable from getting a cold or flu.

Overweight/Obesity

The reason why childhood obesity is increasing today is that children are consuming too much sugar.

Sugar contains carbohydrates, and what makes sugar-based products such as fruit juices and candy so bad for children’s health is that they are all calorically dense and far too easily consumed.

Candies and sweets are often eaten in larger portions than they should be and are easily digestible.

If children aren’t burning enough calories from physical exercise, these calories will end up being stored as fat. Hence, sugar is a significant contribution to the ever-increasing issue of childhood obesity.

Cavities

Excessive sugar consumption can damage children’s teeth in the long term. Cavities occur when small holes developed in damaged teeth.

Sugar is not the direct cause of cavities in teeth however significantly contributes to the problem as sugar contains the bacteria that do.

Foods such as candy, sweets, juices, and sweetened milk products are the most common foods and drinks affecting dental health.

Diabetes

A diet high in sugar can increase your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, and this is just as much the case with children.

Developing poor eating habits at a young age can result in difficulty to change poor dieting and serious diseases such as diabetes.

It’s important to keep in mind that diabetes in children is also associated with obesity. Managing all foods and not just sugar is the key to preventing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

Malnutrition

As children can become addicted to the taste of sugar and foods that have high levels of it, they may not be eating enough of the other foods that provide nutrients that sugar and sugary foods don’t contain.

At a young age, it’s essential children have a balanced diet with vitamins, minerals calcium and fibre to name a few.

A lot of these nutrients won’t be found in sugary foods. Without the proper nutrition, the child may not thrive and can also weaken their immune system.

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