Guinot-Barona Clara, Tumino Giorgia, Ibor-Miguel Marta, Borrell-García Carla, Aura-Tormos Juan-Ignacio, García-Miralles Esther, Marqués-Martínez Laura
Dentistry Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir, 46001 Valencia, Spain.
Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
Nutrients. 2025 Aug 22;17(17):2717. doi: 10.3390/nu17172717.
Breakfast habits in Mediterranean countries often include processed products with hidden sugars, which may compromise children's oral and general health.
This study assessed the sugar content of breakfast foods commonly consumed by children using °Brix refractometry and examined its implications for dental caries and obesity.
Forty-nine breakfast food samples (processed products, homemade alternatives, and fresh fruits) were analysed using a digital °Brix refractometer to quantify soluble sugar concentrations. Comparative statistical analyses were performed to evaluate differences among food categories.
Processed foods consistently exhibited significantly higher °Brix values (mean ± SD: 14.1 ± 4.9), reflecting greater levels of extrinsic sugars, compared with homemade preparations (10.9 ± 1.1) and fresh fruits (10.7 ± 5.2) ( < 0.01). Processed items contained on average 25% more sugar than the other categories. Fresh fruits and homemade options demonstrated moderate °Brix levels, with no added sugars, whereas processed products-despite some being marketed as "no added sugars"-frequently contained substantial sugar content.
The findings highlight the urgent need for educational strategies and clearer labelling to reduce sugar intake during childhood breakfasts. Promoting natural and homemade alternatives could be a key preventive approach to lowering the risk of dental caries, obesity, and other diet-related conditions.
地中海国家的早餐习惯通常包括含有隐藏糖分的加工食品，这可能会损害儿童的口腔和总体健康。
本研究使用波美度折射仪评估儿童常用早餐食品的含糖量，并研究其对龋齿和肥胖的影响。
使用数字波美度折射仪分析49份早餐食品样本（加工食品、自制食品和新鲜水果），以量化可溶性糖浓度。进行比较统计分析以评估食品类别之间的差异。
与自制食品（10.9±1.1）和新鲜水果（10.7±5.2）相比，加工食品的波美度值始终显著更高（平均值±标准差：14.1±4.9），这反映出其外在糖含量更高（<0.01）。加工食品的含糖量平均比其他类别多25%。新鲜水果和自制食品的波美度水平适中，且未添加糖，而加工食品——尽管有些被宣传为“无添加糖”——通常含有大量糖分。
研究结果凸显了制定教育策略和更清晰标签以减少儿童早餐期间糖摄入量的迫切需求。推广天然和自制食品可能是降低龋齿、肥胖及其他与饮食相关疾病风险的关键预防措施。
