DALLAS – September 22, 2016 – The best way for parents to reduce the amount of sugar their kids consume is to eliminate sugary drinks, which can include sodas, juices, energy drinks, and sports drinks, says UT Southwestern Medical Center nutritionist Dr. Jo Ann Carson.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently recommended that children between the ages of 2 and 18 consume no more than 25 grams of added sugar a day. “That’s the equivalent of just six of those white sugar packets,” says Dr. Carson, Professor of Clinical Nutrition with UT Southwestern School of Health Professions.

Children under 2 should have no added sugars, according to the AHA recommendations.

“Children who start consuming a lot of added sugar, particularly in beverages at an early age, are more likely to develop all the things that contribute to heart disease, such as high triglycerides, diabetes, and excess weight, all of which increase your chances of developing heart disease,” she says.

The average American child currently consumes about 80 grams of sugar a day, says Dr. Carson. A single 8-ounce glass of lemonade or a sports drink typically contains more than 20 grams of sugar, so switching children from sodas, juice drinks, and such to water and low-fat milk is a good start toward reducing added sugar consumption to recommended levels, she says.

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