The Implication of Sugar

To eat healthily we should eat more fruit and vegetables, eat more
fibre, cut down on fat, cut down on sugar, and cut down on salt intake.

The
best way to get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that we need
is to eat a wide variety of foods. No one food can provide us with all
we need.

To
make sure your diet is as healthy as possible you should look at your
fibre, fruit and vegetable, fat, sugar and salt intakes.

Some
foods should only be eaten occasionally. These 'extra foods' (sometimes
called junk food) are foods like potato chips, chocolate, cakes,
lollies, soft drinks and some takeaway food like hamburgers and
hotdogs.

These foods are usually low in nutrients and high in salt, sugar or fat. They are 'extras' to be enjoyed occasionally.

If
these foods regularly replace more nutritious and healthy foods in your
diet, you are likely to become overweight and may develop vitamin and
mineral deficiencies and other health problems.

You
can have 'extra foods' occasionally. We all enjoy a 'treat' now and
then and it's okay to have some of these foods now and then as an
extra. How often you have them depends on your weight, age and how
active you are. But you should keep to small amounts.

If
you are overweight and want to lose weight, you should limit these
'extra' foods to no more than every second day – and then only if you
have a nutritious and balanced diet and you are physically active.

If
you are active and not overweight, you could probably have one or two
'extra foods' a day – as long as you've had your daily requirements of
meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables and cereals.

Convenience
foods usually contain high amounts of salt. The body needs some salt.
However, too much salt in the diet has been associated with an
increased risk of high blood pressure, which is a known risk factor for
heart disease and stroke.

A
maximum salt intake of no more than 5g of salt per day is recommended
for adults with normal blood pressure. Many Malaysians consume double
this amount each day.

Less
than 20 per cent of our salt intake comes from salt we add to our food.
Cutting back on takeaway foods will help reduce your salt intake.

It is estimated that our current intake of salt is about 12 times greater than the amount our bodies need.

As
much as 75 per cent of salt in our diet comes from processed foods, 15
per cent from salt added during cooking or at the table, and 10 per
cent occurs naturally in foods.

Reducing
our intake of salt from 9 gm a day to 6 gm a day (which is still much
more than the body needs) can reduce the number of people dying from
strokes by 22 per cent and those dying from heart attacks by 16 per
cent.

Halt! Cut down on your salt

Sodium
plays a vital role in the body’s fluid balance, as well as being
involved in muscle and nerve activity. However, almost all of us
consume far more than we need and this can lead to long-term health
problems.

Our
current intake is about 9 gm a day and latest guidelines suggest that
we should reduce this by one-third, to a maximum of 6 gm, although our
bodies actually need far less.

High
salt intake is almost certainly a major factor in the development of
high blood pressure. One in five people suffer from high blood
pressure, which significantly increases the risk of both stroke and
heart attack, the most common causes of deaths in the new millennium.

Several
studies from all over the world have shown that reducing salt intake
can produce a fall in blood pressure and it is estimated that this
could prevent more than 34,000 deaths a year in UK alone. Recent
studies also suggest that high intakes of salt can cause leaching of
calcium from the bones and may increase the risk of osteoporosis
(brittle bones). High salt intake can also aggravate asthma and cause
water retention.

Tips to reduce salt intake

Use
less salt in cooking and at the table. If you gradually reduce the
amount, after about four weeks you will actually prefer less salty
foods.

Use herbs, spices and other flavourings such as lemon juice garlic and mustard instead.

Check food labels and use fewer processed foods and ready-made meals. Try to make foods such as soups and sauces yourself.

Foods
like soft drinks, cordials, biscuits, cakes and lollies have high sugar
content. Although sugar has not been directly linked to developing
heart disease or diabetes, there is evidence that a high sugar intake
may contribute to the development of overweight and obesity.

In
Malaysia, soft drinks have become among the most popular beverages.
Their consumption has increased by 30 per cent in 10 years. Ten years
ago soft drinks were available in 375ml cans. Now they are commonly
sold in 600ml bottles, which provide at least 12–15 teaspoons of sugar.

Studies
suggest an association between increasing consumption of
sugar-sweetened drinks and the development of childhood obesity. That's
why eating foods and drinks with high sugar content should be limited.

High sugar intakes have been associated with:

• Tooth decay
• Decreased levels of good cholesterol
• Increased levels of blood fat associated with diabetes and heart disease
• Childhood obesity.
• Suppressed immune system.
• Upseting the body's mineral balance.
• Kidney damage.
• The risk of coronary heart disease.

One of sugar's major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system. This is not something you want to take place if you want to avoid disease.

An
influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body's blood-sugar
balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to keep
blood-sugar at a constant and safe level.

Insulin
also promotes the storage of fat, so that when you eat sweets high in
sugar, you're making way for rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, both of which have been linked to cardiovascular disease.

Complex carbohydrates tend to be absorbed more slowly, lessening the impact on blood-sugar levels.

Moderation is the key

'Extra
foods' may have higher levels of fat, salt and sugar, but they still
contain nutrients and can be considered as a small part of a healthy
diet.

A
general rule of thumb is to eat fresh, healthy foods about 90 per cent
of the time, and indulge in the extra foods no more than 10 per cent of
the time.

Fast
foods, takeaway, lollies and chips are typically high in fat, salt or
sugar. They should be considered as extras to your usual diet.

Spend
your money wisely. Choose the healthy option when eating out or having
snack foods. 'Extra' foods can be enjoyed occasionally as part of a
healthy diet.