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In Good Shape - Food and Sugar
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00:00You can go without food for over a month if you have to, but it's of course better for
00:12you to eat at least a little something every day.
00:15And it's especially good for your health when what you eat contains all the nutrients your
00:19body wants.
00:21What foods contain which key compounds?
00:25What if one is missing?
00:29And what about sugar?
00:30You're not supposed to consume more than 25 grams a day, but what about other sweeteners?
00:36Find out this time around on In Good Shape.
00:54In all that taste, but without any added sugar, scrumptious baked goods without a trace of
01:00this sweet ingredient.
01:03Influencers are spreading the idea that sugar can be replaced with other compounds, commonly
01:08called sweeteners, that are supposedly better for you.
01:11They're not.
01:12We see evidence they raise chances of developing a heart attack.
01:18Cardiologist Marko Witkowski is a researcher who focuses on the consumption of sweeteners
01:23and their impact.
01:24He's just published a study on one known as xylitol.
01:30Our statistics show that compared to patients with low levels of xylitol in their blood, those
01:35with elevated levels were more likely to suffer a stroke, heart attack or death during the
01:40course of the study.
01:42The researcher also has an idea about what might be causing the cardiovascular events.
01:48Xylitol causes the blood to clot more frequently, and those clots can trigger strokes.
01:54It's often recommended for people with diabetes, as it doesn't really affect blood sugar levels.
01:59But the study views such sweeteners as high risk.
02:04People with diabetes in general are more likely to take sugar substitutes to reduce sugar consumption
02:10to better control their condition.
02:12But they're also already at increased risk of vascular disease due to their diabetes.
02:18They turn to sweeteners thinking they're doing something good for themselves and just increase
02:22their risk further.
02:24So we need a special appeal here to avoid sweeteners like xylitol.
02:31Xylitol is now in many products because it has 40 percent fewer calories than sugar and
02:35doesn't cause tooth decay.
02:38That's why the sweetener is also found in many chewing gums, dental flosses and toothpastes.
02:44The trend away from sugar is industry-wide.
02:49Consumer advocates say food manufacturers are exploiting people's fears
02:53to sell products.
02:57Manufacturers are of course well aware that many consumers want to avoid sugar and that
03:01they're prepared to pay more for products with that advertising message.
03:05But the higher price is often not justified.
03:08Xylitol is often sold as a natural sugar substitute obtained from birch trees.
03:14Unfortunately, this is a half-truth at best.
03:18The production is very complex.
03:20There are several industrial processing steps involved, which means you can't talk about
03:25it being natural.
03:28Xylitol is what's called a sugar substitute.
03:31But what about artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose?
03:35Are they healthy?
03:37Today, we're making vanilla crescents.
03:40Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 160 on convection.
03:46Cookies without a single gram of sugar.
03:49This company recommends replacing it with a flavor powder containing sucralose.
03:55Sucralose has been shown to change the makeup of intestinal bacteria.
03:59And this in turn can promote the development of diabetes, so sucralose isn't harmless either.
04:06The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment even warns against baking with sucralose, saying
04:12not to heat food containing the substance to temperatures like those generated during baking,
04:17frying and roasting.
04:19Heating sucralose to high temperatures can produce harmful substances.
04:26And aspartame?
04:27For decades, soft drink companies have used it to sweeten calorie-free products.
04:32But the WHO recently classified it as possibly carcinogenic.
04:39Sweeteners always have effects that can be harmful to your health, whether in terms of thrombosis
04:43or the development of diabetes.
04:45So you're not completely on the safe side with any of them.
04:50Organic food manufacturers don't use xylitol, aspartame or sucralose.
04:55They advertise with natural alternatives like agave syrup, maple syrup or honey.
05:00So are they healthy?
05:02Honey and maple syrup in particular are recommended as healthy sweeteners.
05:09But although it's true they're a little less processed than sugar, the vitamins and minerals
05:14advertisers claim they contain are pretty negligible.
05:17It makes sense to eat fewer sweet things in general, whether they're sweetened with sugar,
05:22sweeteners or something else.
05:24Then consciously enjoy it, just not too often.
05:28Try cutting back to just half the sugar or substitute you'd normally use.
05:32Your taste buds will quickly adapt.
05:35But changing dietary habits is a long-term effort.
05:41Weaning your brain off sweet fatty foods takes around 60 days, say experts.
05:46We don't normally crave iron, however, even though it's essential for health.
05:51Around 30% of the global population suffers from a serious iron deficiency or the anemia
05:56it can lead to.
05:58Young children and people who menstruate are particularly affected.
06:03At least at first they might not even notice.
06:06But eventually the lack causes a range of symptoms, like a drop in performance.
06:1120-year-old Aisha Eyal started working off energy with Thai boxing at a young age.
06:25I started doing it as a child.
06:29I like spending time here with friends where I can really work out.
06:33It's fun and helps me release stress that I can't let out in everyday life.
06:37Aisha no longer takes being able to strike with this much power for granted though, because
06:43despite regularly training several times a week, a few months ago she suddenly ran out
06:49of stamina.
06:50I really started noticing it climbing stairs.
06:56I couldn't make it to the third floor without taking breaks.
06:59When training, like I was just now, I couldn't keep going for even a couple of minutes.
07:07I couldn't get enough air and got dizzy sometimes.
07:10And my coach at some point said, I should get my blood checked.
07:15She had blood taken by her GP.
07:18The lab results that came back a few days later were a shock.
07:25They called directly from the lab and told me to go straight to the emergency room because
07:29my hemoglobin levels were so low.
07:31They said on the phone that I was in danger because I could pass out.
07:37Aisha Eyal was suffering from a severe iron deficiency that had caused anemia.
07:42She had far too little blood in her body.
07:45Her sister immediately took her to a nearby hospital emergency room where she received
07:50a blood transfusion aimed at bringing her hemoglobin levels back to something approaching normal.
07:56In the following weeks, she also received iron transfusions intravenously.
08:03Hemoglobin levels tell doctors a lot about circulatory health as the red blood cells contain lots of
08:09the oxygen binding molecule.
08:12A central component of hemoglobin is iron that we take up in food.
08:18After absorption, it's transported to the bone marrow where blood cells are produced.
08:25Iron is an essential component in blood formation because it's what allows oxygen to be transported
08:30from the lungs to the rest of the body.
08:33It's delivered to all our many different cells, which all need it to burn nutrients, generating
08:39the energy they need to continue living.
08:45Aisha Eyal's iron deficiency was so serious it led to anemia.
08:50For a long time, her cells weren't getting enough oxygen.
08:54At the hospital where she was first treated, hematologist Georgija Metzgeroth and her team
09:00began looking for what had caused the condition.
09:03You can't just treat an iron deficiency and say everything's fine.
09:10You have to look at whether there might be an underlying bleed, maybe in the gastrointestinal tract.
09:16That means a gastroscopy, a colonoscopy and possibly a gynecological exam to see if there's
09:22any bleeding that's at the root of it.
09:26And there can also be reduced absorption.
09:29So someone may not be absorbing it from their food due to the wrong dietary choices.
09:37Several factors led to Aisha's severe iron deficiency and anemia.
09:45She'd been menstruating, but she also had gastritis at the time, which leads to microbleeds and
09:50reduced iron take-up.
09:53She also told us afterwards that she'd been eating very little meat for a while.
09:58All those factors definitely contributed to the development of a major iron deficiency.
10:05There are two different primary sources of iron.
10:08What's called bivalent iron is found in red meat, but also poultry and fish.
10:15Animal-based foods contain the red blood pigment heme iron, which can be absorbed directly and
10:21easily in the small intestine.
10:23Plant-based foods, on the other hand, contain trivalent iron.
10:28It has to be converted to bivalent iron in the intestine.
10:32Good plant-based sources of iron include green beans, lentils, and fennel.
10:39Wholemeal products, dates, oatmeal, nuts, and dried tomatoes also contain a lot of the element.
10:47In order for the body to absorb iron, it also needs foods that have significant levels
10:52of vitamin C.
10:54Foods containing tannins, on the other hand, like coffee, cola, and black or green tea,
11:00remove iron.
11:03Foods containing calcium also inhibit iron uptake.
11:09To compensate for her severe iron deficiency, Ayshe Eyol had to take iron tablets for weeks.
11:16And in the future, says Gheorgia Metzgeroth, it'll be important for her to watch out for
11:21typical symptoms.
11:23These include fatigue, exhaustion, chronic fatigue, or trouble concentrating.
11:31Also sores in the corner of the mouth, or a burning sensation on the tongue, because
11:36the mucous membrane grows smoother.
11:38Then there's brittle hair, or hair loss.
11:44Those are also straightforward symptoms that often appear with iron deficiency.
11:48Ayshe's iron levels are being checked again today.
11:54After she gives a blood sample, it'll take about an hour to get the results back from
11:58the lab.
12:01In addition to the hemoglobin value, the doctors measure another important marker called ferritin,
12:08to gain an accurate picture of the patient's iron balance.
12:13That's because the iron that isn't needed for blood formation right away is stored throughout
12:18the body in the protein ferritin, in the liver, spleen, marrow, and other places.
12:25In people who are healthy, around 20% of all the body's iron is stored in ferritin.
12:31If we take in too little of it, the body initially draws on those stores.
12:37But if iron intake is too low over long periods of time, they can be exhausted.
12:44The hour is up.
12:46Ayshe's latest blood results are back from the laboratory.
12:49Looks good.
12:51The HP value is now 16, four times as much as before.
12:56And your HP value is completely balanced.
12:58And you can see that stored iron has replenished well, so you no longer need supplements.
13:03Since you've stopped taking them already, we don't have to monitor you anymore, unless
13:07you become symptomatic again at some point.
13:11That's great.
13:14Happy to hear that.
13:15Ayshe Eyol's iron levels have returned to normal, and the 20-year-old will be sure to eat
13:23enough foods containing the element to avoid deficiencies in the future.
13:32Pulses are the seeds that grow inside pods, in plants we call legumes.
13:38Humans have cultivated different kinds of beans, lentils, and chickpeas for around 10,000 years.
13:46The plants that bear them thrive all over the world.
13:49They're good for the soil because they grow well without fertilizers.
13:53Lentils, beans, chickpeas – they're small but pack a powerful punch because they're
14:08chock full of healthy goodness.
14:12They provide relatively little energy but lots of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.
14:18What makes legumes like these special is the combination of protein and fiber.
14:25Chef Timo Kadner is a big fan.
14:29He runs a restaurant called Weih in the German city of Stuttgart.
14:34It's specialized in vegan cuisine.
14:37Legumes have fallen a little out of favor, so we're reviving them.
14:43They used to be eaten all the time, and now we want to bring them back a little.
14:52The Weih kitchen works with a wide range of pulses – different types of lentils, beans,
14:59and peas.
15:00But what's actually in them?
15:03At the University of Jena, research into that question is ongoing.
15:09Gerhard Jarreis has spent years studying what legumes contain.
15:15His colleague, Kristina Davczynski, investigates the health effects of replacing meat with pulses.
15:25The advantage of pulses compared to meat is their fiber content.
15:30They provide a lot of soluble fiber that meat doesn't have.
15:34In terms of protein content, they're comparable to meat and also contain essential amino acids.
15:39So if we want to reduce meat consumption, pulses are a good alternative.
15:46Gerhard Jarreis has discovered that the protein content in legumes is very high compared to
15:52other vegetables.
15:55But that's not all.
15:56The quality of those proteins is also very high.
16:01That's important for building muscle.
16:06Protein is made up of amino acids.
16:09And the composition of the protein in food should be as close as possible to what's in
16:14your body, your muscles.
16:17Legumes are fairly similar to meat proteins, and that makes them very good for your health.
16:22Pulses contain all of what are known as essential amino acids.
16:32Those that we have to get from food.
16:36They're a particularly good source of one called lysine.
16:43Lysine is an essential amino acid and therefore a key component.
16:47It makes up about five to seven percent of the body's proteins.
16:52And protein from grain contains less than two percent lysine.
16:56That lack can be easily made up by pulses.
17:03Gram for gram, some pulses contain even more lysine than in meat, eggs, dairy products or fish.
17:13Back to the Weih restaurant in Stuttgart.
17:17One popular dish here is lentil salad, garnished with carrot and pomegranate seeds.
17:23While the lentils are still warm, Timo Kadner adds a dressing made from vinegar, oil, apple
17:30juice, sesame paste and agave syrup.
17:34And we add cumin to the lentils to aid digestion, a little turmeric for color, lemon juice for acidity,
17:41and that's all there is to it.
17:46All topped off with fresh baby spinach.
17:50The salad is also good to prepare in advance.
17:53It keeps in the fridge for several days.
17:59In addition to key amino acids, legumes provide other compounds like vitamins B1, B2, and folic acid.
18:08Also minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
18:13And trace elements like iron, zinc, and copper.
18:17And another of their many health benefits, pulses are good for the gut.
18:25Musculums or pulses are actually seeds wrapped in shells containing insoluble fiber.
18:32It can't be broken down, but it makes you feel satiated and helps cleanse your digestive tract.
18:39What's inside the shell, on the other hand, is mainly soluble fiber.
18:43It's converted in the intestine.
18:47That forms short-chain fatty acids like acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid.
18:54And these short-chain fatty acids have many positive effects.
18:58For example, acetic acid influences the area of the brain that makes you feel full, keeping
19:04us sated for longer, so we eat less overall.
19:08But they also have other health effects.
19:11Butyric acid, for example, is very important in the prevention of bowel cancer.
19:16But some legumes can also cause an unpleasant side effect, gas in the gut.
19:24It can be traced back to some of the soluble fiber they contain.
19:28If there are no special enzymes present that are able to break it down, the fiber moves into
19:34the large intestine in an undigested state.
19:38There certain bacteria begin to ferment it, producing carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen.
19:44That can lead to bloating, at least until the bacteria adjust.
19:50If you regularly consume pulses, then your microbiome will also adapt, leading to less gassy feelings
19:56overall.
19:59Preparing the pulses correctly can also improve digestion of them.
20:03Some of the substances that cause gas dissolve in water used to soak or cook them.
20:09So it's best to throw that water out.
20:13In her studies involving test subjects who ate a lot of meat, Kristina Davczynski discovered
20:19just how much the regular consumption of legumes improves health.
20:24She was even surprised by some of the effects.
20:27In our studies, we were able to show that shifting dietary habits from a lot of meat to less meat,
20:34by eating lots of pulses, leads to lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels.
20:40And subjects who were initially slightly overweight also lost weight.
20:44Back at the restaurant, Chef Timo Katna is preparing a vegan curry.
20:51He starts by frying onions and curry paste.
20:54And then we deglaze the whole thing with coconut milk.
21:01Smells sensational.
21:04Then we just let it simmer for 10 minutes.
21:05Next, he adds vegetables and, of course, chickpeas.
21:15I just added the pre-cooked chickpeas.
21:17You can also use red lentils.
21:19They take 7 to 10 minutes and don't need to be soaked.
21:23He also throws in some steamed soybeans, which add freshness.
21:30Don't cook it for too long now, because it'll just get way too soft.
21:35So, legumes play a role in any balanced diet.
21:52And eating healthily pays off, not least when it comes to your skin.
21:56Even if influencers would like us to believe that using this or that product
22:01is all you need for a wrinkle-free glowing complexion.
22:06The largest organ in the body keeps bad stuff out.
22:09And creams don't affect that.
22:12Moisturisers can be good for its outer layers.
22:15But like so many other health matters, the key to healthy skin is a well-balanced diet.
22:22If you want to do something good for your skin, says Heike Niemeyer, pay attention to what you eat.
22:28Food is the key to ensuring that the body has the opportunity to nourish the skin well.
22:37Because the substances we absorb when we eat can keep the whole body healthy, including the skin.
22:43Here's a primer on the foods that can help keep skin looking and feeling good.
22:53We're cooking carrots sautéed in butter together with salmon.
22:58And this dish has a couple of good things in it.
23:01From the carrots, there's beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A.
23:06It also has vitamin C and E, selenium, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids.
23:12All of them have effects, and the antioxidants protect your cells.
23:16The key is to help make the skin more resistant.
23:25The skin is always exposed to external factors that can have an inflammatory effect.
23:31And for it to remain healthy, we have to protect ourselves from them.
23:36Skin cells incorporate omega-3 fatty acids into their membranes,
23:40and are thus better protected against external factors.
23:43Unprocessed nuts, in particular, are true all-rounders.
23:50Almonds are especially good because they contain calcium, other minerals and vitamin E.
23:56Another skin superfood, freshly prepared salads.
24:02Salads really are great contributors to skin health,
24:06because you can simply put together anything you like, whatever you have in the fridge.
24:10And it's smart to use natural foods that are always good in combination.
24:17We're going to add some spinach leaves, since they contain chlorophyll as well as beta-carotene.
24:23Then some edamame, which are soybeans.
24:25They contain protein as well as valuable B vitamins.
24:29Peppers have more vitamin C than citrus fruit.
24:32And we'll also add peanuts and meat, both very high in protein.
24:36Finally, we'll add egg, because eggs are real nutrient bonds.
24:42They contain B vitamins, high-quality fatty acids, good protein, minerals, and everything you need for good skin.
24:54Finally, a skin-healthy shake made from berries, buttermilk, and wheat germ.
24:59And some tips that will pay off in the long term.
25:04For beautiful skin, even in old age, you should start cutting out large amounts of sugar, sweets,
25:10and soft drinks early on, as well as alcohol in large quantities.
25:14And avoid highly processed foods.
25:19So in conclusion, what's best for your skin is a balanced, healthy diet.
25:24We're waiting to hear from you.
25:30Are you always stressed and worried it's damaging your heart?
25:36Thinking about quitting smoking, but not sure how?
25:40Maybe you just want to eat healthier.
25:44Or you're looking for the right workout to ease back pain.
25:47If you've got a health question, In Good Shape has the answer.
25:53Just drop us an email.
25:58That's it for the show this time around.
26:00Join us again soon on In Good Shape.
26:02Bye-bye.
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