Forget About “Sharbat Jihad”, Let’s Talk About “Sugar Jihad”

By Dr. Munish Raizada, MD, FAAP

The Yoga Guru and owner of one of India’s biggest FMCG companies, Patanjali, Baba Ramdev is making headlines for his recent remark on fruit juice and beverage companies, accusing them (without naming any company) of conducting “Sharbat Jihad.” Ramdev made this remark in a video in which he was promoting his own company’s (Patanjali’s) sharbat (also spelled sherbat, it is a sweet drink consumed in the Indian subcontinent during summers). He said other companies are selling sharbat and using the money made from it to build mosques and madrasas and coined this practice as “Sharbat Jihad.” In the video, he said: “If you drink sharbat from other companies, mosques and madrasas will be built, but if you drink this (showing the bottle of Patanjali’s rose-flavored sharbat), then gurukuls will be built.”

Keeping aside the bigotry clearly on display here, let’s address the larger point that is not much talked about and which both Baba Ramdev and other sweetened beverage companies (including Hamdard) are very deceitfully hiding from their customers: the loaded amount of sugar present in beverages sold by these companies and how it’s slowly killing humanity. As summer approaches in the subcontinent and the scorching heat of the afternoon starts to take a toll on people, they begin looking for easily available cool beverages that offer some relief from the heat and refresh the body and mind. The sale of packaged bottled juices and sweetened beverages spikes exponentially during this time, with these companies making huge profits, completely ignoring the harm their products cause due to high sugar content. Not sure about Ramdev’s proclaimed “Sharbat Jihad,” but we are definitely in the midst of a “Sugar Jihad.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 77 million Indians above the age of 18 have type 2 diabetes, and around 25 million are at a higher risk of developing diabetes in the near future (pre-diabetics). Excess consumption of sugar—both directly and indirectly via food, beverages, and other supplements—is a major health hazard. Junk food, a fast-paced life with its accompanying stress, and excessive sugar make a perfect recipe for wreaking havoc on your health. Obesity, heart disease, and diabetes are the consequences. And the whole spectrum of these diseases comes with additional complications. Note that beverages and juice products sold in the market are loaded with fructose, glucose, and sucrose—all of which severely harm our bodies when consumed in excess.

Patanjali’s Rose (Gulab) Sharbat, which Baba Ramdev is boastfully asking people to consume over other sweetened products, is itself loaded with sugar—it has 99% sugar syrup. Its counterpart, Rooh Afza—a traditional sweet drink first made in 1907 by a Unani medicine practitioner, Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed, and since then a household name in India (later on in Pakistan and Bangladesh) for its refreshing effect—has 87–88% sugar. Here is the irony: Hakeem Majeed prepared this drink as a medicinal product for combating heat stroke and dehydration during summer, being totally unaware of the hazardous effects of its sugar load, which negatively affects people’s health. Decades ago, there may not have been that kind of awareness about the health hazards of sugar consumption, but today we know that sugar is a silent killer.

It is important to note that many food products we consume on a daily basis already provide carbohydrates or sugars to our body. Grains, rice, and pulses such as daal (split pulses), beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas contain carbohydrates that eventually convert into sugar in our bodies. Dairy products like milk contain lactose, which is a form of sugar. We may inadvertently consume many such products with a high glycemic index (foods that cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels), which severely harm our bodies.

Carbohydrates are essentially sugar. If something is not sweet, that does not mean it doesn’t contain sugar. Daal or pulses (widely consumed across India) are basically 20–50% carbohydrates, which will convert to sugar in the body.

How much sugar is exactly too much sugar? 

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), no more than 6 teaspoons (24 g) of added sugar per day for women and 9 teaspoons (36 g) for men is considered healthy. One gram of sugar or carbohydrate provides 4 kilocalories of energy. Most adults consume more than the recommended sugar intake. Junk foods like soda, sweet summer beverages, and juices are loaded with sugar, and people consume these products without concern or awareness about the spike in their blood sugar levels.

Due to the lack of awareness about the health hazards of various food products available in the market, and the weak regulatory standards in the country, it becomes easy for companies to promote their products without being concerned about people’s health. Celebrities openly promote these products, knowing full well that they are not suitable for consumption. That’s why consumers themselves must be vigilant about which products to trust and which to avoid. It is time we fight against the “Sugar Jihad” that is affecting all of us, regardless of religion or beliefs. The waves of sugar jihad unleashed upon humanity by the food and beverage industry need to be stopped.

In the end, let us remember that both Hamdard’s Rooh Afza and Patanjali’s Rose Sharbat are spiking your sugar levels—and in the process, they’re pocketing some money from you.