Khaberni -A new study has shown that sweeteners found in foods and beverages can significantly increase the risk of early puberty in children. These findings could have far-reaching effects on dietary guidelines and child care.
Sweeteners are present in a wide range of everyday foods and drinks, including low-sugar soft drinks, flavored yogurts, sugar-free gum, protein bars, breakfast cereals, and even some children's medications.
The study was conducted by researchers from Wan Fang Hospital affiliated with Taipei City and Taipei Medical University in Taipei, Taiwan, and its results were presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Francisco, United States, held between July 12 and 15. Newsweek magazine reported on it.
The researchers analyzed data from more than 1,400 adolescents, 481 of whom were diagnosed with "central precocious puberty," and found a strong link between the consumption of sweeteners and central precocious puberty, a condition where puberty starts unusually early, typically before the age of eight in girls and nine in boys.
The prevalence of central precocious puberty is increasing around the world and can have lasting health consequences, including emotional challenges, shorter stature at maturity, and an increased risk of reproductive and metabolic disorders later in life.
Dr. Yang Qingqin, who holds a PhD in medicine from Wan Fang Hospital affiliated with Taipei City and Taipei Medical University, said: "This study is among the first to link modern dietary habits—specifically the consumption of sweeteners—with genetic factors and the development of early puberty in a large group of people in the real world."
