2023-05-26 12:00:00
The intake of free sugars should not exceed 10% of the total calories consumed daily in both adults and children, according to a report of the World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, he notes that lowering intake below 5% “would result in health benefits.”
This sugar is found in soft drinks, bakery products, and pre-cooked and ultra-processed foods. Of these, The WHO advises not to consume more than 25 grams daily. This would translate to approximately six teaspoons of coffee or six sugar cubes.
MORE THAN DOUBLE THE RECOMMENDED
However, the daily consumption of added sugars in Spanish children more than doubles the WHO guideline, reaching an average of 55.7 grams per day. is what it reveals a new investigation carried out by the ‘José Mataix Verdú’ Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology of the University of Granada.
The authors developed an index to measure the nutritional value of the foods analyzed in the study, representing the nutrient density in each serving of each food (NDIS). In addition, they designed a daily nutrient intake index (DNII), which is calculated according to the amount of each food consumed daily.
According to the findings, 65% of the added sugars that Spanish children consume on a daily basis come from foods and products with low nutritional density. These include white sugar, jams, sauces, sweets, cocoa powder, soft drinks, ice cream, cookies, fruit nectars, industrial confectionery and bakery, chocolate bars, biscuits and homemade confectionery, as well as energy and sports drinks.
On the other hand, the remaining 35% of the added sugars that Spanish children consume daily comes from foods and products with a higher nutritional density. Those with medium nutritional density include dairy desserts, vegetable drinks, and sweetened or flavored yogurts. Nutrient-dense foods include packaged shakes that contain at least 90% milk, breakfast cereals, and fortified infant formulas.
THE BISCUITS, THE LEAST RECOMMENDED
According to the study and the NDIS index, Milk is the food most consumed by Spanish children and has a high nutritional density, surpassed only by enriched infant formulas. This provides essential nutrients for growth and development, such as proteins of high biological value, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamin A, riboflavin and niacin.
Sugar, the most irresistible spice
Breakfast cereals, also with a high nutritional value, contribute 5.9% of the added sugars consumed daily. Likewise, shakes with at least 90% milk provide similar nutrients but contain added sugars. Despite this, they could be kept in the diet due to their high nutritional density, as long as the total consumption of added sugars is below the WHO recommendations.
As opposed, cookies and cocoa powder, which contain high levels of added sugars and are consumed frequently, are the foods that contribute the most added sugars to the daily diet of Spanish children. However, its contribution to the intake of essential nutrients is minimal due to its low nutritional density.
CHILDHOOD OBESITY INCREASES
Childhood obesity rates continue to escalate globally each year, with a prevalence of overweight and obesity in children of 23.3% and 17% respectively. And it should be remembered that a diet high in free sugars is correlated with an increased risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome and heart disease.
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