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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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Less Added Sugar For Heart Disease Prevention! Sugar is essential for the body to create energy to survive, though it is unnecessary to include sugary foods or added sugars in the diet. A diet with adequate complex carbohydrates from foods like whole grains and legumes, and foods that contain natural sugar such as fruit and milk should be able to provide all the energy needed. Research has shown that excessive added sugar is bad for the health, especially the heart. For instance, people will gain weight or even be obese with excessive intake of sugar. Weight gain is often linked to other chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and even certain types of cancer. Added sugar also put people at a higher risk of poor lipid profile: higher triglycerides, lower HDL (the good cholesterol) and higher LDL levels (the bad cholesterol) in the blood. Poor lipid profile also raises the risk for coronary heart disease. Most sugars consist of 2 molecules, namely glucose and fructose, in different ratios. The sugar in fresh apple is the same as table sugar. Both are known as sucrose, which can be broken down in the intestine into glucose and fructose. Glucose is metabolized by any cell in the body, but fructose can be handled almost exclusively by the liver. Being the food industry’s favored sweetener, high-fructose corn syrup is often added to processed foods including soft drinks, breads, sauces, snacks and salad dressings. Such corn syrup contains the same components as table sugar, glucose and fructose, but in slightly different proportions.
For most people, consuming sugar in moderation should be fine. The human body can safely metabolize at least 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day. But unfortunately, most people are consuming at least 3 times that amount, and majority of the excess sugar becomes metabolized into body fat. This could lead to metabolic problems beyond weight gain. The culprit that is responsible is fructose. Any fructose getting into the body is sent to liver that specializes in turning it into droplets of fat called triglycerides. Studies show a predictable response when people are asked to drink a sugary beverage: a rapid spike in the amount of triglycerides circulating in their bloodstreams, and this also leads to a reduction in HDL cholesterol. Over time, this combination is one major reason suggesting sugar promotes heart disease. Too much fructose can be likened to the effects of alcohol, and this can damage the liver over time. When all the fructose getting into the body is sent to liver for processing, it is obvious that liver can be overloaded, and this can lead to potential damage. Sugar increases the uric acid levels, too. It is known that high uric acid level is a risk factor for kidney and heart disease. Latest research shows that the safest range of uric acid is between 3 to 5.5 milligrams per deciliter. If one’s uric acid level exceeds this, he or she might likely be subject to the negative health impacts of fructose. A study led by CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) found that adults who consumed more than 15 percent of their daily calories from added sugar had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke). This translates to about 300 calories or 18 teaspoons of added sugar for the average adult. Most people are just eating high amount of sugar without realizing it. The biggest sources of added sugar for adults were soft drinks, fruit juices, desserts and candy. A single 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola has almost 10 teaspoons of sugar. Out of 600,000 food items for sale in America, about 80 percent contain added sugar. People who are already obese may be more susceptive to metabolic harm from sugar than others. It is best for everyone to follow the guidelines by WHO (World Health Organization): adults and children should not consume more than about 6 teaspoons daily of added sugar.
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