The latest statistics available in Singapore according to Straits Times dated 24-2-2012 indicated that 1 in 3 Singaporeans will develop diabetic condition by the time they reach 69.
“It is no longer a question of ‘if I will get diabetes’ but ‘when I will get diabetics.” This is a sharp rise from 11.3% of people aged 18-69 in 2010 already living with this condition. Majority of those aged 70 and above have to face this disease together with a host of other health complications.
Where is sugar derived from?
Through photosynthesis plants produce glucose and converts it for storage in the cells as an energy reserve in the form of carbohydrates such as starch or sucrose (table sugar) as in cane and beet.
Sugar is commonly known to be a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, classified as sucrose, lactose (milk), and fructose (fruits), characterized by a sweet flavor. Other free sugars used in industrial food preparation are usually known by more specific name like glucose, malthose and high fructose corn syrup.
Carbonated drinks have a 20% higher sugar content than non-carbonated drinks. A can of soft drinks typically contains about 6-8 teaspoons of sugar, close to an adult’s recommended limit on added sugar for a day.
Choose your diet wisely ….
+ Fruits may appear harmless, but still contain frutose (fruit sugar). Diabetic patients have to be careful….
+ Vegetables are the safest bets….
+ Sauces are low in sugar but high in sodium…
+ Meals can be healthy if you choose those with high fiber content….
+ No-no to all those sweet desserts….
Health concerns
35 years ago the average Americans got 10.6% of their sugar from food consumed or 21.4 teaspoons of sugar daily. The recent study showed this figure has increased to 16% for most people.
This leads to an urgent call lately by The United Nations Health Chief to the world leaders to act together against the tobacco and fast-food industries responsible for promoting such sinful indulgences. The warning is that if corrective actions are not taken now, the health costs arising from chronic health illnesses like cancer, diabetes, heart and lung disease will balloon to US$47 trillion over the next 20 years. Already they account for 2/3 of deaths worldwide and can set all economies back with debilitating effect that even the wealthiest nation is unable to cope then.
Who most at risk?
+ The ‘silent sugar’ hidden in a variety of foods found in our daily life makes us less conscious of the amount we take each time. Is alarming to see over 40 million preschool children and more than half of the urban population in the more affluent societies being obese or overweight. Kids with sweet tooth are most affected, and thus facing epidemic risk and obesity starts at an early life. Mexico has one of the highest rate for diabetes as kids are offered virtual free cola drink in their learning centres.
+ Earlier studies by experts at St Georges University London had earlier proven a link between teenage consumption of sugary products and impulses towards fatty and salty foods. They found that the stomach’s gut lining absorbed these food types rapidly and activated the brains pleasure centre quickly. This strong intensity may bear profound bodily withdrawal symptoms if any attempt is made to curtail the urge. Tantrums, restlessness, sweats and distracted attention are some noticeable behaviours.
+ Increased sugar craving creates a less efficient metabolism process, resulting in higher retained fat and increased weight (obesity). A drastic change to a gene adaption process causes muscles to target sugar for energy creation, and alters the metabolic pathway resulting in rises in blood sugar levels. This may trigger the potential onset of Diabetes Type 2.
+ Type 2 diabetic patients are less likely to perceive sweet tastes and end up taking too much sugar unknowingly. As a result, obesity aggravates the diabetic condition and gives rise to other chronic diseases. A word of caution here, eating other simple carbohydrates of starch-based nature like baked potatoes and bread can also cause a spike in blood sugar as they are quickly absorbed and converted into glucose in the body.
+ Heart patients beware. An American study of 42,000 men who were tracked over 20 years showed that men who drank a standard 12 oz can of sugar sweetened drink daily had a 20% higher risk of heart disease compared to men who did not take such drink. Further studies pointed to increasing amounts of sugar intake contributing to lower good or HDL cholesterol and higher triglyceride level, often associated with coronary heart disease. This can be explained by the process whereby once simple carbohydrate is broken down, it produces acetate, which is the forerunner of cholesterol. The Eskimos and Jews have traditional diets high in fats but lower in sugar and do not have much cardiac problems. However, when the Jews moved over to Israel and adopted the high-sugar diet, the incidence of heart disease increases.
Other minor problems
+ A recent research done found that those who drank soft drinks daily stand a higher chance of developing kidney stones, compared to those who drank once a week. Other drinks, such as tea, coffee, wine, beer and orange juice are tied to lower risks of kidney stones. The prime suspect is sugar which could be involved in how the body handles calcium or obesity associated to higher kidney stone risk.
+ Yeasts, including candida, feed on sugar. If the body’s pH balance is upset for any reason, the friendly bacteria eg. lactobacillia that normally metabolise sugars cannot thrive and do their job properly. Some women complain of yeast infection when using oral contraceptives or during pregnancy, but the actual reason may be due to an increase of sugar intake during this period.
+ There is an association between the amount and frequency of free sugars intake and dental caries while other sugars (complex carbohydrate) consumption is normally associated with a lower rate of dental caries. This is due to the citric acid present in all these drinks whichincreases the risk of tooth erosion by 250% and that cola drinks are 10 times as corrosive as fruit juice in their first 3 minutes of teeth contact.
How about other substitutes?
One example is ASPARTAME commonly found in artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet, Equal, and Spoonful. It is being marketed worldwide and is found in all diet soft drinks such as Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi.
Risks involved:
+ It is not really a diet product at all. The urge to take carbohydrates results in weight gain.
+ Being a toxic chemical that changes the dopamine level in the brain to cause severe seizures, especially deadly for Parkinson’s disease patients. Other nervous disorders include lupus and Multiple Sclerosis. In extreme cases, it leads to coma and death.
+ Research done on animals showed low-level ingestion of aspartame could lead to formaldehyde accumulation in the various parts of the body, including the liver and brain. Similiarly chronic, low-level formaldehyde exposure in humans has been linked with a variety of health issues, including headaches, fatigue, chest tightness, nausea, lack of concentration, seizures and behavioral impairment.
+ While long-term studies of the effects of aspartame have yet to be performed on humans, one recent study published on research done with aspartame fed to rats from the age of eight weeks till they died. Even those alive were found to be at significantly increased risk of several forms of cancer, including lymphoma and leukemia. Bearing in mind that the levels of aspartame intake were lower than the official upper limit for safe human consumption.
+ Warning that taking aspartame can cause birth defects, i.e. mental retardation, if taken at the time of conception and during early pregnancy. Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders and should NEVER be given artificial sweeteners.
More comments
The root of all the health problems lies in education and discipline of choice. The declining mental, emotional and physical health in society of a wider cross section of the population can be attributed to the poor choice of foods and beverages. So put in conscious effort to reduce sugar intake as it offers no nutritional value except calories and those extras are converted into fats if not burned off. Products laden with sugar include energy drinks, desserts and candy. Instead, go for substitutes like honey, raw sugar, maple syrup and molasses.
Eating plain yogurt that contains live yogurt cultures helps in restoring the normal balance of flora in the intestinal tract and vagina. Taking a supplemental acidophilus is even more effective given the higher number of active bacteria present. This is especially important for patients on long term antibiotics or chemotherapy treatment.
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