This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
AHA: Children must minimize added sugar intake
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
A new scientific statement from the American Heart Association suggests that children aged 2 to 18 years should consume no more than 25 g of added sugar per day.
The chances of children developing conditions such as hypertension, CHD and insulin resistance become more likely with an increase in added sugar consumption, according to the document published in Circulation.
“There has been a lack of clarity and consensus regarding how much added sugar is considered safe for children, so sugars remain a commonly added ingredient in foods and drinks, and overall consumption by children remains high — the typical American child consumes about triple the recommended amount of added sugars,” Miriam Vos, MD, MsPH, nutrition scientist and associate professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, and chair of the writing group, said in a press release. “For most children, eating no more than six teaspoons of added sugars per day is a healthy and achievable target.”
Vos and colleagues conducted searches in five literature subgroups to review the CV health effects of added sugars in children. The five groups included in the searches were effects on BP, lipids, insulin resistance and diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and obesity.
The expert panel recommends added sugars should not be included in the diet of children younger than 2 years. Since the calorie needs of children in this age group are lower than older children and adults, there is no reason to include food and beverages containing added sugars with little nutritional value, the authors wrote.
The writing group also recommended that children and adolescents consume no more than one 8-oz sugar-sweetened beverage per week, citing research that weight loss in children and adolescents is associated with switching from sugar-sweetened beverages to noncaloric beverages.
Additionally, Vos and colleagues wrote that taste preferences develop in early stages of life, so limiting added sugar intake may help children develop a lifelong preference for healthier food options.
“Studies of nutrients such as added sugars are challenging, but over time the number of studies in children has increased,” Vos said in the release. “We believe the scientific evidence for our recommendations is strong and having a specific amount to target will significantly help parents and public health advocates provide the best nutrition possible for our children.” – by Dave Quaile
Disclosure: Vos reports no relevant financial disclosures. See the full statement for a list of the relevant financial disclosures of the other authors and reviewers.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts