Health campaign group Action on Sugar (AoS) has called for the ban on the sale of energy and sports drinks to youngsters after its research found that some of these products had up to 20 teaspoons of sugar.
The research found the amount of sugar some of these products had was more than three times that an adult should ideally consume in a day.
Action on Sugar analysed about 197 products. It found that almost eight out of ten of the drinks mostly sold at supermarkets would qualify to receive a red label for containing high sugar levels.
The research said that such products were duping children into believing that these would boost their performance. However, the drinks were only making children addicted to caffeine.
AoS also warned that such addiction could shoot up obesity in children, reported The Guardian.
AoS analysed energy drinks being sold at Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, The Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Ocado, Boots, and Holland and Barrett.
AoS nutritionist Kawther Hashem as saying: "The levels of sugar in a typical can is disgraceful. Free sugars increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and dental caries and we need to protect children and teenagers from drinking these products."
Image: AoS analysed 197 products being sold mainly at supermarkets. Photo: courtesy of Suat Eman/freedigitalphotos.net.