Starch is worse than fat

Health check: Dr Rajen speaking on the effects of diabetes.

PETALING JAYA: Starch, not fat, is the biggest threat to health, according to a holistic medicine expert.

Datuk Dr Rajen M said starch could turn into sugar 15 minutes after ingestion.

This is the cause of the rise in diabetes – which affects one in five to six people in the world.

“Our body cannot store sugar because sugar inside is toxic. So, what happens? It either tries to dilute itself by making you thirsty to flush the sugar out or turns it into fat.

“This leads to diabetes, obesity, and hypertension,” he said in an interview.

Rajen, who is the CEO of Holista Colltech, said it was believed that Malaysians consumed an average of 50 teaspoons of sugar daily, which includes the intake of carbohydrates as well.

He said most forms of carbohydrate consumed these days was in the form of starch that turned into refined sugar, citing rice, white bread and noodles.

“A bowl of rice is the chemical equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. Nobody will take 10 teaspoons of sugar at a time but we do take two or three bowls of rice,” he added.

Dr Rajen said many reasons caused diseases, like genetics and lack of exercise, but the type of food consumed was the biggest factor.

He said there were many misconceptions relating to obesity and diabetes.

“One of the biggest is fat, which is bad for you.

“Americans have gone on low fat diets for 30 years but the obesity rate has gone up. Starch always comes with fat – bread and butter, capati and ghee, nasi kunyit and nasi lemak. People have cut the fat but are still getting fatter,” he added.

He said that in conjunction with World Diabetes Day on Nov 14, Hollista would be holding talks on treating and preventing diabetes by managing carbohydrate in Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Johor.

“We need to alert people to the dangers of diabetes, and to introduce the latest on diabetes,” he said.