Catherine Saxelby's Foodwatch | Q. Does salt or sugar damage a baby's liver?

Q. Does salt or sugar damage a baby's liver?

 

The question in full:

Q. I have read that you shouldn’t feed babies foods with salt or sugar as it damages their livers. My son is now 17 months old – is it safe for him to have them now?

A.  As far as we know, there is no evidence that sugar or salt damages a child’s liver (too much salt throughout a lifetime has been linked to high blood pressure but not to liver problems. Similarly too much sugar can cause tooth decay and add kilojoules with no nutrition but not affect the liver).  Having said that, dietary guidelines recommend we all eat less added sugar and salt, so limiting their use in the diets of our children will help lay the foundations of good eating habits in the future.

Babies are born with much more sensitive taste buds than adults so they really can taste the natural flavours of food. There is no need to sweeten or salt dishes for children.

 

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