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Variety of foods - the key for child nutrition
September 2008
New research shows that most children have a diet that contains enough essential vitamins and minerals.
Analysis of the Government’s own survey of children’s diets and nutritional status has shown that the average child gets the recommended level of most vitamins and minerals, even though they consume more added sugars than recommended.
The study published online in the British Journal of Nutrition, looked at a nationally representative sample of children aged 4-18 years who took part in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey. It found that the average child consumed levels of vitamins and most minerals that met recommendations, and in many cases, comfortably exceeded them. These conclusions were based on records from 7-day weighed food diaries and were confirmed by biochemical measurements of blood samples.
"The children in this study were healthy British children", said Mrs Sigrid Gibson, lead author on the study. "Some children who are fussy eaters might get lesser amounts of nutrients from their limited range of food choices, and if they also eat a lot of added sugars they might be at risk". But she added, "the solution is to broaden their choice of foods – it does not appear that simply discouraging sugar consumption would have any real benefit".
Mrs Gibson is an independent nutrition consultant, with over 20 year’s experience of working with the government, food industry and agencies such as the Food Standards Agency. She is the author of over 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is a regular contributor to nutrition journals. "There is an over-emphasis on avoiding sugar at all costs rather than having a balanced diet", said Mrs Gibson. "Concerns that added sugars ‘dilute’ the diet and jeopardise essential nutrients are just not founded".
The School Food Trust works to improve the quality of school lunches by providing information on the Government’s food and nutrient standards. They recommend 10% of your energy intake should come from added sugars. The children in this study had on average 15% of their energy from added sugars and still had enough of most vitamins and minerals.
Ends
For further information on the study contact Mrs Sigrid Gibson, SiG-Nurture Ltd Independent Nutrition Consultants, Surrey, GU1 2TF, UK
sigrid@sig-nurture.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 838 018 Mob: +44 (0)7846 882 637
For further information please contact :-
Dr. Mary Harrington, Nutrition Communications Manager, The Sugar Bureau
mary@sugar-bureau.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7395 0381 Mob: +44 (0)78 7529 2999
Dr. Alison Boyd, Director, The Sugar Bureau
alison@sugar-bureau.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7379 6830
Reference
- Gibson S & Boyd A (2008) Associations between added sugars and micronutrient intakes and status: further analysis of data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Young People aged 4 to 18 years. British Journal of Nutrition, doi:10.1017/S0007114508981484, Published online by Cambridge University Press 08 Jul 2008
Notes for Editors
The Sugar Bureau is the trade association for the UK sugar industry and promotes knowledge and understanding of the role of sugar within a healthy balanced diet. This study is a new analysis of data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, looking at added sugars. This excluded sugars in fruit juices, which may skew the outcome since they are often high in certain vitamins such as vitamin C. All sugars occur naturally, and may be added to certain foods during manufacture.
Background information
The National Diet and Nutrition Survey was commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Health. Approx. 2,700 young people took part in the survey, which was carried out in 1997. The aim was to provide comprehensive cross-sectional information on the dietary habits and nutritional status of the population in Great Britain.
Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that are required by the body, in small quantities. They include minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamins such as vitamin D, C, E, and vitamin B.
Different sugars have different properties, but these properties are the same whether they are already present in food or have been added during preparation, cooking or at the table. Adding sugar to foods improves their taste and increases the range of foods that people will eat.
Further links
- Rennie KL and Livingstone MBE (2007) Associations between dietary added sugar intake and
micronutrient intake: a systematic review. British Journal of Nutrition, 97:832-841. - Gibson SA (2007) Dietary sugars and micronutrient adequacy: a systematic review of the evidence.
Nutrition Research Reviews, 20:121-131. - Gibson SA (1993) Consumption and sources of sugars in the diets of British schoolchildren: are high
sugar diets inferior? Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, 6:355-371.
