Too Many Sweetened Drinks Negatively Affect Nutrition
Thirty 6- to 13-year-old children who attended day camp participated in a study of sweetened drink consumption and nutrition. For 4 to 8 weeks, children and their parents kept records of the quantity and types of foods and drinks the children consumed. For the first week, the children ate their normal meals at home and ate a lunch packed by their parents at camp, as well as two snacks and drinks (including sweet beverages, 2% milk, and water) provided by the camp. From the second week on, the children ate meals provided by the camp except on weekends. Throughout the study, the children could drink water, milk, and sweetened beverages whenever they wished, although they were asked to report the amount that they drank. All children were weighed and measured at the beginning of camp, and some children were weighed during the last week of camp for comparison.
Children who drank excessive amounts of sweetened beverages (more than 12 ounces per day) tended to drink less milk. As a result, these children consumed less daily protein, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin A. Although children who drank a lot of sweetened beverages reduced their milk intake, they did not reduce their intake of solid foods. Overall, children who consumed excessive amounts of sweetened beverages also consumed more calories each day and were more likely to gain weight by the end of camp than children who drank less than 12 ounces of sweetened beverages each day.
What This Means to You: Drinking too many sweetened beverages, including lemonade, fruit-flavored drinks, iced tea, and cola, may displace milk from your child's diet. Milk contains valuable nutrients that growing children need - including protein and calcium, whereas sweetened beverages simply add sugar and calories to your child's diet. Discourage your child from drinking sweetened beverages and encourage water and low-fat milk consumption instead.
Reviewed by: Steve Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: July 2003
