Adding sugar to meals increases cardiovascular disease risk – Experts

On Sep 3, 2023

Food experts have advised Nigerians against putting an additional pinch of sugar in meals like beans and yam, as it can increase the risk of non-communicable diseases like diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.

Registered nutritionist, Mrs. Odunayo Babatunde, said excess sugar consumption or unnecessary addition of sugar to natural food items can lead to obesity, which is one of the predisposing factors to high blood pressure and hypertension and can put a strain on the liver.

According to her, foods should be cooked naturally and if need be, iodized salt should be added in the right quantity and not sugar.

“For an individual to be on a healthy BMI, there is a certain amount of calories that should be consumed on a daily basis, these calories are obtained from the food we consume daily.

Adding sugar to these natural foods will increase the calories of these foods and therefore, increase the total calories consumed. This will lead to weight gain and eventually, obesity.

“Obesity is the leading cause of several diseases such as high blood pressure, hypertension, atherosclerosis, knee pain, increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, among others. This practice can also lead to addiction, hypertension, atherosclerosis and stroke.

“Majority of our foods are naturally tasty and don’t require added sugar to taste well. It is, therefore, important that foods should be cooked naturally and if need be, add iodised salt in the right quantity.

“The taste buds get used to whatever it is trained with. Just like we train the taste buds of infants who are just getting to eat complementary foods, it is important that sugar lovers train their taste buds to accept the natural tastes of foods. This will not only help them in weight control but will also help them appreciate food more,” She added.

Also speaking, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Ede Ebele said significant weight gain might cause poor insulin sensitivity, which can raise blood sugar levels and increase the chance of one developing heart disease.

She added that excessive calories in the body increase the risk of diabetes, which in turn contributes to an increased risk of heart disease like high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, etc.

According to her, “These foods on their own are broken down into sugar, so adding extra white sugar is synonymous with increasing their calories. Now, if you eat too many calories than you burn, the calories are converted to fat and stored in your body.

“The danger is that the more fat you store, the more weight you gain and excessive weight gain can lead to poor insulin sensitivity that can result in an increase in blood sugar level and this can also increase your risk of heart disease.
“The dangerous side effects of sugar include cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, tooth decay, weight gain, obesity, fatty disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

“Sugar has empty calories i.e. a lot of calories with no nutrients. If taken excessively, the body would have excess calories with or no nutrients to thrive.

“These excess calories when not used, accumulate in the body and lead to weight gain, it can also lead to fatty liver disease. All these contribute to an increased risk of having diabetes which in turn contributes to an increased risk of having heart disease like high blood pressure, dyslipidemia etc.”

On how best to prevent excessive sugar consumption, the expert said “There is a need to keep track of the sugar you add to your meals. Learn to read food labels and recognize hidden sugars in the form of sweeteners, honey, fruit juice concentrates, and corn syrup, among others.

“Most problems arise from consuming too much of it. For an adult female, the recommendation is to consume not more than 25g (about six teaspoons) in a day, while for males 36g (about nine teaspoons) in a day. Eat a healthy balanced diet to reduce your cravings for sugar.”

Meanwhile, a study published in the journal, Circulation, in 2019, found that consuming high amounts of added sugars more than the recommended daily limit of 10 per cent of total calories was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.