Giving certain drinks to young children has potentially ‘serious’ knock-on effects says new study

We’ve all been told to cut down on sugary foods at one point or another but a new study has highlighted just how important it is to avoid giving children sugary drinks like cola and other sodas from an early age.

The study, conducted by researchers at Swansea University in the UK, warns that giving children sugar-sweetened drinks in the early years of their lives is linked to continued poor diet into adulthood and an increased risk of health issues like obesity later in life.

Study reveals that consuming sugary drinks as children has knock-on effect

Published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study examined the influence of diet on a sample of 14,000 British children from birth to adulthood and is thought to be the biggest of its kind.

Researchers at Swansea University’s School of Psychology found that children who consumed fizzy drinks such as cola or sugar-sweetened fruit cordials before the age of two gained more weight when they were 24 years old.

Girls who drank pure fruit juice during childhood gained less weight while the weight of boys remained the same, according to the study.

Similarly, children who drank cola from the age of three consumed more calories, fat, protein and sugar but less fiber. In comparison, those given pure apple juice had higher amounts of fiber and less sugar and fat.

Researchers noted that children who were given pure apple juice were more likely to have a healthier diet consisting of more fish, fruit, green vegetables, and salad. Meanwhile, those drinking cola tended to eat more burgers, sausages, pizza, french fries, meat, chocolate, and sweets.

The team discovered a curious link between the quality of diet with social background. Children from more affluent backgrounds were more likely to have pure fruit juice.

Researchers highlight the importance of childhood diet

Speaking about the study’s findings, lead researcher Professor David Benton stressed how important a child’s diet is as it can establish a pattern that continues into adulthood.

“The early diet establishes a food pattern that influences, throughout life, whether weight increases,” he explained. “The important challenge is to ensure that a child develops a good dietary habit: one that offers less fat and sugar, although pure fruit juice, one of your five a day, adds vitamin C, potassium, folate, and plant polyphenols (plant compounds with antioxidant properties).”

On top of that, fellow author Dr Hayley Young highlighted the risk of developing conditions such as obesity through dietary decisions in early childhood.

“Obesity is a serious health concern, one that increases the risk of many other conditions,” she said. “Our study shows that the dietary causes of adult obesity begin in early childhood and that if we are to control it, more attention needs to be given to our diet in the first years of life.”