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Freak shakes: what you need to know about dessert with a boosted dose of sugar
Freak shakes: what you need to know about dessert with a boosted dose of sugar
Anonim

They even want to ban the unhealthy dessert in the UK.

Freak shakes: what you need to know about dessert with a high dose of sugar
Freak shakes: what you need to know about dessert with a high dose of sugar

What is a freakshake

A freakshake is a milkshake with a huge head of sweets. Garnished with cream, cookies, donuts and ice cream - the dessert resembles a bright sweet mountain. It first appeared in 2015 on the menu of the Australian restaurant Patissez, but is now sold in the USA, Europe and major cities of Russia.

However, nutritionists are sounding the alarm: dessert can be harmful, especially for children.

Why are these cocktails dangerous?

Freak shakes are very high in calories: a lot of sugar is added to the cocktail itself, and the top of sweets only aggravates the situation. The largest necks contain up to 1,300 kcal (the daily intake is 2,100 kcal for men, 1,800 for women and 1,200 kcal for a child with minimal physical activity).

Almost all the calories of a freakshake come from sugar, which quickly wears off the feeling of fullness. Within a few hours after such a snack, a person feels hungry. Because of what, in a day, you can consume double the amount of calories and not even notice it. Such a passion for sweets is a direct path to obesity.

Not only calories are dangerous, but sugar itself. There is so much of it in a cocktail that it causes a powerful release of insulin into the blood. Even occasional use of freakshakes can cause a deterioration in well-being and a strong addiction to sugar, and regular use can lead to diabetes.

Often people do not know about the calorie content of the drink. It seems to them that they are ordering a regular milkshake, although in fact it contains about 1,000 kcal. Due to ignorance, some can drink freakshakes regularly and ultimately ruin their health.

Why freakshakes have become a problem in the UK

According to statistics, almost a third of British children between 12 and 15 years old are overweight, and this is due to the sugar in the food. People were seriously concerned about this: in 2014, the public organization Action on Sugar was even created from a group of activists concerned about the impact of sugar on human health.

According to Ban freakshakes containing ‘grotesque’ levels of sugar, say campaigners Graham McGregor, chief chairman of Action on Sugar, in the fight against freakshakes, it’s not enough just to reduce the amount of sugar in foods. The best way out of the situation is to prohibit the sale of milkshakes with an energy value of more than 300 kcal.

The British government has not yet responded to this initiative. Nevertheless, a battle has already begun against sweets in general. All manufacturers were ordered to reduce the amount of sugar in food by 20% by 2020 and mark too sweet and high-calorie with bright red badges. However, this is unlikely to help completely protect children from freakshakes.

What they say about freakshakes in Russia

In Russia, freakshakes are not yet as popular as in Europe, and they are not offered in every establishment. There are no studies on the health effects of this dessert yet. Therefore, they do anything with such cocktails: they put them on the children's menu, they are simply called drinks, and most importantly, they do not indicate the calorie content. At the same time, in terms of composition and number of calories, Russian freakshakes are the same as British, American or Australian ones.

An example of the volume and composition of freakshakes
An example of the volume and composition of freakshakes

How to Minimize the Health Harm of Freakshakes

In terms of calorie content, freakshakes are comparable to any other fast food. You need to perceive them not as a drink, but as a full-fledged dessert, and adhere to some rules:

  • Know when to stop - don't use freakshakes too often.
  • After consuming the neck, use the received energy as actively as possible, for example, go to the gym.
  • Do not order a freakshake as a dessert: the cocktail is so high in calories that it may well become your only dish.
  • Consume the neck in the morning.

However, these rules apply only to healthy people. Freakshakes are completely contraindicated for people:

  • With disorders of carbohydrate metabolism - diabetes mellitus, impaired glucose tolerance.
  • Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
  • Prone to food allergies.
  • Trying to lose weight. Freak shakes are not even suitable for cheat meals - a planned violation of the diet to relieve psychological stress.

If you really want a freakshake, do not deny yourself, but remember about its dangers and do not make dessert a regular item on your menu.

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