We are now commencing a new series on ‘œFoods to be avoided by Diabetes Patients’. White flour, sugar, tea, coffee, meat, meat products and excess salt promote diabetes and aggravate the condition further if disease has already developed.
Let us now learn pros and cons of consuming White Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners.
WHITE SUGAR
- Diabetes is common in persons who eat too much sugar.
- Increase in consumption of white sugar has led to an alarming increase in diabetic cases.
- When sugar is refined due to heat, life sustaining vitamins and minerals are destroyed and only sugar crystals are left behind.
- White sugar is difficult to digest, irritates stomach, robs the body of vitamins, leads to digestive disorders, increases need for insulin and promotes development of diabetes.
- It is also associated with obesity, which is a contributory factor for diabetes.
- Diabetic patients should keep an eye on total carbohydrate intake rather than only on amount of sugar they consume.
- Diabetics can eat sugar, but in moderation. Moderate amount is safe and it should be in substitution of other carbohydrates.
ARE ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS SAFE?
- A wide variety of artificial sweeteners are available that are far less harmful than sugar.
- Saccharine and aspartame are non-nutritive sweeteners, which diabetics can use except during pregnancy.
- Artificial-sweeteners in beverages having meager amount of calories can be taken safely.
- But the problem is that many sugar free products are rich in saturated fats and cholesterol.
- Diabetic biscuits, chocolates, candies, other goodies that are available may contain no sugar but their calorific values maybe high due to presence of other ingredients and affect blood sugar level. Therefore diabetics should be more careful and keep an account of the calories they consume.
- Processed, semi-processed and ready to eat foods usually have direct sugars added to them and should be avoided.
- Dextrose, maltose, fructose, corn sugar, granulated sugar, sucrose, lactose, brown sugar and high fructose corn syrup are different terms of direct sugar that are mentioned on food labels and should be avoided.
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