What too munch love does to your metabolic health

All through the day, many of us are munching constantly. Between breakfast, lunch and dinner, the average Indian manages to squeeze in several snack times, often with a midnight bite thrown in for good measure. Needless to say, most of those snacks come out of a packet and are processed foods. And a mouth that’s chomping all day can be pretty tiring for one’s metabolism.
“Around 76% of Indians snack at least twice daily,” points out Dr Ambrish Mithal, head of endocrinology and diabetes at Max Healthcare, Delhi, and a Padma Bhushan recipient. “Every snack, regardless of size, triggers an insulin response.” So, unlike popular belief, snacking doesn’t actually boost metabolism. Rather, constantly snacking on high-carb or ultra-processed foods raises risks of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, Dr Mithal says.