The Tribune

By Dr Andre Clarke

Children usually prefer to eat “fun foods” that are often times not healthy for them. Candies and chocolates are two of the more obvious fun foods, but cereals may also be considered as such. It depends on the ingredients in the brands of cereal being considered. High fructose corn syrup, refined sugars and added sugars are almost always present in fun foods.

Another not so good “fun food” ingredient is partially hydrogenated oil. When this is consumed in large quantities, separately or in combination with high fructose corn syrup and refined sugars, it is generally considered harmful to children’s health. It is also considered harmful to the health of adults. Collectively and individually, the immediately aforementioned are and is thought, to negatively affect the body’s general physical health, along with the mouth’s health.

The mouth’s health is negatively affected by the above mentioned, by their effect of deteriorating the physical overall health and in addition; by the effect of excess sugars on the teeth.

Scientists generally accept that excess sugars on the teeth, for extended periods of time, predispose to the formation of cavities. However, scientists do not all agree on the effects of excess sugars on the general health. Of noteworthy significance, a large number of them believe that obesity, cancers, diabetes and heart disease can be caused by excess sugars. Their opinion should not be taken likely.

Overall good nutrition can aid in the prevention of disease and it can promote good health.

It is commonly accepted that there are six categories of nutrients that the body need to acquire from food: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fibres, water, vitamins and minerals.

Over-consumption of sugars can lead to the reduction in the consumption of the important food categories, which will cause a reduction in general health.

Foods high in sugars are usually very tasty, but low in nutritional value and are not filling, so the tendency is to eat more and more of them. Therefore, special care must be observed when eating fun foods.

Note must be taken about the serving size of cereals, the sugar content of cereals, and the ingredients and fibre content of cereals. It is time to accept that our body acts as a unit and everything we put in it, affects all of it. The effect will be direct or indirect, but inescapable.

• 1 cup of Cheerios has one gramme of sugar

• ¾ cup of Granola Cereal has ten grammes of sugar

• 1 cup of Froot Loops has 12 grammes of sugar

• ¾ cup of bran cereal has 18 grammes of sugar

• 1 cup of Apple Jacks has 16 grammes of sugar.

The aforementioned brands have large quantities of sugars per serving size, and consumption of them must be monitored to prevent overconsumption. This type of excess sugar content is not unique to just these cereals. Other culprits include Post Golden Crisp and Wheaties Fuel; both of them contain more sugar than a Twinkie. Another culprit worthy of mention is Honey Nut Cheerios, which has more sugar than a serving of Chips Ahoy.

A healthy diet with all the food groups will give us a measure of “prevention” from general body and mouth illness, and, therefore, we will need less of a “cure”. The old adage, “prevention is better than cure” will forever resonate. Do not fall victim to fun foods.

• This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended and may not be treated as, a substitute for professional medical/dental advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or dental professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical/dental condition. Never disregard professional medical/dental advice or delay in seeking it because of a purely informational publication.”

Copyright © 2015 by Dr. Andre R. Clarke. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this article, in whole or in part, is prohibited without written permission. If you have questions, please send email to dr_andreclarke@hotmail.com