No benefit: why children are not recommended to drink carbonated drinks

Children really like sweet carbonated drinks - bottles with bright sweet contents attract children's attention and make them want to try the drink. But is it worth introducing soda into the children's menu?

“It is not recommended to give carbonated drinks to children at an early age. From the age of 5, children can drink them, but no more than a glass a day, and preferably no more than one or two times a week. There are no particular health benefits in carbonated drinks,” says the expert Arimed online medical consultation service Ekaterina Kurbatova. Integrative nutritionist Anastasia Kostomakha shares this point of view: “For health, a child under 3 years of age should only know water, fruit drinks and compotes without sugar. Tea (both black and green), cocoa can be used after 3 years of age due to the strong "tonic and stimulating effect for the child. Very often, the manufacturer adds caffeine to carbonated drinks, which overstimulates the child's delicate nervous system, keep this in mind before purchasing."

Tasty, but harmful

What is the danger of sweet carbonated water for a child’s body? Acids and huge amounts of sugar deal a crushing blow to the still fragile health of a little person, causing problems with the gastrointestinal tract, teeth, bones and joints. Ekaterina Kurbatova explains:

1. These drinks contain large amounts of sugar, which can put stress on the immature pancreas and cause disruption to the functioning of this organ. Taking large amounts of sugar in the long term threatens the development of obesity and destruction of tooth enamel.

2. Contain phosphoric acid salts, which can lead to increased bone fragility and increase the risk of injury.

3. Contain carbonic acid, which can cause belching, bloating, and pain. When belching, stomach contents can flow back into the esophagus, which is manifested by heartburn, and inflammation develops in the esophagus - esophagitis. Instead of carbonated drinks, it is better to give children natural juices, mineral water, fruit drinks, tea, which are safer and healthier for a growing body.

Anastasia Kostomakha adds a few more points to the list of harmful properties of soda:

“Carbonated drinks are produced on the basis of carbon dioxide, a component that interferes with the absorption of calcium. For older people, this is a direct path to osteoporosis, and for a growing body, with large volumes of carbonated drinks, there is a danger of growth retardation and bone fragility. Stabilizers and sweeteners used in production are converted "in our body into carcinogenic formaldehydes (cause cancer). And the dyes used in sodas overload the immature liver quite heavily."

Experts say that from a medical point of view, there is no benefit to carbonated drinks. Parents should not perceive soda as a full-fledged drink - it is a delicacy that you can occasionally pamper your child with, but the constant presence of soda on the menu is not recommended by doctors and experts in the field of baby nutrition. By the way, it is better to drink carbonated drinks through a cocktail straw to reduce the destructive effects of sweet fizzy drinks on tooth enamel.