Children's favorite "Hex" beverages can easily lead to precocious puberty? Pay attention to these points when choosing children's food

Recently, the topic of "Hex drinks increase the risk of early puberty in children" has attracted public attention. Hex drinks generally refer to those drinks that contain a large amount of food additives, pigments, sweeteners and other ingredients. These drinks may have bright colors and tempting tastes, which are very attractive to children. However, the nutritional value of these drinks is relatively low, and long-term intake may have adverse effects on children's health.

Studies have shown that the phenomenon of precocious puberty in children is closely related to their daily diet. Additives and pigments in Hex drinks may have a negative impact on children's nervous and immune systems, and synthetic additives may interfere with children's hormone balance and affect normal growth and development. In addition, some pigments may contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, posing a potential threat to children's health.

Shanghai has launched the first beverage "nutritional choice" classification label"

Image source: CCTV News screenshot

According to the data from the China Health Promotion and Education Association, about 530,000 children in China have precocious puberty in recent years, a sharp increase compared with previous data. Child nutritionists pointed out that the current phenomenon of precocious puberty in children is closely related to the daily diet structure. The additives and pigments in Hex drinks may have a negative impact on children's nervous and immune systems, and artificially synthesized additives may interfere with children's hormone balance and affect normal growth and development.

Experts remind parents that when choosing drinks for their children or guiding their children to choose drinks, they should give priority to health factors. For example, juice-related drinks often add sugar, sweeteners, flavors, etc. to ensure sweetness and taste. Parents should pay special attention to the ingredient list and choose 100% pure juice without additives.

In general, child food safety requires joint efforts from all parties. In terms of family, parents are the first line of protection for their children, and it is crucial for them to understand the relevant knowledge of child food safety. Hospitals, schools, communities, etc. can conduct phased online and offline science popularization courses for new mothers from pregnancy to birth, so that families with children have more channels to learn about food safety knowledge.

Given the current discussion on the possible link between food additives and precocious puberty in children, how can the potential effects of food additives on children's endocrine systems be assessed?

Association between food additives and risk of precocious puberty in children

The use of food additives is very common in the modern food industry. They are added to food to improve appearance, taste, shelf life and other characteristics. However, regarding the association between food additives and the risk of precocious puberty in children, there is currently no clear scientific research evidence to show that food additives directly cause precocious puberty in children.

Precocious puberty refers to the premature development of secondary sexual characteristics in children. The occurrence of precocious puberty is related to endocrine system disorders, and diet is an important part of children's growth and development, so eating habits may be related to precocious puberty.

Some studies have shown that a high-energy-density diet may be associated with early puberty in children, because when children consume too much high-sugar, high-fat, and high-salt food, it may lead to abnormally high hormone levels, thereby promoting early development of gonads. In addition, hormones in food may also have adverse effects on children's sexual development, such as hormone-containing livestock and poultry products, infant formula milk powder, etc. The hormones in these foods may interfere with the balance of hormones in children's bodies, leading to early puberty.

Environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) are a class of chemicals that may bind to hypothalamic neurons to increase the synthesis and secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), or bind to and activate estrogen receptors (ERs), producing effects similar to estrogen, which may promote the occurrence of precocious puberty in children.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that food additives are usually added to food in small amounts, so their impact on children's growth and development may be minimal. In contrast, factors such as the nutritional composition of the food itself, the child's overall diet structure and the necessary nutrient intake may have a greater impact on the risk of precocious puberty in children.

In order to ensure the healthy growth of children, parents are advised to pay attention to the nutritional content of food when choosing food for their children, limit the intake of high-energy-density foods, avoid eating foods containing hormones, and encourage children to eat more vegetables and fruits to obtain sufficient dietary fiber. At the same time, it is also necessary to ensure that children get necessary nutrients, such as zinc, copper and manganese, which are trace elements that play an important role in sexual development.

In existing scientific research, what types of food additives are considered to be factors that may affect the process of precocious puberty in children, and how can we reduce children's exposure to these additives in daily life?

Types of food additives that may affect children's precocious puberty

In existing scientific research, although there is no direct evidence that food additives can cause precocious puberty in children, some types of food additives are considered to be potentially harmful to children's health. For example, phthalates are a commonly used plasticizer that is also used as packaging materials for certain foods. They may enter the human body through the food chain and have a certain impact on precocious puberty in children. In addition, some studies have mentioned that environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) may be related to precocious puberty in children, and such substances may be present in certain food additives.

In order to reduce children's exposure to these possible risk factors, parents can take measures in their daily lives, such as choosing organic foods, checking food labels, making homemade foods, reducing processed foods, eating a healthy diet, avoiding high-hormone foods, using the correct method of making soups, avoiding tonic foods, using oral nutritional solutions reasonably, and carrying out education and publicity.

When parents choose food for their children, they should pay more attention to the nutritional content and safety of the food, rather than worrying too much about food additives. At the same time, a reasonable diet and lifestyle can help children grow up healthily and avoid the risk of precocious puberty.