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Beware of diet food too!

Diabetologists warn against new factors that could be damaging to bulging waistlines, writes S. AISHWARYA

Photo: M. Moorthy

Conscious Have a controlled diet to prevent complications

“Cast out fat-rich foods and switch over to healthy lifestyle” — you heard this before, umpteen times. First it was butter and creams that were perceived as the culprits. Then focus shifted to oil, fried and all junk food. Now carbohydrates too are said to be contributing to the ugly expansion of the waistline.

From time to time, all these fattening items have filled up glossy sheets of health magazines exhorting all to be cautious of what they eat, the diet regime of those really struggling to contain the bulging waistline has been rather flippant. If they quite literally starve with a glass of buttermilk one day, they hog greasy ‘parathas’ the next day.

Medicos have been warning us to clean up our food habits to prevent complications. But then the more we hear, more we seem to binge on junk foods.

Shockingly high cholesterol levels and lifestyle-related diseases are too common and teens and kids too are under the grip.

“Kids actually fall in the most dangerous age-group,” declares M. Chenniappan, Chairman of ‘KMC Heartcity.’ “Their growth and nutrition becomes the deciding factor of their life-long health. But constant nibbling of junk food pushes them into high-risk zone pretty early.”

Teens, on the other hand, are ready to try just about any new diet that promises dramatic results. “I have seen people who drink a glass of carrot juice and sit back waiting to glow gorgeously. When the pace of results doesn’t match their expectations, they switch to packed foods,” says V. Vairashree, a dietician.

Few calorie-counting teenagers and health freaks take to short-lived resolutions to resist the gastronomic temptations and stick to high-fibre diet. In all probability they would go for a chic can of salad and whole beans that promises a whole lot of fibre to stay in shape. But then there could be a catch.

Some products may worsen the case and cause skin-related complications. The chemical preservatives added to these otherwise healthy foods are high in salt content and photosensitivity.

“The chemicals attract UV rays. The skin becomes more prone to sunburns and tanning,” warns M. Balasubramanian, a dermatologist.

While not all additives contain such chemicals, many come with cheap preservatives that take a toll on skin health.

The glistening bars of chocolates, packets of crispy chips and chic tetra packs of fruit juices swim in a cocktail of chemicals, enough to disrupt the smoothness of skin texture.

“Any endocrine damage is sure to reflect on the skin. As packed foods are low in fibre and high in calories, the toxins find an outlet through the skin in the form of acne and pimples,” Dr. Balasubramanian observes.

Even vegetables lose their vital minerals a few hours after being chopped.

Preserved vegetable mixtures and fruit juices lose nutrients rather quickly.

“The nutritive values that come in bold fonts on the cans are intact only at the time of packing. A day or two is enough to trigger chemical reactions with preservatives to burn the minerals. Most packed juices become mere sugar syrups,” points out Ms. Vairashree.

Even dietary salads can turn harmful in the long run by the deteriorative effects of oxygen. The ‘nature-identical’ preservatives are sure to react with oxygen to form free radicals.

“Free radicals are the gateway to diseases. The number multiplies when it gets into the body and increases the risk factors of heart attack,” Dr. Chenniappan warns.

The risk factors do not end with free radicals. The high amount of salt content in packed food shoots up blood pressure. The sugar and cheese content in chips and chocolates spring up the glucose level in the body and touch the threshold of diabetes.

When you pick up a pack of French fries next, simply recall what most diabetologists say: “Fried foods are rich in trans-fat, which is responsible in increasing the abdominal girth. Burning those deposits, in most cases, is next to impossible,” says M. Shunmugavelu, the Chairman of Trichy Diabetes Speciality Centre.

The trick is to ‘nibble minimal at regular intervals,’ suggests V. Ravindranath, a diabetologist. “When we skip a meal, we tend to eat more in next course. This could shoot up the glucose level and affect the inner functioning. We call it end-organ damage,” he explains.

The end-organ damage is the corridor to diabetes and capable enough to cause an irreversible damage to peripheral nerves. Simply put, the probability of cataract, heart arrest and kidney becomes very high.

Bland binge might be a favourite quick fix for appetite or depression, but a glass of buttermilk or a slice of apple would be a lot more appealing to your insides than to the mouth.

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