Repercussions of consuming sugary foods in the first five years of life: a review

Abstract

Introduction: Excessive consumption of sugary foods in the first 5 years of life is a concern when monitoring eating difficulties during childhood, as it can have serious short- and long-term consequences on nutritional status. Introducing adequate nutrition, even in childhood, is extremely important for growth and the development of healthy habits. Objective: To analyze the profile of consumption of sugary foods in the first 5 years of life and its impacts on childhood. Methods: This is an integrative literature review, using bibliographic research in the PubMed (Public Medicine), BVS (Virtual Health Library) and Scielo (Scientific Electronic Library Online) databases. Original articles between the years 2005 and 2023, in English and Portuguese, were included. Thirteen articles were selected and, after filtering, for reading and analysis in full. Results: The studies showed that the foods most consumed by the child population are milk, sugar, fat and rice. However, factors such as culture, income and access to food influence this consumption. A point of concern is the early introduction of non-breast milk, sweets and ultra-processed foods, especially among children under two years of age. Conclusion: The early introduction of liquid foods such as cow's milk, honey, sugar and sweets, in the first five years of life may be associated with a reduction in antioxidants, increased oxidative stress, in addition to contributing to the emergence of allergies and food intolerances, intestinal diseases and childhood obesity, increasing the risk of chronic diseases in the long term.