With heart disease the leading cause of death worldwide, we wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t mention sugar’s role.
Even the American Heart Association and Heart Foundation, who have traditionally focused on fats, are now warning against added sugar.
“The food industry has profited from the low-fat mantra for decades because foods that are marketed as low-fat are often loaded with sugar,” says leading cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra.
“We are now learning that added sugar in food is driving the obesity epidemic and the rise in diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”
Sugary drinks and the heart.
Beverages are the biggest contributor of sugar to the modern diet. So, when a study comes out linking sugary drinks to a health issue, we have to sit up and listen.
The most comprehensive study of sugar-sweetened drinks so far concludes that just one serve of sugary drink a day increases risk of heart attack or fatal heart disease by 35 per cent.
“Limiting intake [of sugar-sweetened beverages] is one simple change that will have a measurable impact on weight control and prevention of cardio-metabolic diseases,” said study author, Frank Hu, Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard.
Added sugar and cardiac death.
People who consume 25 per cent or more of their daily energy intake as added sugar are twice as likely to die of heart disease than those who limited it to 10 per cent or lower, says a 15-year study.
While the exact mechanisms are still under debate, the study authors pointed out that excess sugar can increase obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol and inflammation. None of which are too good for your heart!
Sugar and high blood pressure.
High blood pressure (or hypertension) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart failure and stroke.
Not to our surprise, a recent review of science proved a link between high blood pressure and sugar. One study showed rises in blood pressure after just weeks on a high-sugar diet.
Sugar and cholesterol.
Research has found that excess sugar can increase bad cholesterol (LDL), while decreasing the good cholesterol (HDL) which helps transport bad cholesterol away from the heart.
High levels of LDL can lead to fatty deposits in the arteries, blocking blood flow and sometimes even leading to heart attack and stroke.
Reducing your risk.
Firstly, get your added sugar consumption within the recommended limits. That’s six teaspoons for women and nine teaspoons for men.
Luckily, when you eat real, whole food including plenty of vegetables, fruit, protein and healthy fats, you’ll naturally cut down your sugar consumption (and consume heart-protective foods!).
“There is little controversy over the benefits to cardiovascular health of not smoking, eating a well balanced diet, maintaining mental well-being, taking regular exercise and keeping active, as demonstrated in large cohort studies,” says the World Health Organization.
But also remember to always seek help if you are at risk of heart disease. See a doctor before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.
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