Pancake Day is traditionally a time for using up what you have in the cupboard and perhaps overindulging ahead of the 40 days of Lent. But overdoing it could have health consequences, and lead to you feeling very ill - says stomach expert Dr Sara Mesilhy, a gastroenterologist.
Dr Sara said: "Generally eating too much sugar has a lot of consequences on the body immediately and long-term health. Eating large amounts of full-sugar pancakes in one sitting may contribute to tooth decay, acne, faster skin aging, weight gain, obesity, insulin resistance, and development of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, depression, and mood disorders."
The expert has set out what will happen if you stack your pancakes too high on Shrove Tuesday.
- Immediately, after large amounts of pancakes you may experience symptoms such as anxiety, tiredness, headache, dizziness, sweating, shaking, low mood, trouble sleeping, or feeling hungry again; all of these symptoms are related to the effect of a large amount of sugar on blood sugar level; it will initially give you a surge of energy followed by dramatic fall leaving you with all of these symptoms.
- You may also experience bloating and gas as certain types of sugar do especially if you have digestive conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
- When it comes to our gut, this amount is a big issue as sugar eliminates the beneficial bacteria; by providing energy for bad bacteria
to multiply, resulting in an imbalance (Dysbiosis) between harmful and beneficial bacteria. It also increases cravings for sugar, which further causes inflammation in tissue and damage to our gut.
Adding High Fructose Corn Syrup To Your Pancakes
- Artificial sweeteners could induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota as shown in a study done in mice, which concluded that artificial sweeteners reduced the beneficial bacteria resulting in a change in the balance of gut bacteria. Another study demonstrated that these changes occur also in humans but the effects vary from one to another; Highlighting the need for further studies to determine the real effects in people.
- High-fructose corn syrup can contribute to increases in liver fat and obesity when consumed in excessive amounts. This is because fructose is metabolized in a different way than other carbs. These metabolites lead to tissue inflammation and further damage. It also contains plenty of calories and does not offer essential nutrients to your body.
Gluten Content In Pancakes
- Traditional buttermilk pancakes are high in refined wheat flour, which contains the protein gluten. Some people are unable to properly digest the protein.
- Gluten specifically can cause demonstrable effects on our gut bacteria; it could reduce certain types of important bacteria in the
gut. Also, it can affect our immunity, triggering the immune system to create antibodies against it.
How To Have a Healthy Pancake Day
- First, you have to know that the guidelines recommended limiting the sugar in your daily intake, to not more than 6 teaspoons per day. We can eat every meal in a healthy way if we know the components of what we eat and their effect on our bodies. 1 or 2 pancakes is a reasonable amount and could be beneficial if we use a healthy recipe.
- My advice is to try making your pancakes with whole wheat flour or oat flour, which will boost your fiber intake and avoid the gluten effects. Additionally, this improves your gut microbiota.
- Also, read the food labels carefully, avoid high-fructose corn syrup, and replace it with natural ingredients like honey and fruits.
