#精品长文创作季#
(For a better narrative article, the storyline is fictional)
Uncle Wang's biggest hobby is to eat a bite of sweet snacks, always saying: "Life is short, eat something sweet to find fun!" But during this time, Uncle Wang's children had an awkward relationship with him because of this matter.
The children felt that Uncle Wang was old and eating too many sweets was not good for his health, so they persuaded him to quit sweetness. But Uncle Wang stubbornly thinks that what is the taste of quitting sweets?
This matter spread ten, ten and hundred, and the neighbors on the street were talking about it.
Someone said: "It is really bad for the elderly to eat sweets, and they are prone to diabetes." Some people also said: "It's been a lifetime of hard work, what's wrong with eating something sweet? Don't be so harsh!"
So is quitting sweets really the same as "reducing life"? Can people still eat sweets when they are old?
1. Why do the elderly like to eat sweets?
As people grow older, there are many changes in the body, one of which is the deterioration of the taste buds. You may find that your grandparents, older relatives and friends are more likely to eat sweet foods than younger ones.
As we get older, our taste buds deteriorate. It's like a mobile phone that has been used for many years, the battery is slowly aging, and the battery life is not as good as before.
After the taste buds degenerate, the elderly are less sensitive to the taste of food. They may feel that ordinary meals taste bland and sweets give them a stronger gustatory kick, so they prefer sweets.
Then there is the fact that eating sweets can make people feel better, and we may have had such an experience, when we are in a bad mood, we will feel much better when we eat a piece of chocolate or a candy.
This is because eating sugar can boost the production of something called dopamine in our body, which can make us feel happy and satisfied.
Eating sweets can help alleviate these negative emotions when they may feel lonely due to physical health problems, changes in living circumstances, or the departure of friends and family.
Older people also need enough energy to maintain their daily lives, and while physical activity may not be as frequent as when they were younger, they still need a certain amount of energy to support basic physiological activities.
Sweets are usually high in calories and sugar, which are easily absorbed and utilized by the body, so they have become a way for the elderly to replenish energy.
In addition, if the elderly have a long-term unbalanced diet, lack of certain nutrients, such as vitamin B, vitamin C and zinc, or have some health problems, such as hypoglycemia, diabetes or hyperthyroidism, etc., may lead to abnormal taste and prefer sweets.
2. What are the dangers of eating too many sweets?
1. Increased risk of diabetes
Diabetes is caused by a decrease in the role of insulin in the body, resulting in higher blood sugar levels than normal. So what is insulin?
This is a hormone in the body, and its main role is to help send sugar from the blood to the cells, providing energy to the cells.
When this function fails, the sugar in the blood cannot be used effectively, and it will accumulate more and more, which will lead to diabetes.
As people get older, their body functions will gradually decline, and their insulin sensitivity will also decrease, which means that insulin is not as effective in the elderly as in young people.
Data shows that about 25% of people over the age of 65 have diabetes. And this number rises with age, which shows that diabetes is very common among older people. Eating too much sweets can easily induce or aggravate diabetes.
So it's really important for older people to control their intake of sweets. Although a small piece of cake or a piece of candy is not too much of a problem once in a while, eating a large number of these sugary foods for a long time is very bad for the body.
Especially for those elderly people who already have a little high blood sugar, they should be more vigilant and not cause trouble to their health because of cravings.
2. Obesity and metabolic syndrome
Why do sweets make people fat? It has to start with calories. Most of the sweets are not low in calories, such as cakes and chocolates, which are all high-calorie foods.
The body actually needs a little energy every day, if you eat more calories than you consume, the excess energy will become fat and store, and over time, the weight will go up.
When it comes to obesity, everyone may think that the most is out of shape, and it is not easy to buy clothes, but in fact, its harm is far more than this. Obesity is not a trivial problem, and many chronic diseases are caused by obesity.
For example, high blood pressure, as soon as the weight increases, the heart has to increase the blood supply to the whole body, and the blood pressure will naturally rise. Obesity can also make the body insensitive to insulin, causing blood sugar to rise.
3. Increased cardiovascular disease
Eating too much sweet will raise your blood sugar levels, and you may feel that if your blood sugar is high, it will be high, and there is no big deal.
But the problem is that when there is too much sugar in the blood, the body has to find a way to lower it, and then insulin is needed. As mentioned earlier, insulin is a hormone in the body whose task is to help cells absorb sugar from the blood so that it can be converted into energy.
But if you always eat a lot of sugar, your body's insulin will have to work for a long time, and over time, it may not be able to do well, which will cause insulin resistance. With insulin resistance, blood sugar is more likely to remain high, which is very bad for blood vessels.
If the body does not use up the sugar at once, it will become fat and store. The body fat is getting more and more, and the blood lipids are also abnormal.
Dyslipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, etc., which are related to it. The World Health Organization has also said that long-term high-sugar diets are closely related to hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stroke.
To put it bluntly, eating too much sugar not only causes high blood sugar, but also may lead to high blood pressure and more fat in the blood vessels, which may cause diseases of the cardiovascular system.
4. Bone health can be impaired
Calcium in the body is very important, it is the main component of our bones and teeth, and it is also involved in many physiological activities. But if you eat too much sugar, it's not going to be good. This is because when the body processes sugar, it may affect the absorption of calcium.
In addition, eating too much sugar may also lead to an increase in the amount of calcium in the urine, which means that more calcium is taken away from the urine.
As a result, there will be less and less calcium in the body, and the bones may become loose if they do not get enough calcium supplement, which is called osteoporosis.
Research by the National Osteoporosis Foundation also found that a diet high in sugar is associated with an increased risk of fractures.
If the bones are loose, it must be easier to break. Especially for the elderly, who are already at a high incidence of osteoporosis, if you add a high-sugar diet, it is simply a blockage to your health.
For older adults, it is important to control sugar intake. Don't underestimate this problem, once osteoporosis is severe, it may even become a problem to walk, seriously affecting the quality of life.
3. Doctor's advice on this
We all know that eating too much sugar is not good for the body, especially the elderly, and we must pay more attention to controlling sugar intake. So how much sugar is the right amount of sugar to eat every day?
According to the recommendations of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", it is best not to eat more than 50 grams of added sugar per day, and it is best to control it to less than 25 grams.
This may sound like a lot, but it's easy to exceed, for example, in a bottle of drink, a few pieces of candy or a few pieces of pastry, the sugar content may be exceeded.
Therefore, the elderly should pay special attention and try to eat less processed foods that are high in sugar, such as sugary drinks, pastries, candies, etc.
Although these things are delicious, they are high in sugar and are not good for the body. You can eat some fresh fruits, which also have sugar in them, but there are also many vitamins and fiber, which are good for the body.
Choosing low GI foods is really important for older adults. So what is GI? Simply put, it's the speed and ability of food to raise blood sugar.
Foods with a low GI can slowly raise blood sugar, so that blood sugar can remain stable and not rise too high or fall too low all at once.
For example, whole-wheat bread, oats, and beans are all good choices. Not only is it nutritious, but it can also keep blood sugar stable.
Some foods have a higher GI, such as white rice, white bread, and potato chips, which should be controlled in moderation and eaten as little as possible.
When shopping and cooking, you can pay more attention to the GI value of food, and try to choose those with low GI.
Eating sweets, especially for the elderly, has to take it easy. But sometimes it's not impossible to eat something sweet when you're hungry. The key is how to eat to make the body healthier?
A good way to do this is to eat sweets with foods rich in protein and dietary fiber.
For example, you can eat dessert with a small handful of nuts, or a cup of yogurt, or even some vegetables. There are many benefits to eating it with this combination.
Protein and dietary fiber can help delay the absorption of sugar. This way, the blood sugar does not rise too high all at once.
When seniors eat sweets, don't forget to pair them with foods rich in protein and dietary fiber. It can satisfy the appetite and protect the health of the body, so why not? But remember to eat in moderation, eating too much is not good.
The elderly must take blood sugar seriously and go to the hospital regularly to check their blood sugar to see how their sugar metabolism is. Have regular check-ups to see if there's anything wrong with your body.
There is more than one benefit of checking blood sugar, and you can know your blood sugar level in time, whether it is high or not, whether it is low or not. Once we find that there is a problem with blood sugar, we can take measures early to prevent the condition from worsening.
It can also help us better adjust our eating habits, and the doctor will give some dietary suggestions according to the blood sugar situation. If you eat according to your doctor's advice, you will be healthy and have a better life.
epilogue
Giving up sweets for the elderly is not the same as "reducing life", the key is how to grasp the intake of sweets. Healthy sweets in moderation, combined with a balanced diet and active lifestyle habits, can also enjoy a sweet life.
At the same time, we should also pay attention to the oral health and other life needs of the elderly, and create a healthy and happy living environment for them.
Regardless of age, you should cherish your body and health. Through scientific diet and reasonable living habits, we can better enjoy life and welcome every beautiful tomorrow.