Hidden Sugar in Indian Food:
Many people in India eat foods every day without knowing that these items contain hidden sugar. According to Dr. Saptarshi Bhattacharya, Senior Consultant and Endocrinologist at Apollo Hospitals, this hidden sugar may be the reason for sudden tiredness, weight gain and long-term health problems like diabetes.
When we think of sugar, we usually imagine sweets like gulab jamun, laddoo or jalebi. But sugar is not found only in desserts. Dr. Bhattacharya explains that many normal foods we eat for breakfast, snacks and dinner also contain extra sugar that we may not notice.
Tea with added sugar, flavored cornflakes and sweetened yogurt give us 3–5 teaspoons of sugar in the morning. Even simple dishes like idli or poha become unhealthy when eaten with packaged chutneys or ketchup because these items contain added sugar.
Biscuits, instant noodles, bakery buns and packed namkeen often contain refined sugar to make them tastier and last longer. Popular street foods like pani puri, samosa chole and chaat use sweet chutneys, which slowly increase our daily sugar intake.
Many popular dishes like butter chicken, paneer butter masala and korma include tomato ketchup, cream and sweet pastes. These ingredients add more sugar than we expect.
Soft drinks, bottled juices, milkshakes, energy drinks, flavored milk and packaged lassi can contain 5–8 teaspoons of sugar in one serving.
Eating too much hidden sugar makes the blood glucose rise and fall quickly. This creates tiredness, sugar cravings and weight gain. Over time, it can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, belly fat, heart problems and inflammation.
Read food labels carefully.
Choose homemade drinks like lemon water or coconut water.
Cook at home using fresh tomato puree and curd instead of ketchup or cream.
Combine rice or roti with vegetables and protein.
Enjoy sweets in small portions after meals, not on an empty stomach.
Dr. Bhattacharya says we do not need to stop eating Indian food. We only need to choose wisely and understand how sugar enters our plate.
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