On the background of significant rise in the number of people living with obesity and diabetes worldwide over last few decades, unhealthy lifestyle can be considered the root cause. Lack of physical exercise, sedentary jobs, extensive working hours, easy and prompt availability of variety of food items due to digitalization and long shelf lives of processed food, fast food are preferred over traditional food by most of the population. Along with the refined carbohydrates used for preparing such fast food recipes, people are also getting exposed to high amount of sugars used in such preparations.
Recently, a study published in BMC Medicine, which involved 1,10,000 participants from UK, aged 37 to 73 years, was studied over a period of 9 years. Their diet pattern was studied in detail, to assess the quantity and composition of the carbohydrates, to check how much of it is coming from wholegrain starch, refined starch, free sugars and non-free sugars.
The results of the study showed that high free sugar intake was associated with higher risk of stroke and heart disease.
“Free sugar is any sugar added to the food or sugar present in honey, fruit juice or syrup. Whereas, non-free sugar is one present in natural food such as in fruits, vegetables, starch in grains, roots and lactose in dairy products etc. In this study, the major sources of free sugars were sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs)(11%) and fruit juices(15%),” says Dr Sonali Kagne, Deputy Consultant, Department of Endocrinology, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai
The results suggested that each 5% increase in the share of a person’s total energy intake that comes from free sugars was associated with a 6% higher risk of heart disease and a 10% higher risk of stroke. Free sugar intake is also shown to increase the triglyceride levels in blood (one component of lipids).
It supports the recommendation to consume less than 5% of total energy from free sugars.
“On the other hand, the study reinforced the finding that high intake of dietary fibres in the form of fruits, vegetables and salads, replacing at least 5% of free sugars with non-free sugars as well as replacing refined starch with wholegrain starch may protect us from the risk of such events,” adds Kagne.
The time has come that we be more vigilant about what we are putting in our tummies. Let’s be more proactive to protect our own hearts and brains by wisely choosing our food. A small resolution of limiting the quantity and the frequency of the so called fast, processed and preserved food and beverages can make a huge difference in our own health.
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