Water and Milk: Best for Kids’ Teeth

A new study, sponsored by Robert Woods Johnson through Healthy Drinks, Healthy Kids is reinforcing previous data gathered on beverages that provide the most benefit, no benefit do the most harm during your child’s developmental years. The findings indicate that milk and water are your child’s best bets for avoiding tooth decay and obesity.

While soda is commonly recognized as one of the worse beverages for children, the study sharpened emphasis on the negative affects juice can have on children in their developmental years. Scientists recommend replacing juice intake with actual fruit consumption. Make sure to read juice labels, should you choose to provide it to your child. Some juices are filled with sugars, while others can contain 100 percent juice and low sugar with no sugar replacement. At Medplex, we recommend only serving your child 100 percent juice if needed.

The data also highlighted that formula marketed for toddlers isn’t usually necessary and there is no data to support that lower calorie or sugar alternative beverages for children provide any greater benefit than beverages including sugar.
Additional findings include:

12 to 24 months: Children should drink one to four cups of water daily, and they can start drinking plain pasteurized whole milk. They should have no more than four ounces of 100 percent fruit juice per day; the juice may be watered down. Parents should avoid other drinks (flavored milk, transition formulas, caffeinated drinks, plant-based and nondairy milks, sugar-sweetened beverages and low-calorie sweetened beverages).

2 to 3 years old: Toddlers should drink one to four cups of water daily and transition to fat-free or low-fat (1 percent fat) milk. They should drink no more than four ounces of 100 percent juice and should not be given other drinks.

4 to 5 years old: These toddlers should drink 1.5 to five cups of water a day, skim or low-fat milk, and no more than four to six ounces of 100 percent fruit juice. They should not be given other drinks.

Read more @ https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/18/health/children-nutrition-juice.html
Learn more @ https://healthydrinkshealthykids.org/parents/
Medplex Pediatric Dentistry serves as a top rated pediatric dentist for Alabaster, Birmingham, Hoover, Helena, and Pelham, AL.

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