Effects of Sugar on Children’s Health and Ways to Reduce Sugar in Kids’ Diet

How does sugar affect children?

White sugar is one such ingredient in a dish that gives no nutritional value when consumed. Yet, it is also something that cannot be completely omitted from any cuisine, especially for children.

A child insisting on getting him a packed drink or a chocolate and his mom trying in futile to explain the harmful effects of it is not an uncommon scene at supermarkets. We also need to realize that the sugar is found everywhere in many other foods other than the explicit sweets, sugars and soft drinks, including the suggestive healthy options.

It becomes imperative to understand what damages can excess sugar in the diet cause to the children. Sugary diets have harmed emotional health, sleep and even learning capabilities.

Harmful Effects of Sugar for Children's Health

Effects of Sugar – Brain

Eating sugar releases a high level of dopamine, a feel-good chemical, which makes the brain for more of that good feeling, which in turn urges the child to eat makes the child crave to eat more sweets. A child demanding an ice cream or a dessert after a meal is a result of this. It’s a vicious circle that should be broken for your child’s health in the long run.

Also, studies have shown high sugar affects brain functioning such as learning, memory and reasoning. The eventual cognitive decline was proven in children consuming more white sugar based foods.

Effects of Sugar – Mood

When your child takes sugar, giving them a lot of energy and making them hyperactive. Once when the sugar gets absorbed your child’s energy will be down and he will feel anxious.

Such mood swings, thus, affect the attention span of the children, making them lose focus and concentration, affecting their academic works. This when it goes on for long can also lead to depression.

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Effects of Sugar – Teeth

Sugar can make your child’s teeth rotten. Sugary foods are the main reason for cavities and decayed tooth in children. The sugar bits that have remained on the teeth feed on the bacteria causing cavities.

2. Effects of Sugar – Skin

Eating sugar excessively can cause inflammation in your child’s body. Inflammation can cause your child’s skin to wrinkle and have sagging skin. Acne breakouts can be seen more in children eating high sugary foods. This is because the excessive sugar gets attached to proteins in the blood to create molecules that damage collagen and elastin.

3.Effects of Sugar – Liver

Excess sugar contains fructose or high fructose corn syrup. Fructose is digested in the liver and converted into fat. Large amounts of fructose can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases because of excess fat stored in the liver.

4.Effects of Sugar – Heart

High sugar in blood causes hardening of the walls of arteries. This causes heart attacks, heart failures and even strokes.

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5.Effects of Sugar – Pancreas

Pancreas secrete insulin to digest sugar. When your child consumes excess sugar your child’s pancreas secrete more insulin to digest the excessive sugar. Eventually the pancreas gets overworked and breaks down. This leads to a rise in your child’s blood sugar, which can cause type 2 diabetes and in worst cases leads to heart diseases as well.

6.Effects of Sugar – Weight Gain

Excess sugar consumption can lead to unhealthy weight gain in children. Apparently, the main culprit of obesity and early puberty among children is high sugar dose in their diet.

How to Achieve Low Sugar in Kids’ Diet?

A strict “No Sugar” warning to a child all of a sudden on one fine day, can backfire badly.

Children can become rebellious if they are disciplined or restricted too much. Disciplining the child’s diet with respect to alleviating excess sugar can be achieved following a few simple ways.

Energy obtained out of sugar drains away fast and leaves the child craving for more to sustain the energy through out the day. Like adults, kids also need energy that can be stored up and used through the day. One simple way is to include proteins in his diet, especially in the breakfast meal.
Proteins, again, controls hunger and urge to eat something often.
Eggs with bread are a better option than jam and chocolate spreads. Try to find healthier replacements of the child’s favourite sugary foods, and at best, avoid stocking too much of sugar based confectionery in the kitchen. Most of the processed foods are sugar filled.
Juices, even 100% from fruits and vegetables contain more sugar than in their full form. Include more fruits than juices.
Kashayam, water decoction extracted from herbs like ginger, turmeric, pepper corns, because of their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can help clean the gut walls and burning fats.
Lemon juice in warm water and little salt can help with detoxification caused due to excess sugar eating.
Practice them to drink a plenty of water.
Model healthy eating and lifestyle at home, in front of children. As a simple idea, play a week-long, month-long or just a few days long “no or less sugar” challenge game with your children. Gradual changes can be seen eventually.

Giving up may be difficult, but cutting down isn’t as difficult. Kids easily adapt and quick to follow what elders advise, and practice. Resilience is a difficult thing as the children grow up. Be mindful of sugar content in your family’s diet.