Revanth Himatsingka, popular on social media as @foodpharmer with 135,000 followers on Instagram, received backlash from Bournvita-owned company Mondelez India for his April 1 video, where he highlighted the high sugar content of the product. Following a legal notice from the company on 13 April, he removed the video and issued an apology on his Instagram handle, while his Twitter handle has been suspended.
In a now-deleted video, he claimed that Bournvita, a health drink owned by Mondelez India, contained ingredients that could cause diabetes if consumed daily, and that one of the ingredients, a coloring agent, Can cause cancer. He criticized Bournvita’s tagline “Tayari Jeet Ki” (Preparing for victory), suggesting it should be “Tayari Diabet Ki” (Preparation for Diabetes).
After the video crossed 12 million views on Instagram, Revanth apologized to Cadbury, the parent company of Bournvita, and mentioned that he had received a legal notice. He removed the video and expressed that he had no plan or intention to infringe any trademark or defame any company, and requested multinational corporations (MNCs) not to take legal action as they have court cases pending against them. did not have the resources or interest to participate. ,
In response, Mondelez India issued a statement rejecting Revanth’s claims, stating that they were unscientific, and that he had twisted the facts and drawn incorrect and negative conclusions. The company defended the safety and quality of Bournvita, and disagreed with the allegations made by the influencer.
When are sugar-laden health supplements acceptable for kids?
Addressing recent concerns raised about added sugar in health drinks, a comparison found that 4 teaspoons of a health drink supplement contains between 1g and 6.5g of sugar (1.2tsp), which are available over the counter Available in most major brands. As claimed this is no doubt within the recommended amount (<10%) of calories from sugar as per WHO guidelines for a healthy child to ensure that they do not indulge in excess intake of simple sugars. Which increases the risk of obesity and chronic diseases.
“The incidence of childhood obesity is on the rise and sugar consumption is one of the reasons for weight gain. A child will not stop at this health drink but will continue to consume sugary drinks, jams, spreads, candies, jellies, cakes, biscuits, ketchup, etc., which are also sources of sugar. It cannot be completely eliminated in a child’s diet as they are completely exposed to it, so portion size is important rather than eliminating it completely, which later increases their craving for it ,” says Dr Edwina Raj, Head of Clinical Nutrition Dietetics, Aster CMI Hospital.
The child’s sugar consumption should be well balanced and should not exceed the overall daily dietary intake.
“It is relatively true that health drinks, which are supplemented with milk or water, contain calories, proteins, minerals, micronutrients and vitamins and are given only to underweight children or very selective children. If the child’s Supplementation is not required if natural growth is good,” says Dr Shreya Dubey, Consultant, Neonatology & Paediatrics, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram.
Health supplements contain all the nutrients, but the fact cannot be ignored that they are loaded with lots of hidden sugar. “Obesity, cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes are more likely to occur if the supplement is consumed in a sizable portion. Therefore, children should take these supplements only if advised by a paediatrician,” says Dr Dubey.
What is the recommended dose of sugar for children?
“Children ages 2 to 18 should have less than 6 teaspoons of sugar, or 24 grams of sugar. Children below the age of 2 should not be given added sugar,” says Dr. Amish Vora, Pediatrician and Neonatal Intensivist, Bhatia Hospital Mumbai.
“That’s because so many kids who are obese now have type 2 diabetes,” says Dr. Vora. To restrict them from eating too much processed food, carbonated and sugary drinks unless it is medically prescribed by a doctor. “It is best to avoid over the counter products as they tend to have a high sugar content. Most carbonated drinks contain 10g. of sugar per 100ml, and since consumption will exceed 100ml, the amount of sugar adds up. Some carbonated The drinks also go up to 15 grams of sugar,” Dr. Vora said.
How to choose which supplements are best for your child?
A nutritionist will be able to assess your child’s current nutrient intake and, if necessary, prescribe supplements based on nutrient deficiencies in daily food intake that will ensure nutritional adequacy and address deficiencies or deficiencies in such supplements. Will prevent poisoning.
“Each health drink or supplement varies in composition and has both benefits and negatives of the additives. They are also loaded with carbohydrates with between 12-17g in 4tsp of the supplement which when added to milk can make breakfast cereal/chapati Hence, this needs to be considered while planning a child’s daily meals to ensure that we do not overfeed them, leading to overweight and lifestyle diseases. The risk of stroke will increase,” Dr. Raj said.
There is no doubt that we are surrounded by many products with nutritional labels and tall claims, but it is equally important for every consumer to understand that any claim should not be accepted blindly, but health care It is imperative to seek out professionals, understand your health status and get a nutritional prescription. Accordingly from a registered dietician.
Dr Raj believes that nutritionists should help parents to explore other options instead of focusing only on food items as the parents are already frustrated with the unhealthy eating habits of the child.
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