SYDNEY, Australia: Researchers from the University of Sydney have revealed that one in seven adolescents are drinking more than two cups of sugar-sweetened beverages a day. The results provide an overview of the negative impact sugar-laden drinks could have, with the participants with high daily consumption being two to three times more likely to have oral health problems than those who do not drink sugary beverages.
The researchers monitored the daily consumption of sugary drinks of 3,671 school students in year 6, 8 and 10. According to the results, energy drinks were the most popular sweetened beverages, with 20 per cent of adolescents consuming at least one cup a day.
Lead author and Senior Research Fellow Dr Louise Hardy said the study could add gravitas to the sugar tax debate, highlighting the significant and often overlooked impacts that sugar-sweetened beverages have on oral health. “Consuming two cups a day is roughly equal to 11 teaspoons of sugar, which is well in excess of the World Health Organizations’ guidelines for sugar intake, without even looking at food consumption,” said Hardy.
The study also reported associations between different types of sugar-sweetened beverages and oral health impacts, revealing that all beverages, with the exception of fruit juice, were associated with frequent tooth ache or food avoidance.
Hardy further stated that strategies must be implemented to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks, not only because of weight issues, but also because of oral health issues. “Bad teeth can have significant and lasting social and health impacts. It can cause considerable pain and suffering, and changing what people eat alters their speech and quality of life,” said Hardy.
In addition to the rate of consumption, it was also found that the odds of developing oral health problems were the highest among adolescents who drank diet soft drinks. The authors of the paper suggested that further research is required to explore whether this is due to its association with other eating behaviour in this sample group, for example the consumption of sucking confectionery, or an effect of artificial sweeteners.
The study, titled “Association between adolescents’ consumption of total and different types of sugar-sweetened beverages with oral health impacts and weight status” was published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health on 22 November.
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