Sweet, sweeter, sweet drinks

Whether in hot weather or on cold winter days, sweet drinks are particularly popular with children. The colourful drinks not only taste good, but also provide plenty of variety. But are they also suitable as thirst quenchers?

Text: Wina Fontana

Image: Alamy Stock Photo

In aqua sanitas - even the ancient Romans knew: «Health lies in water.» Water is involved in all important bodily functions at every stage of life. Whether as a transport medium for nutrients, enzymes and hormones, for the excretion of decomposition substances or for the regulation of body temperature.

While around 60 per cent of the body mass of adults consists of water, this figure can be as high as 75 per cent in children. Adequate fluid intake is therefore vital. Energy-free sources of fluid such as water and unsweetened herbal tea therefore form the basis of the food pyramid.

Sweet drinks are stimulants

Lemonades, syrups and the like belong at the top of the food pyramid - whether for young or old - and should therefore be consumed in moderation. Due to their high sugar content, these sweet thirst quenchers not only provide a lot of calories, but also fuel cravings. Numerous studies have shown that sweet drinks are directly linked to tooth decay and obesity and therefore increase the risk of diabetes. The Swiss Society for Nutrition recommends a maximum of one decilitre of sweet drink per day for children between the ages of one and five, and a maximum of two decilitres per day from the age of 6.

100 millilitres of orange juice contain 11 grams of sugar. Fruit juices are only a limited alternative to sweet drinks.

Sweeteners enjoy the reputation of being sugar-free. Nevertheless, like regular sweetened drinks, they are a luxury food and should only be consumed occasionally. This is because sweeteners often have a much stronger sweetening power than conventional sugar, fuelling our innate sweetness preference - and making naturally sweet foods seem less sweet.

Juice as an alternative

Fruit juices are associated with many vitamins and are therefore generally regarded as healthy. However, the liquefied fruit often contains large amounts of sugar and should also only be offered occasionally. This is because 100 millilitres of fresh orange juice contains 11 grams of sugar. In comparison, the same amount of a well-known sweet drink contains 10.5 grams of sugar. Vitamin water is usually a mineral water with added vitamins and minerals. Already well known in America, these colourful drinks are increasingly finding their way onto the shelves of major distributors in Switzerland - and their attractive appearance is also attracting children's eyes. However, these vitaminised drinks should be consumed with caution. In addition to vitamins and minerals, they often contain a considerable amount of sugar.

A childhood without sweet drinks?

Sweet drinks and juices are omnipresent. So even if you don't tell your child that they exist, they will come into contact with them after the first birthday invitation at the latest. So teach your child how to deal with sweet temptations at an early age.