Sweeteners In Children
Sweeteners, according to the definition of Royal Decree 2002/1995, are additives used to give sweet taste to food products and are used as table sweeteners.
Therefore, they replace sugar in products for diabetics, although with the increasing rate of obesity, anyone consumes them. However, they have been related to alterations in intake that affect health. Does the same happen with the consumption of sweeteners in children?
What is clear is that they are safe, since the EFSA (European Food Safety Association) is responsible for evaluating them and establishing acceptable daily amounts of any additive.
According to this study carried out in Buenos Aires, children and adolescents do not usually exceed the established threshold. Since the vast majority are synthetic in nature, all products intended for infants and children under 3 years of age cannot carry them.
Another aspect to note is that their power to sweeten is greater than sugar, so they are added in less quantity. Even so, do you know that consuming them daily maintains the predilection for sweet foods, even more energetic in children? Therefore, it is important that you know how the perception of sweet taste develops, as we reveal to you below.
Taste and sweetener perception in children
At birth, we have an innate predilection for sweets, as breast milk has this flavor. Additionally, sweet taste is known to activate pleasure-related areas of the brain.
As a consequence, regular consumption stimulates the intake of similar flavors, so the less accustomed the palate, the better. Remember that childhood is the stage of life in which tastes are generated and, therefore, it is easier to teach children to eat healthy.
However, one of the effective strategies to reduce sugar consumption is substituting it with small doses of sweeteners until the tolerated threshold is lowered.
Intake and weight gain
Some sweeteners, such as acesulfame K and saccharin, stimulate the formation of fat, which is an increase in the percentage of body fat, weight in children. As a consequence, it leads to an increase in the Body Mass Index (BMI). However, regarding stevia there are still no studies done in children.
In addition, these effects are evident from the age of 12, when its consumption through soft drinks is excessive between 3 and 5 years of age.
Does the use of sweeteners in children increase cardiovascular risk and diabetes?
There is only one study from 2018 in which different metabolic markers were evaluated comparing children and adolescents who are consumers and non-consumers of sweetened soft drinks. Of all the parameters, a rise in blood glucose was observed.
In recent years, it has been seen to be highly marked with fructose used as a sweetener. For this reason, it is not recommended in diabetic people, since it used to be used in jams and products for this group.
It is also not recommended to substitute soft drinks for their versions with sweeteners as a prevention of diabetes. In contrast, no changes were found in cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels.
Polyols, the new sweetener for chewing gums and candies
Polyols are one of the few sweeteners that provide calories and, although their use has increased, they are not free of side effects. They have laxative properties when consumed in excess. For this reason, on the labeling it is mandatory to mention them if they exceed 10% of all ingredients. In addition, they have become the main reason for consultation for malabsorption, both in adults and children.
Mechanisms involved in the negative effects of sweeteners in children
Finally, the increased risk of suffering from obesity and diabetes in the future is explained by the changes produced in the microbiota. Although the majority of studies are in mice, saccharin and sucralose induce glucose intolerance, as they hinder insulin sensitivity.
In summary, it is preferable to accustom children to the natural taste of food for their health and to avoid what is known as “the halo effect”. It refers to the fact of eating more amounts to believe that they are healthy foods. So the best option is to drink water and eat fresh fruit in bites instead of fruit juices.
