HEALTH ADVICE. FREE SUGARS. THE LESS, THE BETTER

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that less than 10% of an adults’ daily calorific intake should be made up of free sugars. It would be even better if free sugars made up less than 10% of their calorific intake.

This would be the equivalent of 50 grms or 10 tablespoons of sugar for an adult with the calorific intake of approximately 2,000 calories per day. It is recommended that people ingest half of this amount per day or even less.

WHAT ARE FREE SUGARS?

According to the World Health Organisation, free sugars include the monosaccharides and disaccharides (table sugar and fructose) that are added to foods and drinks by manufacturers, cooks or consumers. Free sugars are also considered to be those present in honey, syrups, juices and fruit concentrates. Free sugars are not those present in whole fruit, vegetables and milk.

CONSEQUENCES OF EXCEEDING THE DAILY INTAKE OF FREE SUGARS

• Weight gain and in turn there is a higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease
• Rise of tooth decay
• Higher strain on the pancreas leading to the exhaustion of the organ, a lower production of insulin and the emergence of diabetes

HIDDEN FREE SUGARS

These types of sugars are named as such because we are unable to see them and  in turn, are not conscious that we are ingesting them. These sugars can be generally found in industrially prepared foods. However, we will be able to know the levels of sugars that are present within these types of foods in countries were it is mandatory for foods to have a nutritional label.

EXAMPLES OF THESE FOODS

• Certain types of breakfast cereals
• Tomato sauces such as ketchup, mayonnaise, etc.
• Certain types of cold meats
• White and packaged breads such as sandwiches
• Packaged natural juices where additional sugars have been added
• Low fat or fat free foods that have hidden free sugars within them to give them more flavour, etc.

Sometimes these types of sugars can be found under other names within nutritional labels such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, dextrose, corn syrup, cane sugar, etc.

FOODS RICH IN ADDED SUGARS

The taste of these foods lets us know that free sugars have been added.

These types of foods include:

• Milk chocolate or those low in cocoa
• Sachets of cocoa powder with added sugar
• Boxes of chocolates
• Ice cream
• Marmalades
• Syrups
• Cookies or biscuits
• Sweets
• Candy
• Industrial pastries
• All types of drinks where sugar is added i.e. energy drinks or soft drinks
• Etc.

In conclusion, free sugars do not benefit us in any way and we only obtain ‘empty calories’ from them. We do not need free sugars because any sugars needed by our body to maintain energy levels can be obtained from whole fruits, complex carbohydrates (whole grains, rice, legumes, pasta), vegetables and nuts.

In summary, it is essential that we have a varied and healthy diet.

CONSEJOS DE SALUD. AZÚCARES LIBRES. CUANTOS MENOS MEJOR

La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) recomienda no tomar más del 10% de nuestra ingesta calórica diaria en forma de azúcares libres. Y si se tomaran menos del 5%, mucho mejor. Estas equivalencias en una persona adulta que consuma unas 2,000 calorías diarias seria de aproximadamente unos 50 gr o unas diez cucharadas soperas de azúcar. Lo más recomendable seria tomar la mitad de esta cantidad, o incluso menos.

¿QUÉ SON LOS AZÚCARES LIBRES?

Según la OMS, los azúcares libres incluyen a los monosacáridos y disacáridos (azúcar de mesa y fructosa entre otros) añadidos a los alimentos y bebidas por fabricantes, cocineros o consumidores. También se consideran azúcares libres a los  naturalmente presentes en la miel, jarabes, zumos y concentrados de frutas. No son azúcares libres los presentes en la fruta entera, vegetales y leche.

CONSECUENCIAS DEL EXCESO DE INGESTA DE AZÚCARES LIBRES

• Aumento de peso y por lo tanto mayor riesgo de diabetes y enfermedades cardiovasculares
• Aumento de la caries dental
• Aumento del trabajo al que se somete el páncreas, produciéndose el agotamiento del órgano, la menor producción de insulina, y la aparición de diabetes

AZÚCARES LIBRES OCULTOS

Llamamos azúcares libres ocultos a los que no vemos ni identificamos y que por lo tanto no somos conscientes de que los tomamos. Estos azúcares se encuentran generalmente en los alimentos preparados industrialmente. Sin embargo, en los países donde es obligatorio que los productos alimentarios lleven una etiqueta nutricional, podremos saber la cantidad de azúcares que están presentes en ellos.

EJEMPLOS DE ESTOS ALIMENTOS

• Algunos tipos de cereales de desayuno
• Salsas de tomate tipo ketchup, mayonesas, etc.
• Algunos embutidos y fiambres
• Panes blancos y envasados tipo sándwich
• Zumos naturales comerciales a los que además se les ha añadido azúcar  
• Alimentos bajos en grasa o light que tienen azúcares ocultos para darles más sabor, etc.

A veces en la información nutricional los podemos encontrar con otros nombres, como glucosa, fructosa, sacarosa, maltosa, dextrosa, jarabe de maíz, azúcar de caña, etc.

ALIMENTOS RICOS EN AZÚCAR AÑADIDO

Son alimentos que por su sabor sabemos ya que se les han añadido azúcares libres.

Entre estos tomamos como ejemplo:

• Chocolates con leche o bajos en cacao
• Sobres de cacao en polvo con azúcar añadido
• Bombones
• Helados de crema
• Mermeladas
• Siropes
• Galletas dulces
• Caramelos
• Golosinas
• Bollería industrial o no industrial
• Todo tipo de bebidas a las que se le añade azúcar ej. Bebidas energizantes o refrescos de cualquier tipo
• Etc.

Al final de todo, los azúcares libres no nos benefician en nada. Solo obtenemos de ellos lo que se llaman ‘Calorías vacías’. No necesitamos azúcares libres porque los  azúcares que necesitamos para mantener nuestra energía los podemos obtener de las frutas enteras, de los hidratos de carbono complejos (Cereales integrales, arroz, legumbres, pasta), verduras y frutos secos.

En resumen, lo que hay que llevar es una alimentación variada y saludable.

HYPERTHYROIDISM, WHEN THE THYROID INCREMENTS ITS FUNCTION.

The thyroid is a gland located in the neck that regulates our metabolism.

Hyperthyroidism is caused by an increase of the production of the hormones produced by the thyroid (T3 and T4).

It is a pathology that mostly affects young women between the ages of 35 and 45.

The most common causes for this pathology are:
• An autoimmune disease, in other words, when our own body attacks the gland. 
• An inflammation of the gland, which is less common and whose origin is viral.

SYMPTOMS

The warning symptoms are:

1. Anxiety and nervousness. 

Patients describe it as feeling anxious and anguished. It is common to be experiencing these symptoms in the evening and at night, making it very difficult to sleep.

2. Diarrhoeas. 

No link to a digestive pathology is found.

3. Heart palpitations that can sometimes lead to serious arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation.

4. Weight loss without a loss of appetite.

5. Excessive sweating and intolerance to heat.

6. Weakness and muscle fatigue, which causes patients to be unable to fulfil their duties at work.

7. A slight hand tremor. Patients sometimes feel this tremor throughout their body and can make them feel as though they might fall to the floor imminently.

8. Brittle hair.
This symptom stands out because the hair does not fall out but instead breaks off easily.

9. Disruption of periods in women.

10. A visible increase in size of the gland, which manifests itself as a lump in the neck, called goitre.

In some cases, bulging eyes accompany all of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism along with inflammation of the goitre and the anterior part of the leg that is then named ‘Graves-Basedow disease’.

• Diagnosis.

The diagnosis is easy; all that is needed is a simple blood test whereby an increment of the thyroid hormones can be found along with specific antibodies. Other tests such as ultrasound scan or thyroid scan will allow us to pinpoint the diagnosis.

• Treatment.

The treatment for this pathology are antithyroid drugs, which improves the symptoms in mere days, however, surgical treatment or the use of radioactive iodine, can be prescribed when oral medication is not enough to control the condition.

Even though patience would be needed in some cases, as a misdiagnosis is what can make patients visit all types of doctors’ surgeries, usually the condition has an overall good prognostic. A simple blood test solves this issue.

Dr J. Hurtado Martínez

Medical Director of HealthSalus