Can children with diabetes drink sugar-free beverages?

When it comes to beverages, they must be the favorite of children. There are many varieties of beverages now, and new products are emerging in an endless stream. With the improvement of people's awareness of sugar control, sugar-free beverages have been sought after by everyone in the past two years. So are sugar-free beverages really sugar-free? Can children with diabetes who need to control their sugar also drink them? Let me tell you about it.

1. Definition of sugar-free beverages In order to maintain the taste, sugar-free beverages generally contain xylitol, acesulfame potassium, aspartame and other sweeteners to reduce the sugar content. The "General Principles of Nutrition Labeling for Prepackaged Foods" stipulates that sugar-free beverages refer to beverages with a sugar content of no more than 0.5g per 100ml. Therefore, sugar-free beverages cannot prove that there is no sugar at all, but they just contain less sugar.

2. Can children with diabetes drink sugar-free beverages?

Children with diabetes can drink sugar-free drinks in moderation. The sweeteners in sugar-free drinks are not controlled by insulin during metabolism, and can control sugar intake compared to sugary drinks. Although sugar-free drinks are low in sugar, excessive intake can lead to intestinal flora disorders and other metabolic disorders in the body, which is harmful to health.

Since the sugar intake in sugar-free drinks is too low to meet the body's basic energy needs, drinking sugar-free drinks will give the feeding center the illusion that you have eaten something but you actually haven't, which will promote eating. If you drink it without restraint for a long time, it will also indirectly lead to an increase in sugar intake in children. Therefore, children with diabetes should not drink excessive amounts of sugar-free drinks just because they contain less sugar.

3. What is the best drink for children with diabetes?

Under the premise of not drinking too much, sugar-free drinks are better than normal sugary drinks, and boiled water is better than all drinks. Boiled water helps replenish body fluids and promote metabolism, so it is recommended that children with diabetes should drink more boiled water on a daily basis. Whether drinks contain sugar or not, try to drink less, and don't drink them if you can.

After listening to the above introduction, do you know more about sugar-free drinks? Although sugar-free drinks are low in sugar, they should be consumed in moderation. If children with diabetes want to satisfy their cravings, they can drink less. Boiled water is the best choice!

References

[1] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2016.

[2] Kwok Lai-yi. (2015). The role of sweeteners in reducing sugar intake. Centre for Food Safety, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Retrieved 22 April 2021.