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“Alegrías,” “ates,” and “cocadas”
are great dessert alternatives to caramels, packaged juices, and other processed sweets , since they have lower levels of sugar .
Elvira Sandoval, an academic at the Faculty of Medicine under the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
, stressed that we should aim to reduce excessive consumption of sugar among children, not only regarding the intake of sweets, but also soft drinks and other highly sugared beverages.
We must understand, she said, that excessive consumption of any food, in this case, with high sugar content, causes damage to health such as diabetes.
She argued that diseases such as obesity and diabetes are often genetic , although they are also caused by excessive consumption of sugary drinks , a sedentary lifestyle , and poor eating habits .
As Mexicans, said the university researcher, we love the flavors that delight our palate, so she made reference to typical Mexican sweets such as “ alegrías ,” whose transcendence is historical.
She added that this sweet is nutritious and provides energy, being made of amaranth and honey, which can include raisins and nuts.
For the “ ate ,” she mentioned that it came in different flavors such as guava, tejocote, pumpkin, and pear , and that it can be especially pleasant due to its taste and texture.
According to information from UNAM Global , other typical sweets include “ cocadas ,” which are made with milk and coconut dough.
The specialist also suggested drinking natural water which, "although its lack of flavor is not pleasant to the palate of many," benefits health.
" Overweight, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are some of the conditions that tend to develop those who consume too much soda, high sugar juices, flavored milk, and other similar products ," she said.
She emphasized that the consumption of sugars in sweets also causes cavities, considered a public health problem in Mexico.
She indicated that it is advised to consume up to 10 percent of the total daily energy requirement, that is, if you take a diet of two thousand calories, you can eat 200 calories of these foods.
It is necessary, she said, to guide the population so that little by little they may change sugary drinks for more nutritious ones and insist on periodic check-ups; make measurements of waist and weight, as well as review the amounts of food that are ingested.
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