American infants are basically black holes for processed sugar
- 6 years ago
SUGARLAND — A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that U.S. infants are consuming excessive amounts of sugar that even exceed maximum levels recommended for some adults.
The results were presented at the American Society for Nutrition's annual meeting on June 10, Quartz reports.
Researchers focused on the sugar added during food preparation or processing such as cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and honey, not natural sugars found in fruit or milk.
The study looked at more than 800 children between six months and 23 months who had taken part in the 2011 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Parents were told to keep track of every item their child ate or drank during a 24-hour period. Scientists then calculated an average sugar intake from the sample.
The results showed toddlers 12 to 18 months consumed 5.5 teaspoons of sugar per day, while toddlers 19 to 23 months ate 7.1 teaspoons a day.
For comparison, the daily recommended limits for added sugar for children 2 to 19 years old and adult women is 6 teaspoons or less a day, and 9 teaspoons or less a day for adult men.
The results were presented at the American Society for Nutrition's annual meeting on June 10, Quartz reports.
Researchers focused on the sugar added during food preparation or processing such as cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and honey, not natural sugars found in fruit or milk.
The study looked at more than 800 children between six months and 23 months who had taken part in the 2011 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Parents were told to keep track of every item their child ate or drank during a 24-hour period. Scientists then calculated an average sugar intake from the sample.
The results showed toddlers 12 to 18 months consumed 5.5 teaspoons of sugar per day, while toddlers 19 to 23 months ate 7.1 teaspoons a day.
For comparison, the daily recommended limits for added sugar for children 2 to 19 years old and adult women is 6 teaspoons or less a day, and 9 teaspoons or less a day for adult men.