Too Much Sweets Is Bad For Kids’ Learning And Intelligence, Experts Warn

Excessive sugar can have detrimental effects on children’s learning and intelligence—this is the reminder that Dr. Michelle Sy, a child neurology specialist shared during a Department of Health (DOH) media forum. Dr. Sy emphasized the crucial role of diet in shaping cognitive development, urging parents to be more vigilant in curbing sugar intake to prevent learning delays.

The message is clear: too much sugar spells trouble for young minds; therefore, parents should prioritize nutritious diets for their children. “Make sure to reduce sugar levels among infants and young children as it has been shown too much and prolonged intake of sugar affect learning ability and memory,” she said.

Furthermore, she noted that young children who consumed higher-quality diets tend to have better brain development as they grow older, compared to children who have unhealthy diets and consume sugary food.

Dr. Joey Cuayo-Estanislao, general pediatrician, child health specialist, and member of the Smart Parenting Board of Experts agreed with Dr. Sy’s call and further explained that she is referencing a 2021 study from the University of Georgia. The said study found that consuming too much sugar early in life impacted cognitive abilities, particularly those involved in memory and learning. The findings are related to the brain-gut connection, which is a new field of study in medicine, where what happens in the gut, particularly the gut microbiome of the microorganisms population in the gut, impacts functioning and pathways in the brain.

The same study also found that daily consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages during the adolescent years impairs performance on learning and memory tasks during adulthood.

Dr. Cuayo-Estanislao emphasized that this means: NO added sugars for children less than 2 years old, and LESS than 25 grams of sugar for children aged 2 years old and older.

How can parents limit their children’s sugar or sweets intake?

Dr. Cuayo-Estanislao recommends that parents should be conscious of the food that they feed their children and offers the following tips:

• Always check food labels, nutritional facts, and ingredients lists. Parents should look out for: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, and sucrose.
• Serve water or milk only to children.
• Opt for fresh food whenever possible, as processed food and drinks often contain a lot of sugar.
• Model healthy eating and avoid stocking food and drinks that kids should not consume at home.

At the same time, Dr. Sy highlights the importance of breastfeeding and nutritious food to reach maximum level of brain development. The reason being, “the human brain quickly develops at the age of two to three years,” including “language and cognitive function.”

More exercise, less sugar and screen time

Aside from limiting sugar intake, Dr. Sy also reminds parents that exercise is important for children’s brain development. And that parents should limit the screen time of young children.

The problem with screen time, according to Dr. Sy, is that the areas of the brain that need to develop are not used “because the images on the screen are changing so fast.”

Dr. Sy also reminds expectant mothers to avoid toxins and be cautious especially during the first few weeks of pregnancy, as any problems such as an infection during this time can cause developmental delays and intellectual disability.

Furthermore, she emphasized that early interventions and screenings are important to address intellectual disability, as well as DOH programs providing iron and iodine supplements.

Do you want to learn more about learning disabilities? Read our primer here.