Handing out chocolates and other sweets as a reward, bribe or even a method of conveying love is something that will need to change if you value good health. This practice nurtures a preference for sweets, and now it is troubling human health and ‘sweet-tooth’ is considered unhealthy.
The World Health Organisation has recommended that the consumption of sugar must be reduced to half of what it is now. According to health experts, a person’s daily sugar intake must stay at below 10% of the total calorie intake in a day. The suggested limit applies to all sugars added to food like in syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates and also the sugar naturally present in foods like honey, milk, fruits etc.
For a normal adult, standard sugar consumption should be around 50 grams per day which means that simple sugars in our foods like fresh fruits, vegetables and milk account for the designated intake. So added sugars present in manufactured foods and drinks must be drastically reduced.
Experts opine that it would be ideal to make sweets a once-in-a-week affair not only for adults but for children too.
The calories in sugar are called “empty calories” as they provide few or no nutrients. Diets with a lot of empty calories in them become nutritionally inadequate.
For example, if an individual eats half his daily calorie requirement in the form of high-sugar foods, the intake of other foods is reduced and so are essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins and minerals. As you eat sugar the body craves for more of it and when you give in to the craving you increase the intake of empty calories.
K. Sunitha Premalatha, chief dietician at Yashoda Hospital, explains, “Sugar is widely used as a sweetener, preservative and bulking agent. With tastes changing from traditional foods to processed foods, the consumption of sugar has shot up. Lifestyles are changing due to social as well as peer pressure and unhealthy food choices like ice-creams, ready-to-drink beverages, fruit juices and fruit concentrates have transitioned from once-in-a while treats to becoming regular food requirements.”
That’s why both children and adults must reduce the intake of sugar-rich foods as they cause more harm than good to our bodies.
The biggest challenge faced in cutting down of sugar is the improper food combinations that have become the norm nowadays.
The practice of combining meals with high-sugar desserts like ice-creams and sweets is unhealthy. Dr Ravindra Nallagonda, consultant critical care, Aware Global Hospitals, explains, “People drink sweet beverages between meals. Some have the habit of starting meals with sweets and also ending it with sweets. These food habits spoil the digestive system and also end up loading the body with too many calories. In these cases, even if the rest of the food contains essential nutrients, the total nutrient intake is reduced and the result is malnourishment. This is an ironic situation where calorie-rich meals do not provide adequate nourishment. Hence it is important to change unhealthy eating habits. Natural sugars in fruits and vegetables are sufficient for the body.”
He signs off saying “Obesity, diabetes, heart diseases and dental decay are caused due to excessive intake of sugar. The need to create awareness about less sugar consumption is as important as spreading awareness about tobacco addiction because sugar consumption can cause innumerable health issues.”
Indeed, to lead a healthy life, we need to work towards reducing our sugar intake. Hence, move over chocolates and try some fruits.
