Children love sweets, but sugar is terribly bad for their health: it leads to hyperactivity and mood swings, impairs brain function, lowers immunity, and increases the risk of asthma and obesity. I have personally found that if my son eats something containing sugar, after a while he starts literally running up and down the walls.
The craving for sweets is a huge problem that is extremely difficult for even an adult to cope with. For children, it is probably even more difficult.
What foods contain a lot of added sugar and how to wean children from sweets?
Sugar is a simple carbohydrate found naturally in fruits and vegetables, for example. Problems arise when we eat sugar that is artificially added to food. And the modern diet usually consists of foods that contain added sugar.
Sugar makes its way onto our table under so many different names that most of the time we don't even realize we are eating it. Fructose, dextrose, corn syrup, honey, barley malt, sucrose and cane juice extract are just a short list (a more complete list can be found at this link). Added sugar is hidden in a wide variety of store-bought products such as ketchup, peanut butter, spreads and condiments, meat products and even baby food. And, unfortunately, we often feed our babies foods that contain huge amounts of added sugar - breakfast cereals, ready-made baked goods, etc.
Why should we minimize sugar in our children's diets?
In my opinion, the answer to this question is obvious, but I will still give a few reasons.
Behavioral and mood disorders
Eating sugar in the body is converted into glucose, which is quickly absorbed into the blood. This leads to a sharp increase in blood sugar levels. To normalize blood sugar levels, the pancreas produces insulin: It transports glucose to cells, which will use it to produce energy. The rapid rise in insulin causes a dramatic drop in blood sugar, known as hypoglycemia. In response, the brain produces excessive amounts of glutamate, which causes chaos in the brain and nervous system. This provokes anxiety, panic attacks, feelings of anger and depression.
The American Nutrition Association concluded that hypoglycemia is one of the most likely causes of hyperactivity in children, their inability to stay in one place and focus.
Sugar affects behavior in children in other ways as well. Our children eat to get nutrients and grow. Sugar, on the other hand, is "anti-nutritive": it contains no nutrients, and the body is forced to "pull" minerals - magnesium, zinc and others - from its own reserves in order to absorb this sugar. This can lead to chronic mineral deficiencies that cause behavioral and mood disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety, anger, irritability, difficulty concentrating and studying.
Decreased immunity
Sugar suppresses the immune system and makes our children more susceptible to infections. Studies show that two cans of soda (the equivalent of 20 teaspoons of sugar) can suppress the immune system within two to five hours. So if your children encounter viruses during this period, their immune system cannot effectively fight off the invaders.
Sugar competes in the body with vitamin C because insulin is needed to transport both substances to the cells. Consumption of sugar of any kind reduces the ability of vitamin C to enter the cells, which in turn reduces the body's defenses. Therefore, sugar should be eliminated from the diet even in the form of fresh fruit juices during illness, as it will further weaken the immune system.
Increased risk of asthma
Research by Sonja Kirsten of the Nestlé Institute in Lausanne, Switzerland, has shown that a diet high in sugar is associated with asthma. Asthma can be caused by any inflammation of the airways, and Dr. Kirsten's research demonstrated a link between the consumption of processed sugar and an increased airway response.
The release of too much insulin that occurs when we eat added sugar triggers a cascade of inflammation and an overreaction of the airways that can lead to asthma.
Impaired brain function
Studies have shown that high blood sugar levels in the short and long term can harm the brain and impair memory. Consuming excess sugar reduces the amount of a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), thereby impairing people's ability to remember information and learn.
In a 1986 article, Dr. Schonteiler describes how one million children had improved test scores after eliminating sugar and white flour from their diets.
Obesity
Sugar is closely linked to obesity, especially among children. And not just because of the high calorie count. It is addictive because it affects the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin. Sugar interferes with a child's decision-making process about how much food to eat. As a result, children eat more than they should.
How can I rid my child of sugar addiction?
Reducing the amount of sugar in the child's diet is a big problem, especially if he is already used to the sweet and craves it. Remove the cause of cravings is much easier than forbidding a child candy. And cravings for sweets often indicate that your child is suffering from dysbacteriosis, ie in his intestines harmful bacteria prevail over friendly. And to combat this phenomenon, you need to focus your energies. For example, feed your child fermented and fermented foods.
And of course, limit his access to desserts and candy, try to cook analogues of favorite sweets at home, explain to children the dangers of excessive sugar cravings.
Unfortunately, in today's environment it is very difficult to keep a child away from sugar, and I experience this every day. So, having become a mom, I am in a constant search for new ways to combat excessive sugar in my kids' lives.
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