Tihar is our cultural festival. Sweets are a must during this festival. But we should be careful about what kind of sweets we eat and how much. During Tihar, foods like fried cell roti, sweets, and fini and phulauri, which are usually the main dishes, are usually served. Although these foods provide emotional satisfaction, it is necessary to take precautions while eating them for health reasons.

Tihar is a festival of happiness, harmony and delicious dishes. However, during this time, consuming excessive amounts of oily and starchy foods (such as celery roti, pakoda, laddu fini, anarsa, arsa, lamba, khajuri, thekuva etc.) causes various biochemical and physical effects on the body. Often, old oil left over from cooking at home is reused, which is the main reason for increasing trans fats.

Old oil contains toxic substances like acrolein and aldehyde, which can cause cancer and liver damage. Fat can increase the amount of fat in the blood. After eating fatty foods, enzymes called bile and lipase are activated in the body to digest fat.

In this process, fat particles called chylomicrons increase in the blood, which thickens the blood. This reduces the flexibility of blood vessels. It can cause blood flow imbalance in the heart. Even a single fatty meal can have an immediate effect on blood vessels.

Oxidative stress and inflammation

Saturated and trans fats increase reactive oxygen species in the body. Which can damage the liver, heart and nerves.

Effects on the digestive system

It takes a long time to digest very oily foods. The stomach may feel heavy and may cause belching, gas and acidity. This causes a delay in gastric emptying time, which causes indigestion and bloating.

Frequent use of too much oil and ghee increases bad cholesterol in the body and reduces good cholesterol. This is the main reason for increasing the risk of heart attack and high blood pressure in the long run.

Eating dishes that contain both fatty foods and sugar (such as laddus, anarasa sweets etc.) reduces insulin action and increases insulin resistance. This can be the initial cause of diabetes (type 2 diabetes) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Therefore, you should not use castor oil too often.

It is better to use unsaturated oils like mustard, sunflower, soybean. Drinking hot water or cumin water after eating fatty foods is beneficial. This makes the digestive system easier. Oil should not be used more than once. The temperature should be kept moderate (150–170 degrees Celsius) while making sweets.

Do not use ‘smoky oil’. This indicates that acrolein and aldehydes have started to form. It is advisable to reduce the intake of highly fried, bright, colorful, long-stored sweets available in the market.

Are sugar-free sweets healthy?

Nowadays, many people, being health conscious, eat a lot of sweets thinking that they are sugar-free. Sugar-free sweets are generally considered to be slightly healthier than traditional sugary sweets. But they are not completely healthy. Sugar-free sweets are a slightly healthier option but not completely healthy. Quantity, quality and type of sweetness are important.

Sugar-free sweets generally use sugar alternatives such as sorbitol, mannitol, erythritol, sweeteners instead of sucrose (simple sugar). Sugar-free laddus, barfi, peda, etc. available in the Nepali market, although they do not contain sugar, are often mixed with ghee, oil, mawa, condensed milk, and transfats. Artificial or natural sweeteners are used instead of regular sugar. Consuming too much of such sweets can cause bloating, diarrhea, and gas. The sweeteners used in them reduce insulin sensitivity. Artificial sweeteners can reduce insulin sensitivity in the long run. Sweets in the market often contain ghee/transfat, which increases the risk of heart disease.

It is advisable for people with diabetes or those who want to control their weight to eat less. It is advisable to read the labels mentioned there and choose transfat-free and stevia (natural sweetener)-based sweets. You can make them at home using oats, dates, nuts, and stevia. You should consume enough water and fiber-rich foods.

How many sweets should you eat in a day?

Since sweets are high in sugar, eating too much can lead to obesity, tooth decay, and increased blood sugar levels. Sweets should be adjusted according to the total calories in the day. Eating too many sweets can cause insulin and blood sugar imbalances in the body. Sweets should be consumed as a supplement, not as a main meal.

According to the World Health Organization 2015, added sugar should not exceed 10 percent of daily calories and for additional health benefits, it is recommended to consume less than 5 percent. Similarly, according to the American Heart Association 2009, women should not consume more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day and men should not consume more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons).

In Nepal, eating 1.2 small pieces of sweets such as laddu, barfi or rasgulla usually contains about 10 to 15 grams of sugar. A small 20-gram laddu contains 10 to 12 grams of sugar. Eating two/three pieces meets the daily recommended limit. Generally, a healthy person can eat 10 to 20 grams of sweets (small pieces or 1.2 light sweet dishes) per day. This is approximately equal to one small panda, rasgulla or 1.2 small laddus.