{"id":287560,"date":"2025-11-16T22:04:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T22:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/287560\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T22:04:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T22:04:11","slug":"apollo-delhi-endocrinologist-explains-hidden-sugars-in-indian-foods-even-idli-or-poha-are-a-problem-when-paired-with","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/287560\/","title":{"rendered":"Apollo Delhi endocrinologist explains hidden sugars in Indian foods: Even idli or poha are a problem when paired with…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever wondered why you’re feeling slaky or tired all the time<\/a>? It might not be just the late nights or early mornings; it could be the hidden sugars in your favourite Indian foods. Also read | Cardiologist shares 5 Indian food habits that could increase your heart attack risk<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Even Even healthy options like idli or poha can become unhealthy when paired with ketchup or packaged chutneys that have added sugar. (Made using Gemini AI) <\/p>\n

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Saptarshi Bhattacharya, senior consultant, endocrinology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, shared that many common Indian foods are loaded with added sugars that can push your daily intake beyond healthy limits, leading to sugar spikes<\/a> and long-term risks like diabetes, weight gain, and fatigue<\/p>\n

How sugar hides in Indian foods<\/p>\n

He said, \u201cWhen we think of sugar, we usually picture sweets like jalebi, gulab jamun, or laddoo. But sugar is not just in dessert \u2014 it quietly hides in many of our everyday Indian foods. From breakfast dishes to snacks and drinks, hidden sugars can easily push your daily intake beyond healthy limits, leading to sudden sugar spikes and long-term risks like diabetes, weight gain<\/a>, and fatigue.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Dr Bhattacharya, many common foods we eat every day contain more sugar than we realise:<\/p>\n

\u29bf Breakfast items: \u201cPopular choices like chai with sugar<\/a>, flavoured cornflakes, or sweetened yoghurt can cause you to start your day with 3\u20135 teaspoons of sugar. Even idli or poha become a problem when paired with ketchup or packaged chutneys that contain added sugar,\u201d Dr Bhattacharya said.<\/p>\n

\u29bf Snacks: \u201cPackaged namkeens, biscuits, instant noodles, and bakery items like pav or buns often contain refined sugar to enhance flavour and shelf life,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u29bf Indian gravies: \u201cMany restaurant-style curries and sauces \u2014 like butter chicken, paneer butter masala, or korma \u2014 use tomato ketchup, cream, or sweetened pastes that add hidden sugar,\u201d he shared<\/p>\n

\u29bf Drinks: Soft drinks, bottled fruit juices, milkshakes, energy drinks, and even ‘healthy’ packaged lassi or flavoured milk can contain 5-8 teaspoons or 20-30 gm of sugar per serving, as per Dr Bhattacharya.<\/p>\n

\u29bf Street food: \u201cChaats, samosa chole, and pani puri often use sweet chutneys and syrups. Over time, these sugars add up and cause chronic calorie surplus that results in fat deposition and obesity,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Eating too much hidden sugar can cause your blood sugar to spike, increasing the risk of diabetes, belly fat, heart disease, and inflammation. (Made using Gemini AI) What hidden sugars do to your body<\/p>\n

Consuming high amounts of hidden sugars can lead to a rapid rise in blood glucose levels, insulin resistance <\/a>and type 2 diabetes, and belly fat, heart disease, and inflammation. \u201cHidden sugars cause a rapid rise in blood glucose levels, followed by a sudden drop that leaves you tired and craving more sugar. Over time, this cycle increases the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Even if you\u2019re not diabetic, excess sugar contributes to belly fat, heart disease, and inflammation,\u201d Dr Bhattacharya said.<\/p>\n

How to cut down on hidden sugar<\/p>\n

According to Dr Bhattacharya, you don\u2019t have to give up your favourite foods \u2014 just make small, mindful changes. Here is what he suggested:<\/p>\n

\u29bf Read labels carefully: Packaged foods often list sugar under names like sucrose, glucose syrup, maltose, or dextrose. The shorter the ingredient list, the better.<\/p>\n

\u29bf Limit sweetened beverages: Replace bottled drinks with fresh nimbu pani (lemon water), unsweetened coconut water, or herbal teas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cook at home: When you prepare your own gravies, you can skip the ketchup or cream and use fresh tomato puree, yoghurt, or nuts for texture.<\/p>\n

\u29bf Balance your meals: Combine carb-heavy dishes like rice, poha, or chapati with fibre and protein\u2014like vegetables, lentils, or paneer \u2014 to slow sugar absorption.<\/p>\n

\u29bf Watch portion sizes: Even traditional sweets can be enjoyed occasionally\u2014just limit to small portions and eat them after a balanced meal, not on an empty stomach.<\/p>\n

Dr Bhattacharya concluded: \u201cThe key isn\u2019t to stop enjoying Indian food \u2014 it\u2019s to make it smarter. Choose fresh ingredients, reduce packaged and restaurant meals<\/a>, and be conscious of how sugar sneaks into your plate. When you take control of what goes into your food, you protect your energy levels, your blood sugar, and your long-term health \u2014 one mindful bite at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ever wondered why you’re feeling slaky or tired all the time? It might not be just the late…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":287561,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[130370,12562,123492,49,48,84,130369,28091,3379],"class_list":{"0":"post-287560","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-apollo-delhi-endocrinologist-explains-hidden-sugars-in-indian-foods-even-idli-poha-are-problem-when-paired-with-ketchup","9":"tag-belly-fat","10":"tag-blood-glucose-levels","11":"tag-ca","12":"tag-canada","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-hidden-sugars","15":"tag-insulin-resistance","16":"tag-type-2-diabetes"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287560"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287560\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/287561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}