Sugar free drinks

[muddlingthroughmotherhood]

I've nc as this will out me in rl as I've spiked to friends about this.

I've been concerned about my dd having juice everyday as she has to have a medicine which is a powder mixed with water but it tastes like salt water so when first prescribed the dr advised mixing 20-30 ml of pure juice with it, it can take my dd all morning to sip the drink (70ml in total). When at the GP for a check I mentioned how I give it to her and the gp was horrified about the juice everyday and the damage it will cause her teeth. Today at the dentist I asked and the dentist said to stop pure juice (even if watered down) straight away and use a sugar free squash.

I've never used sugar free squash as I'm weary of the artificial sweeteners being bad, I've just googled 'aspartame' and really don't want to give it to my dd.

Does anyone know of any squashes with minimal sweetener, or better sweeteners which haven't been linked to all kinds of health problems?

TIA

I bought some Sainsburys no added sugar cordial (no aspartame) and my dd drank a whole (very weak) beaker of it and then developed a tummy ache and temperature! I'm sure that it's just coincidence but it still makes me wonder

Thats exactly what happens with my own DD with all artificial sweeteners bar Xytol (which is made from tree bark & isn't so artificial) Shes 13 now & it actually affects her more, not less than it did when she was younger. So I would say trust your instincts

Oh no that's not good! Maybe she has a virus? If I were you I would stop the sainsburys sugar free squash until she is better and then try it again, that way you will know if it a virus or a reaction to the sweetners?

RockinHippy Wow, I've never heard of a reaction like that to sweeteners. You're poor dd must find it so frustrating to have to check everything! My dh said I was over thinking things by making the link to the cordial as kids drink much worse things and are fine.

She still has a temperature now but is thankfully fine in herself. My dr didn't help when he said to use sugar free juice and I explained that I'm concerned about the chemicals, he said that Movicol is full of chemicals and just because he prescribes it doesn't mean it's not full of all kinds of chemicals, that made me feel awful and want to do all I can to stop her from needing it but it also made me think that maybe I'm over worrying. MN is great as it's making me realise that maybe it's ok to overthink things

I'll stop the sugar free juice and see if it makes her better

The Waitrose no sugar alternative is much better. Just sucralose

That's the same sweetner as the sainsburys ones sucralose so the waitrose one would be the same

I also over think everything while my dds friends are busy drinking all kinds of drinks. Sometimes I think I worry too much but I just cannot help it!

Maybe just high juice squash and brush her teeth immediately after?

But sweeteners haven't been linked to all kinds of health problems. Not by any actual scientific evidence, despite years of research. They're very very safe. Aspartame is made up of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, both of which occur naturally in many foods we eat. They're no more 'chemicals' than water (H2O) or fructose (C6H12O6).

why do you think Diabetic sweets/squashes etc always come with a warning about eating/drinking in small amounts.

Because many of them contain sugar alcohols, which can act as a laxative in large amounts. Nothing to do with aspartame.

Could you use milk and Stevia?

What about something like cooled mint tea?

THISWEBSITE has a lot of useful info as regards B12 deficiency - there is a great facebook support group linked on the useful links page - "Pat Kormics" one

Delayed growth & weight gain is listed as a symptom in kids, but bare in mind that not all symptoms need to be present as it affects people in different ways.

There are things that deplete B12 further too, so symptoms can increase over time - this happened with DD & me to to a lesser extent. Looking back I can see a clear timeline of things that I now know deplete B12, such as nitrous oxide for tooth extraction, or certain antibiotics for chest infections, Ibuprofen use for multiple sprains etc etc, so with hindsight it now makes sense, but without learning about B12 deficiency, it was impossible to join the dots as it is so complicated

Wrong thread

I've given my DS his movicol in his milk. Worked well for us and sorted out his constipation. He never knew I'd added it.
Sometimes I'd mix it with some milk and then pour that over his cereal. Otherwise mix in milk and have as a drink.

But sweeteners haven't been linked to all kinds of health problems. Not by any actual scientific evidence, despite years of research. They're very very safe. Aspartame is made up of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, both of which occur naturally in many foods we eat. They're no more 'chemicals' than water (H2O) or fructose (C6H12O6).

I think artificial sweetenerers have definitely been linked to killing gut microbes, and definitely been linked to obesity and cravings.

I was totally the same as you and I still am.id rather give my kids weak Waitrose high juice, milk or water.

However, when Dad was 2, she was put on movicol for the following 8 yrs and she never knew she was having it. I used to give it with pure Apple juice, sometimes watered down, sometimes not.

As long as you make sure she swills her mouth out afterwards and watch her sugar intake elsewhere, I would carry on.

I am pretty sure I've recently read that movicol have now just brought out a flavoured ready made sachet that you just add water to.

If you do give her pure orange juice, make sure you swill her mouth with only water before she brushes....otherwise the acid is brushed into the teeth even more. Same after eating oranges.

They do a chocolate flavour - which is also awful. We have tried everything over the years (and I have sampled them all), DD can taste it in everything, as can I.

We have a fruit farm near us that presses apple and pear juice, tried that, squash, oat milk, soy milk, every other dairy alternative milk etc., etc..

It is still a battle at ten years old although DD is old enough to realise that she needs it so that helps.

Formaly I hope my dd isn't on it for as long as yours, that must be difficult.

Her temperature has gone and she's fighting fit again, I'm reluctant to experiment with the juice again as I don't want to risk the temperature incase it was linked to the sweetener.

I've actually put it in milk for the past few days and it's gone well but I also worked Thursday & Friday so my dm gave it to her and my dh took her to the park this morning and she had it then. When I'm around her if she so much as smells milk or hears the word milk then all she wants to do is breastfeed and I'm really trying to cut back on that to just night and morning. I'll put it in milk again this following week and see how we go. Thankfully the milk hasn't made her more constipated.

Thanks to the people suggesting swilling her mouth out after having it but unfortunately I don't think that'd work as she sips it throughout the day, she isn't a big drinker. Saying that, if I used high juice and she drank it like she did the sugar free cordial then it'd be gone in a minute. I think I've got more experimenting to do!

I think you're supposed to use it in a certain amount of time aren't you? Doesn't it turn to a gel consistency if not within an hr?

Great about her taking it in milk though.

The thing is about the sugar free squash is that it won't be forever and for now, the very small amount of aspartame is worth it if she becomes less constipated and no longer needs movicol.