Chennai: Cambridge University researchers may have painted a grim picture in finding a link, albeit weak, between type 2 diabetes and people who drink fruit juices or “diet” drinks containing artificial sweeteners.
Though such a possible connection has not been established in the Indian context where people love to consume sweets and prefer colas or soft drinks, one should be choosier about food and drinks to keep one away from falling into the vortex of diabetes mellitus.
The findings may be scary to Indians who are sweet lovers. Opting for buttermilk and fresh tender coconut milk rather than guzzling soft drinks or sugared fresh fruit juices will keep one health, say city doctors.
“We need to have a genetic tendency to become diabetic. Also, if either one of the parent with a strong history of diabetes and if the waistline is above 90 cm in men and 80 cm in women, leading a sedentary and stressful life, could be the trigger factors for diabetes mellitus,” says Dr Vijay Viswanathan, Head & Chief Diabetologist M V Hospital for Diabetes, reacting to the Cambridge varsity’s study.
Having a cola does not matter so long as one is not leading a sedentary life or not obese, he said.
“Instead of cola or soft drinks, opt for buttermilk and tender coconut milk. One should go back to the traditional Indian cuisine which is wholesome and safe,” argues Dr G. Vijaya Kumar, Senior Diabatologist, Apollo Hospitals.
Questioning the rationale of drinking ‘fresh’ fruit juices with spoonful of sugar added to it, he advises having the fruit instead of fruit juice. “Taking fruit juice is consuming the fruit minus the fibre. Any sweetened drink will cause blood sugar level to raise,” he said adding that the Cambridge research may not be comprehensive as one has to take about 200 to 500 persons both diabetic and non-diabetic to infer the damage caused by increased consumption of sweetened beverages.
“The Cambridge University’s findings are only a retrospective study and not final,” Dr Vijaya Kumar said.
“Also, having about six cups of coffee or tea with sugar will not lead to diabetes provided the four trigger factors are absent. Stress, more than anything else could cause diabetes as it affects the metabolism. One should learn to draw a lakshman rekha to keep away stress and not allow it to antagonise us,” said Dr Viswanathan.
Sugar-sweetened drinks such as colas and lemonades may play a part in the alarming rise of type 2 diabetes in the UK and the U.S., according to the varsity’s research – regardless of whether people are obese or not. It wanted these time bombs to be eliminated from the food plate.
Fruits that can be taken without any fear
One can have all fruits available as per the season and those having diabetic should be moderate in consuming mangoes (ripe), jack fruit or sapota. There is no restriction on eating raw mangoes, said Dr Vijaya Kumar. “One can have apple or mosambi juice without sugar,” he said.
