Flour facts: Refined flour and its impact on your diet

Refined flour, commonly known as maida in India, is one of the most commonly consumed food items in the country. From samosas to cakes, everything contains refined flour and so everyone ends up consuming a lot of it on a daily basis. However, this is quite harmful as the refined flour consequences are quite dangerous for your body. Take a look at this article if you consume refined flour regularly. We have some healthy tips to help maintain your diet and also tell you why you need a health insurance from Zurich Kotak General Insurance to back it all up.

The ill effects of refined flour

Digestive problems

A major diet impact of refined flour is seen in your digestive health. Since refined flour is loaded with carbohydrates and promotes the release of sugars in your blood, your body struggles to break it down. Also, refined flour contains gluten, which works as a glue in your gut and prevents the food from getting digested, leading to severe discomfort.

Promotes diabetes

As stated, refined flour promotes the release of blood sugar and also causes an insulin imbalance. It also stops your body from burning fat as the primary fuel, which leads to obesity. Both these factors promote type 2 diabetes, which is one of the leading health problems in the world.

Weight gain

Choosing whole grains like whole wheat and millet over refined flour is an excellent idea if you wish to lose weight. Maida has empty calories that just supply your body with carbohydrates and prevent it from burning fat. This leads to severe weight gain. Also, refined flour products like bread and buns are often consumed with other fatty foods like processed meat and condiments, usually deep fried, which further adds to weight gain.

Lack of nutrition

As mentioned above, refined flour has practically no nutritional value. The process of making maida by refining and bleaching whole wheat kills all the minerals in it. When you include a lot of refined flour in diet, your body gets deprived of important nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. This leads to severe health problems in the long run.

Can cause cancer

Several studies have proven that there is a direct link between excessive maida consumption and certain cancers like colon, breast and endometrial cancers. This is based on the fact that refined flour has a high glycemic index, which is directly responsible for cancer. Switch to healthy flour alternatives like whole grains and keep your body protected against the risks of cancer.

Staying protected with health insurance

It may not be completely possible for you to cut out refined flour entirely from your diet. Try to lower the intake and gradually cut it off. Till then, invest in a good health insurance from Zurich Kotak General Insurance to keep yourself and your family protected. There are many good health covers available and you can comprehensively secure the health of your entire family, so find the best policy today.

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