Sugar consumption is a huge factor leading to the development of heart disease

It has long been known that sugar is a villain in the world of oral health and that it is largely responsible for a huge diabetes epidemic in the United States, but what many may not know is how sugar negatively impacts our hearts.  We have mostly assumed that it was the fat in our diets that was clogging our arteries and raising our cholesterol.  A new study, however, is changing that general presumption to include sugar as one of the primary factors influencing heart disease.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, asked approximately six thousands participants about their diets.  They were then grouped according to their cholesterol numbers and sugar intake.  The researchers found that almost sixteen percent of the participants’ daily calories came from sugar.  When assessed even further, they concluded that those who ate the most sugar ingested about forty-six teaspoons of sugar per day, while those who ate the least amount of sugar clocked in at three teaspoons per day.  This influx of sugar may lead to heart disease and stroke, as well as risk factors for the disease, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.  In fact, the American Heart Association feels so strongly about limiting sugar that it has issued new guidelines about its consumption, limiting women to eating only six teaspoons of sugar per day, while men can consume up to nine teaspoons.

But, sugar has been around for years and has not been considered a culprit for heart problems until very recently, so why the new change?  Well, sugar has been added to virtually all of our foods and it comes in various names other than simply ‘sugar.’  Usually, anything ending in –ose is a sugar variant, and of course anything with the word ‘syrup’ is a sugar derivative.  The sweetener is in many beverages, prepared foods, and even ‘healthy’ foods such as granola, oatmeal, and yogurt.  It has been hard for people to limit their sugar intake simply because it seems like it is in everything.  Some new legislation is trying to change that, however, by attempting to impose a tax on sweetened soft drinks.  But, much like with a tax on cigarettes, we will have to see if a sugar tax detracts people from buying soda.

So, if it is in everything and causes harm to our hearts, how can we limit our intake?  You can start with simple steps like cutting out the sugar in your coffee or limiting it to half of a teaspoon.  Also, switch your regular sodas for diet, or better yet, drink tea, water, or coffee.  Finally, limit the amount of processed and packaged foods that you consume, as this will easily cut down your sugar intake.  Getting rid of the white stuff will definitely boost your health and your heart will thank you.