Dentists are urging parents to limit the amount of 'healthy' juices and smoothies they give their kids. Dentists are urging parents to limit the amount of 'healthy' juices and smoothies they give their kids.
London - Parents are harming their children’s dental health by allowing them to drink too much fruit juice, say dentists.
The British Dental Association has urged parents to limit the amount of so-called healthy juices and smoothies they give their children.
Around 25 percent of toddlers regularly consume fruit juice, according to a recent survey, while two thirds eat sugary sweets and snacks.
Unsweetened fruit juice does count for one portion of the recommended five-a-day, but experts say crushing the fruit releases sugars that damage the teeth more than eating fruit whole.
As a result, children should drink no more than a 150ml serving.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said many parents are unwittingly ruining their children’s teeth as they don’t realise how damaging fruit juice can be.
“Fruit juices are becoming increasingly popular and the fruit content can make them seem like a good idea,” he said.
“However, they contain very high levels of sugar and acid and so can do a lot of damage to the teeth.
“At such a young age it is unrealistic to remove sweet foods and drinks altogether from a child’s diet. To combat this, it is important to try to keep their consumption to mealtimes, and ensure they only drink water or milk between meals.
“Bear in mind it is better for the child’s teeth and general health if they have three meals a day instead of seven to 10 “snack attacks”, many of which will contain sugar.”
Dr Carter added: “The most important message to remember is it is not the amount of sugar children eat or drink, but the frequency of sugary foods and drinks in their diets.”
He added that smoothies were “horrendous” for teeth, because they were concentrated, were often sipped between meals and stuck to the teeth.
“Children aren’t born with a sweet tooth. It is acquired over time due to their dietary habits.”
Figures from 2008 show that 30 percent of five year olds in England had decay.
The news comes after an investigation found that a small bottle of orange juice contained as much sugar as 13 biscuits and a small bottle of a smoothie contained the same amount of sugar as three-and-a-half doughnuts.
Even drinks specifically aimed at children, such as a bottle of Ribena, contained as much sugar as 13 biscuits.
And the dangers of so much sugar do not end at compromised dental health.
Dr Robert Lustig, dietary expert and author of Fat Chance: The Bitter Truth About Sugar, says that consuming such high levels of sugar – whether they come from fruit or from refined sugar – increases the likelihood of a person becoming obese, increases the risk of associated problems of heart disease and diabetes and overloads the liver. – Daily Mail
