Amidst Es Teh Indonesia Controversy In Sending Legal Notice To Customer, This Is The Risk Of Excessive Sugar Consumption

ILLUSTRATION/UNSPLASH/Mathilde Langevin

JAKARTA - Excessive sugar intake in children from sugary foods and drinks can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, said a pediatrician who graduated from Sebelas Maret State University, Dr. Noor Anggrainy Retnowati, Sp,A.

Metabolic syndrome which is a health disorder that can simultaneously increase the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart attacks.

"Excessive sugar intake increases the risk of metabolic syndrome such as overweight, over nutrition, bad cholesterol levels, and type two diabetes," said the doctor, who is familiarly called Anggra, as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, September 27.

The member of the Indonesian Doctors Association explained that parents must remember that there are many types of sugar that must be known so that their intake can be controlled. In addition to granulated sugar, there is also fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose aka wheat sugar, raw sugar or raw crystal sugar to sucrose.

The American Academy of Pediatrics regulates sugar intake for children per day is limited to a maximum of six teaspoons or approximately 24 grams. Adding sugar to the food and drinks of children under the age of two is not recommended to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome when children grow up.

Natural sugars are also contained in fruit which is part of the daily diet. Therefore, parents should also pay attention to the matter of providing fruit intake for children so that their child's sugar consumption does not exceed the limit.

Anggra explained that AAP does not recommend giving fruit in the form of juice to children under a year old.

"Children under a year are better given directly, such as grated or bitten if the fruit is soft."

Purely made fruit juices without added sweeteners may be given to children aged 1-3 years with a limit of less than 100 ml per day, while children aged 4-6 years may drink fruit juices as much as 110-150 ml per day, and children above two years can drink fruit juice up to 200 ml per day.

In Indonesia, the recommended daily limit for sugar intake is stated in the Regulation of the Minister of Health Number 30 of 2013 where the maximum sugar consumption for adults is 50 grams per day to avoid the risk of hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and heart attack.