The bitter truth about effects of sugar on children in Goa

There is an increasing epidemic of “older-people” illnesses among our children in Goa. More young people are being diagnosed with autoimmune issues, PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiac disease, cancer, etc.

Research shows that a change in diet in the modern context, apart from a genetic predisposition, can put your child at risk.

If the Covid pandemic taught us anything, it is that the Indian diet is woefully lacking in terms of . Or rather, our diet has not evolved with diminished manual labour and a more sedentary lifestyle.

Instead, we have increased our sugar and carbohydrate consumption. The number of deaths that occurred as well as the many people still suffering from what is called long Covid is evidence enough that something is awry.

Advertising plays dirty, using every trick in the book to lure the impressionable.

and teenagers, especially, partake of foods loaded with sugar. Goan supermarkets are replete with sugary beverages and snacks, calling the names of our children. Advertising plays dirty, using every trick in the book to lure the impressionable.

Often parents are not aware of what their children are consuming while away from home. In other cases, the parents themselves give the same to their children, not realising the long-term effects of their actions.

The American Heart Association recommends that children consume less than 25 g of sugar per day. Now 250 ml of Coca Cola has about 27 g of sugar, 1 cup of “healthy” juice has about 21 g of sugar and a milkshake has about 40 g. These are just a few examples of what our children are consuming.

Fruit may have the tag of “healthy”, but at the end of the day, fructose is still a sugar and one that the liver metabolises quickly.

In fact, Penn Medicine News reports that studies show if you consume too much fructose, the liver converts it into fat through lipogenesis and this could eventually lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

In fact, Penn Medicine News reports that studies show if you consume too much fructose, the liver converts it into fat through lipogenesis and this could eventually lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver .

Refined carbohydrates such as white rice, white flour, pastry, etc, in excess have essentially the same effect as sugars since they are broken down into glucose as well. While the same thing happens to complex carbohydrates that have not been stripped of nutrients, they take longer to break down, so the release of sugar is more gradual.

The more sugar your children consume, the more they have inflammation in their bodies. What does inflammation do? It triggers the immune system to act in all sorts of ways to save you.

Sometimes your immune system, due to a genetic mutation or a susceptibility, may go into overdrive, acutely or chronically. Both situations will kill you, one faster than the other.

A reduction in dementia, autism and ADHD symptoms has been noted with an elimination or decrease in sugar intake.

There is plenty of research that points to low carbohydrate diets and sugar-free diets bringing dramatic alleviation of inflammatory symptoms such as joint pain, acne (Yes, acne. Try going sugar-free for a month and see what it does for your complexion.), fatigue, water retention and so on.

Inflammation also affects your brain and you can end up with a variety of cognitive issues. A reduction in dementia, autism and ADHD symptoms has been noted with an elimination or decrease in sugar intake. You know that what they say about sugar having your kids bounce off the walls – there is some truth to that.

Too much sugar can disturb your gut microbiome exacerbating other symptoms, and sometimes the issues start at this point.

Do not be fooled by anything that says sugar free. Sugar substitutes have their own issues, for example, maltitol (sometimes listed as sorbitol or xylitol), a sugar alcohol,  can have a laxative effect if too much is consumed. It is still a carbohydrate even though it has fewer calories than table sugar.

Aspartame has been listed as a possible carcinogenic, and if your food label mentions dextrose or maltodextrin, do not assume your blood sugar will not spike.

Sugars and sugar substitutes have a similar addictive effect on the brain because they trigger the release of the feel-good hormone serotonin. Therefore, limiting sugars, including palm jaggery and honey, is your best bet to better health, particularly for our young people in Goa.