Since its discovery, people all over the world loved it. It is a special ingredient that adds magic to food. It is something that the world definitely can’t live without.
However, too much of anything is bad for the body. Consequently, due to increasing health risks brought about by excessive sugar intake, the World Health Organization has recently recommended that added sugars should be at a maximum of 10 percent of the total calorie intake per day.
The Philippine Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI) likewise recommend that not more than 10 percent of the dietary energy coming from carbohydrates should be from sugars.
In the Philippines, alarming facts obtained by the 6th National Nutritional Survey (2003) conducted by FNRI, strongly suggest that many Filipinos are risking their health with excessive sugar consumption.
According to that findings, many people have the tendency to prefer unhealthy food that are rich in sugar content more than opting for a healthy and balanced diet. The probably reason for this attitude is the decline in the consumption of fruits and vegetables due to unavailability and high cost.
Consequently, people develop poor eating habits in the course of time, resulting to less preference to the intake of the essential nutrients that each person needs for proper sustenance.
To date, there is an increasing prevalence of overweight pre-schoolers and school children as well, leading to heightened risks of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other diseases.
That sweetness is an acquired accident borne out of the palate being “trained” to prefer such taste during the formative years of children aged one to five years old. |
