With a concern of excess sugar and childhood obesity, is there a brand of organic baby formula that does not have sugar?
There are many foods that are naturally sweet. At the same time, there are foods that are produced with added sweetness to make it more palatable. Baby formula, whether it is regular or organic, contains sugar as one of its simple starches. Since it is easier for babies to digest, you will find it in your baby formula.
Why Should You Know About Sugar In Your Baby Formula?
While you cannot avoid a sweetener in your baby's formula, you can educate yourself to understand the types of sugars that are found in your choices of baby formula. Not only can you know what the ingredient is, then you can also learn how sweet it is. Some sugars have a higher glycemic index than others, which can affect blood sugar levels. Foods with a lower glycemic index, about 55 or less, digests slowly, which means that your baby will feel fuller longer.
When you look at the list of ingredients in your baby formula, keep in mind that some products use more than one type of sugar or sweetener in their product. It may be that it still has the required proportion, but it may also have a type of sweetener that you do not want in your child's primary source of nutrition.
The sweeter the foods, the more difficult it will be to guide your child to healthy foods that are high in nutrients. Excess sugar can lead to tooth decay in children and can be the start to diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.
What Kind of Sugars Are Used in Baby Formula?
Lactose
Lactose is the natural sugar that is found in breast milk. Not only is it natural, but it has a low glycemic index (45). It is also easy to digest, which is important to your infant's immature digestive system. Some parents may be concerned about lactose intolerance, especially if they themselves are lactose intolerant. However it is rare for a baby to have to deal with an allergic reaction to lactose. One organic baby formula that uses lactose as a sweetener is Hipp Formula. Bioland Lebenswert also uses lactose in its organic baby formula.
Maltodextrin
Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate that is used as a sweetener as well as a thickening agent. It generally comes from corn, but it is not the same as other sweeteners such as corn syrup and corn syrup solids. It has a higher glycemic index than lactose (100), but it does not taste as sweet as corn syrup. Holle Goat Milk uses maltodextrin and lactose in its Goat Milk organic formula and maltodextrin in its Holle Stage 1 formula.
Corn Syrup and Corn Syrup Solids
One of the benefits of maltodextrin and corn syrup is that it is lactose-free. Not only are they sourced from the same product, but they also have a similar glycemic index. However, corn syrup and corn syrup solids are both sweeter in taste than maltodextrin. Some of the regular baby formula manufacturers choose them because they are cheaper forms of sugar than lactose. The sweeter flavor appeals to those who need to use hydrolyzed baby formula. The proteins in this product are broken down even further than traditional baby formula and tends to smell and taste different, if not worse.
Sucrose
If you see sucrose in a baby formula product, keep in mind that it is essentially table sugar. It is a combination of glucose and fructose. Even though it has a glycemic index of 65, it is one of the sweetest of any sweeteners used in baby formula. This ingredient is banned in all baby formula from the European Union.
Is There Any Organic Baby Formula Without Sugar?
A type of sweetener is needed in baby formula to create a taste that your baby will love but also to provide them with a digestible carbohydrate they can tolerate. There can be some baby formula products on the shelves in stores that contain a small amount of sugar such as sucrose. If the question is “Is there an organic baby formula without sugar”, the answer can be yes. Organic baby formula such as the products found on MyOrganicFormula will never contain sucrose. Not only is the level of sweetness too high for your little one, but it does not serve a nutritional purpose. Natural sweeteners such as lactose and maltodextrin are the preferred sweeteners for these products.
