COLORADO, USA — The American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics released a joint statement this week recommending taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, cutting back on marketing of these drinks to children and encouraging laws to make water and milk the default beverages for children’s meals.
What is the science behind these recommendations on limiting added sugars for our kids?
How much sugar is in each of these items? (4 grams= approximately 1 teaspoon of sugar)
- Rockstar Energy Drink (60 grams)
- Coke (39 grams)
- Powerade (52 grams)
- Grape apple juice (25 grams)
- Chocolate milk (22 grams)
- Snickers bar (27 grams)
- Coconut water (15 grams)
Having juice every morning or a sports drink won’t be harmful to my child’s health? FICTION
The AHA advises teens and youth have less than 8 oz of sugary drinks per week, or less than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugars per day. No added sugars for kids less than 2 years old.
In a recent study, kids in the group who drank the most sugar sweetened beverages consumed 300 empty calories per day in sugary beverages. Too much sugar consumption can lead to tooth decay, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatty lever and even and increase in mortality.
That's why it is so important for parents to model good behavior at an early age for their kids.
Sugar is more addictive than cocaine in rats? FACT
Research has shown sugar can be more addictive than drugs. Sugar will activate the opioid and dopamine receptors and the reward centers in the brain. This means you start to crave more sugar to get the same effects. The reward centers get dulled by the more sugar you eat. So, you need more sugar to get the same feeling over time. That is why it can be so difficult to stop eating those cookies or candy. The idea, 'Can’t just eat one,' is a real thing!
Extra credit: Here are several other names for sugar
Sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, dextrose, lactose, agave nectar, fructose. Click/tap here for a full list.
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