The ongoing row over a number of branded well being drinks which mothers have been trusting for many years has made us assume, are we feeding our children the proper of meals?
“Although the majority of brands advertise these products as “energy and vitamin-rich drinks,” but on the other hand they don’t mention the heavy quantity of sugar used in them which can be very harmful for kids,” says Dr Saurabh Khanna, Lead Consultant, Neonatology and Pediatrics, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram.

These merchandise are promoted as immunity boosters and make tall claims that these will assist youngsters in rising tall and robust, he says and provides, “but in reality, energy drinks and such health drinks cannot increase immunity; this can be only done by immunisations / vaccinations.”

What are the substances dad and mom ought to verify earlier than shopping for them?

Dr Khanna explains: As per the advice of the nutritionist or pediatrician relying on the situation or deficiency of a specific nutrient which in any other case is unavailable to the kid by dietary consumption, one could also be really useful the dietary supplements (by power drinks).

Parents ought to look out for prime sugar content material within the drink. Proteins, nutritional vitamins, minerals, DHA and so on are sure substances which assist in total progress of the kid, and needs to be used just for a short time till the kid begins taking these by their weight loss plan.

Natural alternatives for kids other than health drinks

When would you suggest a baby to have these well being drinks?

These dietary supplements and well being drinks can solely be given to youngsters for a really brief time frame if they’re malnourished and their dad and mom are unable to supply them sufficient nourishment by meals, says Dr Khanna.

What are the problems prone to come when these drinks are given to youngsters commonly?

Dr Khanna highlights three essential problems which may come up when such well being drinks are commonly fed to a baby.

“These drinks include a lot of processed sugars, and excessive intake of these on a regular basis might raise the risk of diabetes and obesity in kids,” he provides.

As per Unicef’s World Obesity Atlas for 2022, India is prone to be house to 27 million overweight youngsters by 2030. It at the moment ranks 99 out of 183 nations by way of dealing with the financial impression of weight problems.

“Children who skip meals and miss out on the nutrients they need may feel full after drinking these drinks, which might have an impact on their growth and development. Kids can also get addicted to sweet and chocolate flavors of these drinks if consumed on a regular basis,” explains Dr Khanna.

The indulgence must cease

“A child will not stop at this health drink but continue to indulge in sugar beverages , jams, spreads, candies, jellies, cakes, biscuits, ketchups, etc which are also the sources of sugar . One cannot eliminate this completely in a child’s diet as they are completely exposed to it, hence portion size is the key rather than eliminating it completely which later increases their craving towards it,” explains Dr. Edwina Raj, Head – of Clinical Nutrition Dietetics, Aster CMI Hospital.

“Every Health drink or supplement varies in composition and consists of both benefits and downside of additives in them. They are also loaded with carbohydrates between 12-17g in 4tsp of supplement which when added to milk is equivalent to one serving of cereal / chapathi consumed for breakfast. Therefore this needs to be considered while planning a child’s daily meal to ensure we do not go overboard in feeding them which will increase the risk of being overweight and prone to lifestyle diseases,” Dr Raj provides.

What are more healthy options?

When requested about more healthy options to the marketed well being drinks, Dr Khanna mentioned, consumption of pure sources and meals is a lot better and a more healthy different than the consumption of processed meals and substances.

For occasion; dad and mom could make a mango shake or a banana shake at house which might be rather more helpful to their youngsters’ well being than in a tasteful manner, he recommends.