Irish 3-year-olds are consuming too much sugar

Dental Tribune International

Mon. 23. September 2019

save

DUBLIN, Ireland: Free sugars (FS) are sugars added to food during its production, as well as the sugars naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices. The term is used to distinguish between sugars that are naturally present in unrefined food such as fruit or brown rice and sugars that have been refined, typically by humans but sometimes by animals. In a recent study, researchers at the Dublin Dental University Hospital at Trinity College have found that a large majority of 3-year-olds in Ireland are consuming on average ten level teaspoons of FS a day.

As reported by Dental Tribune International, Irish children are not having their first dental visit early enough, and this new report indicates that there may be even more cause for concern.

“A large majority of 3-year-old Irish children do not meet the WHO [World Health Organization] recommended guidelines for free sugar intake and almost none meet the desired conditional recommendation,” said lead author of the study Dr Michael Crowe.

Using data from the National Pre-school Nutrition Survey and the Growing Up in Ireland: National Longitudinal Study of Children, the team calculated the mean daily total sugar and FS intakes and frequency, as well as consumption patterns from foods and meals in order to come to their conclusion. Their results showed that 75% of 3-year-olds had an FS intake greater than the maximum recommended by WHO guidelines. Only 4% met the lower threshold.

According to the results, some of the foods commonly consumed as snacks were chocolate, other confectionery, cakes and biscuits. Researchers say that these could be cut or replaced with healthier alternatives to reduce the frequency and amount of sugar consumed throughout the day. The team believes that the information gained from this study should be able to help dentists and dental hygienists to understand the specific food and drink patterns to focus on when carrying out dietary risk assessments.

The study, titled “Estimation and consumption pattern of free sugar intake in 3-year-old Irish preschool children”, was published online on 19 July 2019 in the European Journal of Nutrition, ahead of inclusion in an issue.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Study finds decrease in opioid prescriptions in under 18-year-olds

NEW YORK, U.S.: The over-prescription of opioids in the United States is a subject that has been addressed significantly in recent years. An issue that is ...

Study finds UK sugar reduction policies have been only partially successful

LONDON, UK: The government of the United Kingdom and Great Britain and Northern Ireland has made headlines over the past decade for policies focused on ...

Heavy smoking during Irish famine led to dental caries, study finds

DUNEDIN, New Zealand: Despite the vast amount of research on smoking, the relationship between smoking and oral health in an archaeological sample of a ...

Sugar tax reaps benefits in South Africa, study finds

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: In 2018, South Africa introduced a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) based on their respective levels of sugar content ...

Study finds sugary drinks not necessarily linked to childhood obesity

NOTTINGHAM, UK: Given what we know about the relationship between rates of obesity and sugar consumption, it would seem to be common sense that children who...

Sugary drink taxes decrease consumption of beverages, study finds

WELLINGTON, New Zealand: Increased intake of sugar‐sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease,...

Study finds that dental caries are not genetic

MELBOURNE, Australia: In the first large-scale study to look at the oral microbiome, researchers from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) have ...

Sugar tax and better labelling help people make healthier choices, study finds

WATERLOO, Ont., Canada: The debate around sugar and its impact on oral health and general health has led to some important developments. One of the most ...

Health labels may deter people from buying sugary drinks, study finds

MELBOURNE, Australia: In an effort to deter people from smoking, cigarette packets are labelled with warnings and graphic images. In a new study, ...

Researchers find Neanderthal-like features in 450,000-year-old teeth

TOULOUSE, France: In a recent study, French, Italian and Spanish researchers have investigated some of the oldest fossil dental remains from Middle ...

Education

Live webinar
Wed. 14 May 2025
11:00 am EST (New York)