Our Intimate Relation With Sugar, Why It Holds On To Us So Doggedly?

Sugar: The Silent Killer by Damayanti Datta attempts to demystify the way we eat now, the pre-eminence of refined sugar in our diet, what it does to us and what we can do to mitigate its malign influence. An excerpt:

In the heart of Varanasi, the Saptarishi Aarti is on. Seven purohits chant in unison, some hold flaming lamps, some fan the ceremonial chamara, some clang cymbals, some ring the prayer bell, some beat the enormous jaydhaak— in tandem with your heartbeats. Wreaths of incense float up, the heady fragrance of flowers hang in the air, the crowd presses in. No one can enter the sanctum sanctorum, except the priests. And no one can block one of the four doorways leading to it. Through that door, Kashi Vishwanath looks at his lady, Devi Annapurna, in her temple—at all times. Block that door at your own peril.

She is the queen-goddess of Kashi. At her temple, her golden idol rests against red Banarasi panels amidst intricately carved silver walls. An enormous three-decked bejewelled crown rests upon her head, layers and layers of jewellery cover her torso. In one hand, she holds a golden ladle of rice like a sceptre, and in the other, a pot. Her three eyes look straight at you, benign and smiling. When you visit her temple, if she wills, you get a fistful of sacred rice wrapped in crimson cloth. Her prasad, on the special day around Diwali, are coins.

With Devi Annapurna, the instant association is with her namesake, anna or rice: in her temple, there is free distribution of rice every day. As the legend goes, her husband once negated the importance of food, citing it as a cosmic illusion, or maya. The Devi decided to teach him a lesson: she made herself invisible. With her, all food and nourishment vanished from the earth, a great famine visited and people started to die of hunger. Realizing his grave mistake, her husband begged for rice as alms from her. The Devi relented.

She is an aspect of Devi Adishakti, the universal primal force: a goddess of food, nourishment and prosperity. You would expect her to be served a majestic fare as naivedya, but she partakes modest meals. Saag, the humblest of leafy vegetables, with plenty of vitamins and minerals but nothing to write home about, is one of her favourite foods. At her temple, as part of the free lunch prasad for all devotees, you get a simple platter of rice, dal (sometimes the South Indian sambaar dal), sabzi, pickles, curd, papad and sweets. Rice with roasted black sesame seeds is served quite often.

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What is the message of nutrition concealed in Devi Annapurna’s prasad? It is to consume foods that strengthen your immune system, fight inflammation, keep your system cool and protect you from diseases—from common cold and diabetes, to heart disease and cancers. Take spinach, for instance: research shows that most of the carbs in spinach consist of healthy dietary fibre and contain a unique blend of bioactive components including resistant starches (which protect against a range of diseases, including colon cancer, diabetes and obesity), vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals (safeguard cells against damage and help regulate hormones) and antioxidants (prevent or slow cell damage).

Modern science is catching up with the wisdom of Devi Annapurna. Research shows that spinach contains antioxidants that suppress inflammation in our immune cells. And some of these can also be stored in the body, building up a reserve. Beta-carotene (red-orange pigment) in spinach converts into vitamin A (retinol) in the body which helps improve our vision, promotes healthy skin and develops a strong immune system. Antioxidants like lutein, which increases in cooked spinach, improves age-related vision problem—the leading cause of blindness in India. Lutein has been found to be significantly low in the bloodstream of people with heart disease. Some research suggests that low blood levels of lutein and carotenoids are linked to blood sugar problems.

In July 2021, scientists from the Stanford School of Medicine announced the results of their study conducted on the impact of different diets on the microbiome and health. Topping the list are fermented foods— from yogurt to pickles—which can increase microbiome diversity and lower inflammation. The credit goes to vitamin K, a crucial component for wound healing and healthy bones. Spinach, fermented food like curd, pickles, sambaar and sesame rice—served at the
Annapurna temple—get the thumbs up for being high on vitamin K, as well as for being gut-friendly and anti-inflammatory. Follow a similar diet and you might just reduce your risk of developing diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, osteoarthritis and a range of other disorders.

Excerpted with permission from Sugar: The Silent Killer by Damayanti Datta published by Rupa Books.

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