Do you let your children have artificial sweeteners?

[SilkLabrador]

Do you let your children have artificial sweeteners? Since the sugar tax was introduced it's hard to find awash without them so we have cordial or diluted fruit juice.

I'm by no way strict about what they eat but for some reason I struggle to allow them drinks with artificial sweeteners.

Am I basing this on fact or am I just being silly?

I hate sweeteners, the taste is disgusting and I also don’t really trust that they’re not harmful.
I try to limit DD’s sweetener intake but as you say, most squash is full of it and now if you ever want a fizzy drink they’ve taken the choice away now, especially in theme parks

Yes.

No kids but I avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague

Not for any particular health reasons just cos they all taste completely vile. I cannot fathom how people can drink then, we cannot be tasting the same thing

Sweeteners are harmless - there's no evidence to suggest they cause cancer or diabetes.

That said, the jury is still out on whether they play a small role in appetite stimulation, so in children who are overweight it makes sense to limit them to mealtimes only.

To those of you who think that sweeteners are harmful - can I ask why/what harm you suspect?

To those of you who think that sweeteners are harmful - can I ask why/what harm you suspect?

Obesity. I think they make you crave food more than you normally would.

I give mine full sugar drinks. They have a balanced diet so there’s no need for artificial sweeteners or diet drinks.

A quick pubmed search for "artificial sweeteners".

Here's a quote from the abstract of the first hit, literature review.
Pearlman et al 2017

"Although artificial sweeteners were developed as a sugar substitute to help reduce insulin resistance and obesity, data in both animal models and humans suggest that the effects of artificial sweeteners may contribute to metabolic syndrome and the obesity epidemic. Artificial sweeteners appear to change the host microbiome, lead to decreased satiety, and alter glucose homeostasis, and are associated with increased caloric consumption and weight gain. Artificial sweeteners are marketed as a healthy alternative to sugar and as a tool for weight loss. Data however suggests that the intended effects do not correlate with what is seen in clinical practice."

Obviously best to read more research in order to make your mind up.

Mine only drink water. Fruit juice as a treat if we are out (which I also water down).

I don't stop artificial sweeteners per se, I just don't see the need for fizzy drinks or squash. I don't actively check the ingredients but we tend to eat 'whole foods' no packets or jars anyway (nothing against them I've just never used them). Anything like yogurts or stuff that might have it in the kids eat infrequently enough for me not to care.

I minimise, but not prohibit artificial sweetners.

They taste gross, then there's a cloying sweetness hours afterwards.
They give me thumping headaches.
I'm a healthy weight. The DCs are just on the healthy range above underweight so none of us need to scrimp on a few calories.

The DCs mainly drink water but we also have squash such as Rocks in the house. If we're out then I will let them have fizzy drinks as it's a small contribution to their diet. If they're somewhere like Cubs, it's usually well watered down.

I don't buy any diet products (and resent the stealth dietisation of drinks due to the sugar tax). If I need to manage my weight I reassess my habits and portion size, not swap to more synthetic versions.

YANBU. My baby only drinks water, when he's one he can drink milk too but I won't give him squash or cordial. It has absolutely no nutritional benefit (unless you have a child who literally won't drink anything else - but most kids won't know what they're missing if they never have it and will happily drink water if that's all they've ever known) and it can lead to all kinds of bad habits and poor health outcomes.

I'm not at all strict about food, he has sugar occasionally etc, but I just think squash is a pointlessly bad thing that kids don't need!

I’ve a ten year old who didn’t have squash with artificial sweeteners in for a long time - it’s probably only the past couple of years that she’s been drinking squash regularly. I had a bad reaction to sweeteners in medicine so I’ve been cautious. Plus I’m diabetic so try and avoid them myself.

No, but that's less down to being some kind of super parent and more because they just don't like sweet drinks. I buy them, but they don't want them.

@MrsColon

To those of you who think that sweeteners are harmful - can I ask why/what harm you suspect?

I don't buy into the poison debate but I do think they are overly sweet and lead to a false sense of security around calories consumed so avoid them for that reason.

With my dc I'm not fanatical about it but I would rather they didn't have aspartame etc.

I think my position is that I know sugar can be enjoyed responsibly - not too much and with attention to oral hygiene. Artificial sweeteners are a bit of an unknown.

No, and we don't have them either. There's no need.

If I have anything with aspartame I get palpitations and migraines. Other sweeteners trigger my IBS.

I'll stick to full sugar drinks. Waitrose pink grapefruit squash has no sweeteners and is really nice.

We don’t have them , I’ve heard they’re bad for heathy gut bacteria and don’t see any good coming from having them.

We drink water or tea or hot choc mostly, but I’ve been diluting fruit juice while pregnant too which I prefer to neat fruit juice

Yes. I don't let them have full sugar Coke and pop but they have had diet versions that they don't have very often. They drink no added sugar squash.

I have an about to be 7 year old and he has squash or juice at parties, or if at a meal out or at friends where it’s offered. I would never jump in and say he wasn’t allowed it, but when I can control it to some extent without him noticing, then it’ll always be tap water.

The only artificial sweeteners DD (3) has are they ones that, I assume, are in her multi vitamin gummy that she had every day.

Drinks wise, she only has milk, water, diluted fruit juice and occasionally a shared hot chocolate (if the cafe doesn't do babycinno).

@MrsColon

Sweeteners are harmless - there's no evidence to suggest they cause cancer or diabetes.

That said, the jury is still out on whether they play a small role in appetite stimulation, so in children who are overweight it makes sense to limit them to mealtimes only.

They are not “harmless”. Just because they may not cause some illnesses does not mean they’re safe. They’re highly processed chemicals and can cause a whole host of issues

@ConstanceGracy which issues? Care to share any studies?

I avoid sweeteners and prefer the kids to not have them, but their grandparents seem obsessed with them drinking juice for some unknown reason. I don’t mind them having it occasionally (parties etc) but at home it’s water or milk!