Our Academician Dietician Dr. Ayşe Okan advised to pay attention to the amount of daily sugar consumed

Acting Chair of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department of CIU and President of the Cyprus Turkish Dietetic Association, Dietician Dr. Ayşe Okan, stated that the World Health Organization advised that the total daily sugar consumption of both children and adults should be under 10% of the total daily energy intake, and went on to state, “In an effort to reduce additional sugar intake, one should reduce the consumption of packaged products, consume drinks such as tea and coffee without sugar, prefer drinks such as water, Ayran (buttermilk), milk, and kefir, instead of sugary drinks, and make it a habit to read the nutritional information of food products”.

Stating that within daily life, sugar and sugar derivatives are natural to a majority of foods and beverages that are consumed, Okan also reminded that at the same time, sugar is an element that is added later and gives energy and flavor to foods.

Dietician Dr. Okan advised that within the structures of milk, bread and cereals, fruits and vegetables, and legumes, there are naturally occurring sugars and derivatives, and continued, "However, sugars that are commercially added to food and beverages are the main threatening factor for health."

Explaining that especially breakfast cereals that have high sugar content, sugary drinks, sugary biscuits, cookies, various sauces, ready-made bakery products, and other packaged products are consumed a lot in daily life, Okan added that while these foods are rich in terms of sugars and sugar derivatives, they are poor in terms of the other nutritional elements that our body requires.

Ayşe Okan further explained that the main reason for adding sugar to packaged foods is to establish a taste and texture that the consumers will like, however she noted that the increasing sugar intake disrupts the daily energy balance, thus leading to an inadequate-unbalanced diet.

Pointing out that it is for this reason that various health problems, particularly obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, dental diseases, and various types of cancer. Okan concluded, “It will be the cause for big problems in the future should these foods be encouraged during childhood, or whether parents are unable to control their child’s consumption of these foods”.