Carbohydrates Part 3: Decoding the Sugar
Simple sugars are everywhere: they’re found in foods such as fruit, candy, or even your milk. They’ve also had an infamous reputation for being closely related to obesity and consisting of low nutritional value. But to properly utilize them in your children’s diet, we have to know them first!
What are simple sugars?
Simple sugars, also known as simple carbohydrates, can be digested fairly rapidly and release bursts of energy into the bloodstream. While added sugars increase calorie count and lack essential nutrients, natural sugars are found to contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
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Added sugars:
- Regular soft drinks
- Candy
- Ice cream
- Sweetened yogurts
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Natural sugars:
- Whole fruits
- Milk
Types/functions of different simple sugars
Within simple sugars are a handful of different sugars that have different functions.
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Fructose: Known as the fruit sugar because it naturally can be found in most fruits, as well as honey, sugar beets, sugar cane, and vegetables
- Sweetest natural carbohydrate
- Does not require insulin and has a low impact on glucose levels
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Glucose: The main sugar found in our body through food consumption
- The body breaks food down into glucose and releases it into the bloodstream
- Utilized as energy
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Galactose: Mostly derived from lactose (a milk sugar)
- Found in fermented dairy products such as yogurt and kefir
How much should your child have?
As F. Scott Fitzgerald says, “First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” While your child may not be a raging alcoholic, added sugars can be addictive.
According to researchers Allison C Sylvetsky, Lindsey Parnarouskis, Patrick E Merkel, Ashley N Gearhardt, the reason why children are so vulnerable to addictive substances such as added sugar is that they “...have developing brains and less inhibitory control compared to adults.”
Which is another reason why it is extremely important to control how much of a substance your child is consuming. Here is the breakdown:
- Children who are 2 years and older should limit added sugar intake to less than 25 grams per day, while those under 2 should avoid it.
Ways to Control Added Sugar Intake
Eliminating simple sugar intake isn’t recommended (nor possible). Children need nutrients sourced from different fruits, vegetables, and milks to retrieve energy.
Instead, it is highly encouraged to manage added sugar consumption. Here are some methods to do so:
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Reduce intake of sugary drinks
- Eating a whole fruit provides much more nutrition
- Sodas
- Sports drinks
- Energy drinks
- Certain fruit juices
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Plan snacks for the future
- It may be tempting to grab a quick snack out of the vending machine or gas station. However, by preparing it beforehand, there will be no need to do so!
- Offer more whole fruits and vegetables!
Although it may be difficult, controlling this intake can benefit them long-term. Studies show persistent hyperactivity and neurocognitive deficits during adulthood from overconsumption of added sugars in childhood.
Conclusion
By knowing exactly what simple sugars are and the role that it plays, you can properly improve your child’s diet. Careful methods to control added sugar can not only benefit them in the short term, but also in the long term as well. Although it may require a mindset shift and even a change in the way you go about shopping for snacks, there’s a greater urgency to change our approach to how much and what source of simple sugars we provide to our children.