This is our last post about the POF (Family Budget Survey) 2008-2009. And to finish on a high note, we will talk about some of the bad aspects of the Brazilian diet: excess sugar and saturated fat and little fiber.
The global prevalence of free sugar intake (added sugar plus sugar from drinks) above the limit recommended by the Ministry of Health (10% of total intake) was 61%. The prevalence of saturated fat intake above the limit (7% of total energy intake) was 82%, and the percentage of the population with fiber intake less than or equal to 12.5 grams per 1,000 kcal was 68%.
Excess blood sugar leads to several health complications, such as weight gain, increased insulin concentration in the blood, which can lead to Diabetes Mellitus type 2 and cardiovascular complications, among others.
The excess sugar consumed by the population comes, for the most part, from the high consumption of sweetened drinks, such as soft drinks and artificial juices, and the high addition of refined sugar in various drinks. Therefore, a simple measure is to reduce or, if possible, eliminate the consumption of soft drinks and exchange artificial drinks for natural juices, in addition to reducing the addition of sugar in other drinks, or making use of sweeteners (in the case of diabetics, this use should be mandatory ).
Excess saturated fat is directly related to the increase in low-density lipoproteins, or LDL, better known as bad cholesterol, which are molecules made up of proteins and fats whose function is to carry cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body through circulation. blood, thus when in high quantity the LDL molecule can lead to a progressive obstruction of the arteries, causing atherosclerosis (a general term that designates several diseases in which there is thickening and loss of elasticity of the arterial wall) and consequently an increase in the probability of occurrence of myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident (CVA).
The vast majority of dietary sources of saturated fat are of animal origin, therefore, to reduce the intake of this type of fat, it is necessary to eliminate visible fats from meat, poultry and fish; gradually replace whole milk with semi-skimmed milk until reaching skimmed milk; consume low-fat cheeses and pay attention to the amount consumed of all foods that are of animal origin, such as cottage cheese. Furthermore, you should also be careful about consuming products that contain coconut pulp (and not coconut water), which is rich in saturated fat.
Dietary fibers (soluble and insoluble) are not digested or absorbed by the body, therefore they do not provide us with nutrients or calories, however they are extremely important to keep the body in balance, providing better functioning of the gastrointestinal system, prolonging sensation of satiety, in addition to reducing the absorption of fats and sugars, helping to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Sources of fiber are whole foods, fruits, vegetables, legumes and bran. Therefore, a diet rich in these foods: vegetables for lunch and dinner, at least 3 fruits a day and, if possible, whole foods, is enough to reach the daily fiber recommendation (25 grams).
Sources:
Family budget survey 2008 – 2009. Analysis of personal food consumption.
http://www.sonutricao.com.br/downloads/Guia_Alimentar_Populacao_Brasileira.pdf
http://www.anutricionista.com/fibras-qual-a-sua-importancia-para-a-saude.html
http://fisio.icb.usp.br/~cassola/nutricao/lipoproteinas.html
http://www.manualmerck.net/?id=52