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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if no added sugar squash is really that bad?

119 replies

Supportingeachother1983 · 15/02/2016 19:32

I have a 2 year old who drinks diluted apple juice (1 part juice and 4 parts water) and a 6 year old who drinks rocks blackcurrant squash. The dentist was horrified when I told her this. She said they should be drinking no added sugar squash. My friends mostly use robinsons no added sugar for their DC. I had always been wary of sweetness though, my dad told me they are not good for us. How bad are they? I am thinking of changing to sugar free squash but something is telling me not too!

OP posts:
bruffin · 15/02/2016 22:02

It is not saucey jack.

ghostyslovesheep · 15/02/2016 22:05

that's not addictive ... linked to type 2 diabetes yes (as is sugar) but addictive - nope

bunique · 15/02/2016 22:09

I thought similar to pp, that there is some research that suggests artificial sweeteners have an effect not dissimilar to actual sugar in terms of insulin production etc. I may have been brainwashed by Fed Up! though.

kali110 · 15/02/2016 22:14

I drink it and have sweetner in my tea!
I don't think it has a horrible aftertaste and don't believe it cause cancer etc...

kali110 · 15/02/2016 22:17

Omg squash is addictive! That maybe the funniest thing i have read on here!!
adele there should be a little tin hat emoji!

TheToys · 15/02/2016 22:19

I have a biology degree, so have a bit of understanding of chemicals and research. I have no problem giving DS no added sugar squash well diluted. He has perfect teeth and is in no danger of becoming fat. He hates water and milk, and suffers from occasional constipation despite a fibre rich, by and large, healthy diet, so needs to drink enough.

OliviaDunham · 15/02/2016 22:31

No added sugar squash tastes awful - the reason it sells so much is because it's becoming increasingly difficult to buy the sugar version. Look in the supermarket next time you're there, there's very little choice. Sugar maybe bad for you, but pumping chemicals in can't be good either.

wibblypig1 · 15/02/2016 23:15

My eldest daughter started off drinking Well diluted high juice but I noticed at about 2yrs old that one of her front teeth was turning brown down one side - to say I was utterly horrified was an understatement. The dentist wasn't too bothered. She said it was common.
I immediately swapped to sugar free squash and her tooth didn't get any worse. To me it's the lesser of the two evils.

kali110 · 16/02/2016 01:30

OliviaDunham or because a lot of people wanted to reduce their sugar intake? I generally always get reduced or no added sugar.
You think it tastes awful, others don't.

supporting maybe it's becUse concentrated always has a load of sugar in?
What about watering fresh juice down?( no idea if this will work as i have never tried it).
Though stevia is one sweetner i don't like in my tea. Seems to be ok in everything else.

nanetterose · 16/02/2016 05:09

We use the Waitrose 'no added' etc...
It contains sucralose instead. We moved from high juice about six months ago. I don't drink it really. My children prefer it now.

bruffin · 16/02/2016 06:09

There are a significant minority who dont like the taste, and we are getting less and less choice, drinks like j2o and ice tea which used to be plain sugar now have artificial sweeteners.
I bought belvoir light at the weeked and they just reduced the sugar content by 30% , still really nice and refreshing without that horrible coating of the tongue, you get with AS.
Why cant they just reduce the sugar, but they dont because AS are a lot cheaper to use than real sugar.

Adeleslostbeehive · 16/02/2016 07:09

I suspect most of the people talking about how vile sweetners are wouldn't be able to tell the difference in blind test. It's just a "thing" isn't it? To claim sensitivity to artificial sweetners. Put into people's head by the junk science around sweetners that's been around for many years.

nanetterose · 16/02/2016 07:18

I can definitely taste artificial sweetners. No doubt about it. They make me shakey.
However, l don't get that issue with sucralose. I believe it to be the lesser of the evils. I agree, why not cut the sugar? Expense obviously. Now that shitty glucose fructose has snuck it's way in to the UK. Even sugar looks like a better option.
Americans are stuck with HFCS... (the same thing)

bruffin · 16/02/2016 07:21

I can tell the difference in a blind test and so can dh which is why we notice there is change in recipes or they have served us diet coke by mistake
even Stevias advertising says 70% cant tell the difference, which means that have blind tested it and a whopping 30% can taste it.
There is research that says it is genetic andcdome people have different taste receptors.

Adeleslostbeehive · 16/02/2016 07:26

Nannetterose do you know what GFS is currently found in? I remember looking- it was a few years ago when the whole sugar is evil thing kicked off- and couldn't find it in anything. It's massively restricted by EU law.

Fair enough, maybe you guys can tell the difference. I think most people can tell the difference between diet and regular coke, but that's not diluted.

wallywobbles · 16/02/2016 07:29

Why don't they drink plain tap water? It's the best possible long term choice for their teeth, health and pockets. And the planet.

DixieNormas · 16/02/2016 07:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Supportingeachother1983 · 16/02/2016 07:38

I notice GFS is in a lot of biscuits and cakes at aldi, what is it??

OP posts:
mammmamia · 16/02/2016 09:30

I can't understand drinking squash. It's vile and actual juice is much better for you. The sweetener stuff tastes awful. We only have water and then yes when we are out the DC are allowed a sugary drink occasionally. I don't see the need to buy it and keep it in the house. I would rather save the dental risk for wine Blush

Stormtreader · 16/02/2016 09:56

Sweeteners are only addictive in the sense that sweet taste is nice, and we like to do things that are nice.
Ive drunk sugar free squash my whole life and none of my teeth have fallen out yet Grin

scarednoob · 16/02/2016 10:01

As an aside, once they are old enough, you could give them straws? To this day I use straws for pop and fruit juice; the dentist said it was most likely why I have no fillings despite a serious diet coke habit.

SirChenjin · 16/02/2016 10:07

We drink no added sugar stuff here. Most of the time we drink water, but if I'm occasionally going to drink squash or fizzy pop it's not going to be stuff that's laden with sugar.

If you don't like the taste of it then fine - but it's not bad for you at all.

Adeleslostbeehive · 16/02/2016 10:14

Actual juice isn't good for you and is terrible for your teeth. SF squash isn't good for you, but it doesn't ruin your teeth either

MadameDePompom · 16/02/2016 10:17

There was a programme on BBC recently that showed that aspartame and saccharin cause your blood sugar levels to rocket and may do more harm than actual sugar. They did say that Stevia didn't have such an effect.

So for that alone I'd avoid 'sugar free'.

Adeleslostbeehive · 16/02/2016 10:36

That's strange, a quick google shows sources like the Mayo clinic and web Md saying artificial sweetners can't raise your blood sugar.