Sugar is the "fire of inflammation" in the body and can cause bone and muscle loss! Nutritionist: How to manage a sugar-reduced or sugar-free diet

The body's "inflammatory fire" comes from sugar! Excessive sugar intake may not only cause chronic inflammation and obesity in the body, but may also affect bone formation and aggravate muscle degeneration, thereby reducing bone quality and increasing the chance of fractures in the future. Nutritionists remind us that we should implement a sugar-reduced or sugar-free diet in our daily life to avoid obesity and maintain good "bone" strength!

Excessive intake of sugar produces "advanced glycation products" that affect bones and muscles

Chen Zhengguang, attending physician of the Department of Orthopedics at Shin Kong Hospital, said that sugar has a great impact on health. If consumed too much, it can easily catalyze glycation in the body and eventually produce "advanced glycation end products (AGEs)" that have adverse effects on the human body, causing collagen to deteriorate and deteriorate. Not only will it cause chronic inflammation of organs and tissues throughout the body, it can also cause wrinkles, sagging, and even sallow and dull skin. In addition, "advanced glycation products" will affect the collagen in the bones, reduce the organic matter and mineral matrix of the bones, reduce the strength of the bones, and make the bones brittle. At the same time, it will also affect the protein synthesis function in the body, reduce muscle quality and strength, and accelerate the rate of muscle decline.

For middle-aged and elderly people who are at high risk of osteoporosis, they must pay more attention to their daily sugar intake. If you consume too much sugar, it will lead to excessive bone loss, causing many pores to form in the originally dense bones, making them hollow and loose, causing the bones to become brittle and even break with a slight bump or fall.

WHO: Reducing daily sugar intake to 5% of total calories or less than 25 grams can reduce the risk of disease

According to the WHO's 2020 healthy diet, if daily sugar intake can be reduced to 5% of total calories or less than 25 grams, the risk of many diseases can be reduced. Nutritionist Gao Yuwen from Shin Kong Hospital's Nutrition Department reminds people to pay more attention to food ingredients when eating out, and to refer to the portion sizes on the nutrition plate to adjust their daily intake appropriately to keep an eye on their health.

As for how to implement a sugar-reduced or sugar-free diet, Shin Kong Hospital nutritionist Gao Yuwen said that about 70% of sugar is hidden in daily packaged foods. Whether it is bread, yogurt, or even health foods, they may contain sugar. Therefore, in addition to paying more attention to the nutritional content of food, people may wish to choose more original foods when eating out to reduce the intake of excess sugar and processed foods, and develop a sugar-free diet. If people find it too difficult to switch to a sugar-free diet all at once, they can start by reducing the frequency of drinks and sweets per week, and then gradually reduce the sugar in each meal to stay healthy.

Sugar-free diet is healthy, nutritional perfection plan starts

Shin Kong Hospital and food companies are working together to promote the "Nutrition Perfection Plan", hoping that through health lectures and health education activities, patients, their families and the general public can understand the importance of a sugar-free diet. It also provides tips for daily balanced nutrition and good taste, encouraging everyone to eat nutritiously and safely.