BENGALURU: If you are familiar with Def Leppard’s ‘Pour some sugar on me’, do not take the advice literally. It is seldom that we count the calories when we open a packet of chips or have a bottle of aerated drinks. However, such indifference can prove to be costly and even life-threatening. Health experts are alarmed as India has the largest consumer of sugar worldwide. Further, the consumption of sugar is much higher in urban areas as compared to rural areas.
Dr Navin Machado, a family physician, said “People are not aware of how much sugar they consume. Carbonated drinks and tetra packs are the biggest culprits. In the summer, consumption of confectionary and sweet drinks go up to deal with the heat. One misconception people hold is that increasing sugar intake directly causes diabetes. However, diabetes can be caused by obesity which is in turn caused by excessive consumption of processed foods without adequate exercise.”
The average amount of sugar that should be consumed by women is 6 teaspoons a day and men 9 teaspoons. But by merely drinking a can of aerated drink, you have consumed 13 teaspoons of it.
Most Indians are born with a sweet tooth and are also inclined to put on weight quickly. So if sugar consumption isn’t monitored carefully, one is heading for major trouble. Even the lassi has excess amounts of sugar (around 6 tbsps), although it is a healthier option than the aerated drink.
Dr Shalini Machado, a dentist, said “Nowadays, we see cases of nursing bottle caries in kids as young as three as they are being fed sweetened milk and mothers don’t clean their gums. One of the main reasons for caries is the increase in consuming sweets and not brushing at night. Moreover, carbonated drinks are not only loaded with sugar but they also corrode teeth.” On being asked why people are unaware of their sugar intake, she says, “The media advertises chocolates and sweets, so no one is made to see the harmful side of it. Further, sufferers of excessive sugar intake get a wake up call only when they visit doctors.”
Who knew that American corn was more sweet and less nutritive as compared to our tough, Indian corn? Dr Atraeyee Niharchandra, a nutritionist, reveals surprising items on the food list that have lots of sugar. “The main villain is undoubtedly cool drinks. Dry fruit based ice creams are more harmful than normal ice creams as dry fruits already have saturated fats in them. Nowadays, I am wary about recommending fruits to my patients as the watermelons and papayas are too sweet to be true. One needs to approach the rising GMO culture in India with a pinch of salt. Not many people are also aware that compound chocolates like Cadbury bars have less sugar than toffees.”
Consumers were quizzed on whether they count the teaspoons before indulging in sinful delights. Megha M, a college student, says, “I don’t keep a track of how much sugar there is in ice creams and chocolates because I really like sweets and when I give in to my guilty pleasure, I go all out!" Rita Gupta, a 54-year-old teacher says, “I’m a sweet person. Blame it on my Bengali genes. When I am at a party, I ditch the starters and main course and fill my stomach with desserts.”
Top Culprits that Cause Sugar Overdose
Aerated drinks
A can of coke contains 39 grams of sugar
Tetra packs
300 ml contains up to 8 teaspoons of sugar
Chocolate- one bar (52.7g)
6.75 teaspoons of sugar
Ice cream
(1 scoop) - 3 teaspoons of sugar
Desi villains in your sweet romance
Indian confectioneries like the forbidden fruit are sweet, but deadly. Here’s a look at top sweetmeats that are goaded with sugar.
Jalebis
One jalebi has 123 calories, and we all know that no one can stop with just one!
Gaajar ka Halwa contains a minimum of 10-12 tablespoons.
Badusha
the first three letters of this syrupy sweet depict how ‘bad’ it actually is – a whopping 178 calories!
Mysore Pak
47 grams of this sweet is ‘pak’ked with195 calories and is made with 2 cups of sugar.
Besan ladoos
12 servings of ladoos contain 200 calories.