Too Much Sugar Raises Heart Disease Risk
By: Charlotte Ames
Updated: April 20, 2010
Many of us wage a battle with sugar, corn syrup and other caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages. They may help foods taste better but add little, if any nutrients and now researchers say they're not only bad for your waistline, they're also hard on your heart.
Jean A. Welsh, M.P.H., R.N., of Emory University, Atlanta, and colleagues studied federal nutrition data and the level of blood fats in more than six thousand men and women. They were divided into five groups, according to the amount of added sugar and caloric sweeteners they consumed every day.
Walsh said, "the highest consuming group consumed an average of 46 teaspoons of sugar of added sugars; the lowest consuming group consumed only about on average three teaspoons."
Researchers discovered that people who ate the most added sugars were more likely to have higher risk factors for heart disease, specifically, high triglycerides, blood fats that raise your risk of heart disease and diabetes and lower H.D.L., or good cholesterol.
Miriam B. Vos, M.D., M.S.P.H., of Emory University also helped direct the study. She warned, "for those who may be concerned about heart disease and are reducing their fat intake and as a result of reducing their fat intake may be increasing their refined sugar intake, it get's a bit complicated, but we cannot pay attention to the fats and ignore the sugars."
The study, in the Journal of the American Medical Association did not look at natural sugars found in fruit and fruit juices, only added sugars.
Jean A. Welsh, M.P.H., R.N., of Emory University, Atlanta, and colleagues studied federal nutrition data and the level of blood fats in more than six thousand men and women. They were divided into five groups, according to the amount of added sugar and caloric sweeteners they consumed every day.
Walsh said, "the highest consuming group consumed an average of 46 teaspoons of sugar of added sugars; the lowest consuming group consumed only about on average three teaspoons."
Researchers discovered that people who ate the most added sugars were more likely to have higher risk factors for heart disease, specifically, high triglycerides, blood fats that raise your risk of heart disease and diabetes and lower H.D.L., or good cholesterol.
Miriam B. Vos, M.D., M.S.P.H., of Emory University also helped direct the study. She warned, "for those who may be concerned about heart disease and are reducing their fat intake and as a result of reducing their fat intake may be increasing their refined sugar intake, it get's a bit complicated, but we cannot pay attention to the fats and ignore the sugars."
The study, in the Journal of the American Medical Association did not look at natural sugars found in fruit and fruit juices, only added sugars.
