The Sweet Truth

Navigating the world of sugar and sweeteners isn't easy. The sheer number of options is overwhelming enough, but it's made worse by a flood of misleading information online, much of it driven by brands to position themselves against competitors. In this Headucation we are going to cut through the noise and provide the facts. 

When it comes to sweeteners in your child's food supplements, there's no single right answer, it depends on your child. But there are five key factors worth weighing up, and how you prioritise them will look different for every family.

1. Taste and texture – does it taste sweet and will my child take it? This can be the main driver if your child has sensory difficulties 
2. Dental health – what is the impact on teeth?
3. Glycaemic index – how quickly does it spike blood sugar? 
4. Sugar content – how does it impact the recommended daily allowance?
5. Gastrointestinal effects – will it have a laxative effect?

Now let's walk through the five things that really matter when it comes to sweeteners in your child's supplements.

Taste and texture are real considerations, particularly for children with sensory difficulties. We are not at the stage that kids will happily consume a savoury gummy— I’m not sure I will ever be there either.  While all sweeteners provide enough sweetness, they don't all create the same mouthfeel, which is why combinations are common.  

Start with a no added sugar or sugar-free option where you can, but if a gummy with sugar is the one your child will take because they like the taste, that's the right choice. Getting the supplement in is what counts so tune out the noise!

When kids eat sugar, bacteria in the mouth breaks it down and releases acid, which attacks the enamel on teeth, making them more porous. Over time, if this continues, the weakened enamel breaks down, forming holes or cavities.  Here's how the sweeteners break down on dental health:

• Cause tooth decay: sugar (glucose, sucrose) 
• Don’t cause tooth decay: maltitol, sorbitol, FOS, Non-nutritive sweeteners
• Protects against tooth decay: xylitol and erythritol since they increase the production of saliva in the mouth

The frequency of sugar exposure matters as much as quantity. Every sugary hit will trigger around 20 mins of acid attack on enamel. If sugar is the only format your child will take, get them to rinse their mouth with water after eating.

While calories from a small gummy are negligible, the total sugar content is worth considering. The NHS (5) recommends that children ages 4–6 years consume no more than 19g of “free sugars” per day (ages 4–6) and ages  7–10 years no more than 24g. Free sugars include anything added to food, such as sucrose, glucose, honey, syrups, but not natural sugars found in whole fruit or milk.

A single gummy can contain anywhere from less than 0.5g (sugar free) up to 3g of sugar. That might not sound like much, but across multiple gummies a day, or alongside other foods and drinks with added sugar, it can add up quickly. For a food to be labelled sugar free, it must contain less than 0.5g of sugar per 100g of product, so always check the per-gummy figure on the label rather than relying on front-of-pack claims.

There is a lot of misinformation about the nutritive sweeteners and laxative effects, but the reality is that it is dose-dependent. Laxative effects and flatulence occur at high levels of consumption, the kind you’re unlikely to encounter with food supplement gummies. People may experience side effects at the following doses, but note that some individuals can be more sensitive than others:

• Maltitol: ~50 g/day (1)
• Sorbitol:  ~20 g/day (2)
• Xylitol: ~40 g/day (3)
• FOS:  ~20 g/day

Some sweeteners are better for the microbiome than others. FOS is the standout here as a prebiotic fibre, meaning gut bacteria actively ferment it and it promotes a healthier microbiome, increasing beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus (4).

The truth is, there's no perfect sweetener, despite what you are led to believe by brands! Each one involves a trade-off, and the right choice depends entirely on your child. Use these five factors as your guide, weigh up what matters most for your family, and go from there.

The irony… we think carefully about all of this and then they eat sprinkle cake at school!

References