Angela Onwuzoo A Registered Dietician-Nutritionist at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nwabumma Asouzu, says feeding children with foods and drinks laden with artificial sweeteners could hinder their growth and development. Asouzu urged parents to avoid feeding their children, especially those under five years with such foods and drinks, warning that they also affect their mental development. Speaking during an interview with PUNCH HealthWise, the dietician stated that since most artificial sweeteners do not come from natural products and the human body cannot metabolize them, a child may develop several symptoms when taking these sweeteners over some time.
“You know that all these things are being processed by the liver and their liver is still at the growing and maturing age. So, artificial sweeteners affect their growth and hinder many things in their body. “So, their system is not yet ready to handle some of the synthetic things coming in.
By the time all these detoxifications are taking place in the liver, they become a burden to the liver and in the long run, they might have an organ failure. So, children may have an organ failure by consuming artificial sweeteners”, she explained. The growth of such children, the dietician noted might be retarded and would not grow to their full potential.
Asouzu noted, “Also, studies have shown that weight loss which is the major reason why sweeteners are preferred to sugar is not.
