The Impact of Sugar on Your Heart Health

We could mention several habits that may drastically improve your heart health; we all should help prevent heart disease by incorporating manageable lifestyle changes into our daily routine.

Heart condition remains the leading cause of death in American adults. As a result, medical professionals are deeply concerned about cardiovascular health in American adults.

In addition to all the typically cited lifestyle factors that boost the risk of heart disease, healthy habits and regular physician visits dropped during the coronavirus pandemic.

Although this situation feels intimidating, there is a silver lining; some risk factors that may lead to heart disease are preventable. In addition, several simple heart-healthy habits may improve your health.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF SUGAR ON YOUR HEART HEALTH

Sugar is the one ingredient in food that almost everyone likes, and it is abundant in many foods, both naturally and as added sugar. For years, the healthcare community has focused on cholesterol and triglycerides as harming your health. However, there is growing evidence that too much sugar is not suitable for your health either.

Sugar and heart disease: Sugar increases the risk of premature heart disease and stroke and may also reduce life expectancy. The more sugar you consume, the greater the risk of death.

The conflict with sugar begins when individuals start consuming large amounts, especially refined sugar, and adding it to enhance the flavor of foods. In the typical American diet, sugar makes up at least ten percent of calories daily, but more than twenty percent of the population consumes two to three times that amount daily.

Most of the extra sugar, which we call “junk” calories, and all it does is increase body weight. (Junk calories mean they serve no valuable purpose for bodily functions).

A recent study showed that individuals who consumed twice as many calories accepted in added sugars were more likely to die from premature heart disease than those who consumed less than ten percent of added sugars.

WHERE DO YOU FIND EXCESS SUGAR?

You can find most sugar in cola drinks, energy drinks, and sports drinks. In addition, many individuals add sugar to their tea and coffee. Caffeine, sugar, and heart disease go hand in hand.

These drinks account for nearly thirty percent of the added sugar Americans consume regularly. In addition, at least seventy percent of coffee and tea drinkers add extra sugar to their beverages, in which caffeine and heart disease also play a role.

In the typical American diet, you may find critical sources of extra sugar in the following:

 Flavored dairy products
 Cola drinks
 Fruit juices
 Cereals
 Sweets
 Chocolates
 Cookies
 Most processed foods
 Ice cream and milkshakes
 Desserts
 Pies
 Baked goods
However, you may also find added sugar in items that you may not consider sweet, such as the following:

 Soups
 Sausages
 Bread
 Yogurt
 Crackers
 Condiments (such as tomato sauce).
We suggest always reading labels to see how much sugar is in what you are about to eat. There is no doubt that Americans are consuming too much sugar.

In a single day, most individuals in America consume between twelve and twenty-four teaspoons of sugar, averaging between one hundred and ninety and four hundred calories per day in sugar alone.

LEARNING ABOUT THE ADVERSE IMPACT OF SUGAR ON HEART HEALTH

Over the years, researchers have demonstrated that individuals who consume high sugar levels are more susceptible to heart disease. Excessive sugar consumption may lead to high blood pressure and chronic inflammation, leading to heart disease.

The latest research indicates that excessive sugar consumption in cola drinks may lead to weight gain by turning off the appetite control system in the brain.

Sugar tricks the brain into thinking that liquid calories are junk and that the body needs solid calories. Therefore, the individual continues to eat more while at the same time consuming more cola drinks, which can also become an issue with caffeine and heart disease.

HOW SUGAR AFFECTS YOUR HEART HEALTH

Sugar has adverse effects on both the heart and arteries in several ways, such as the following:

–INCREASING BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS

Increasing blood sugar and insulin levels increases your risk of heart disease and obesity.

–ELEVATED RISK OF DEVELOPING TYPE 2 DIABETES

Excess sugar increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.

–TRANSFORMING INTO TRIGLYCERIDES

When you consume excess sugar, your body stores the extra calories as triglycerides; consequently, high triglyceride levels are a serious risk factor for heart disease.

–LDL (LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN) CHOLESTEROL

Doctors and dieticians relate food high in sugar to high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol), which is to blame for clogging the arteries that supply oxygen to the heart.

–BLOOD PRESSURE

Doctors and dieticians connect diets high in sugar to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of stroke and heart disease.

–CHRONIC INFLAMMATION

Sugar can promote inflammation in the body, which causes excessive stress on the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk of stroke and premature death.

IS THERE A WAY TO ELIMINATE SUGAR FROM YOUR DIET?

Although you will probably not want to, and there is no way to eliminate all sugar from your diet because many foods contain it, the focus should be on eating natural sugar, such as vegetables and fruits, and not sugar “added.”

Eating food that contains natural sugar is healthy because it provides energy to the body. Unlike other proteins and fats, sugar provides instant fuel because you can efficiently metabolize it. In addition, the brain uses sugar as an energy source for most functions.

HOW MUCH SUGAR IS HEALTHY AND SAFE?

No one knows for sure what is the exact amount of sugar that you should consume without compromising your health, but experts recommend consuming no more than six to eight teaspoons of sugar daily. The universal opinion is that you should avoid sugary cola, as it may increase blood pressure.

Although federal guidelines have set limits on fat and salt intake, there is no upper limit for added sugar. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), women should not consume more than six teaspoons of sugar (one hundred calories) per day, and men should consume no more than nine teaspoons (one hundred and fifty calories) per day.

So, you may have an idea of sugar amounts, a regular canned cola drink contains nine teaspoons of sugar, and just one drink a day would put most individuals over the daily limit.

HOW TO AVOID OVERCONSUMPTION OF SUGAR

–YOU SHOULD READ THE LABELS

One of the best ways to restrict sugar intake is by reading labels. At the same time, it is essential to know that product suppliers may label sugar as one of the following:

 Agave nectar
 Brown sugar
 Barley malt
 Cane syrup
 Corn syrup
 Corn sweetener
 Fruit juice concentrate
 Powdered sugar
 Honey
 Malt sugar
 invert sugar
 molasses
 other terminology for sugar, such as dextrose, fructose, lactose, sucrose
 rice syrup

–PAY ATTENTION TO HOW MANY GRAMS/SERVINGS

It would be best to read labels to learn the number of grams per serving. For example, if the tag says ten grams of sugar per serving, but if you eat five servings of the same food, the total will be fifty grams of sugar.

–TRY AVOIDING ADDED SUGAR

Experts recommend that if you want something sweet, choose a fruit-based dessert, preferably fresh fruit with no added sugars.

–DISCONTINUE SUGARY DRINKS

One can of drinking soda provides more sugar than the daily amount that the experts recommend. So, it would be ideal if you avoided it.

Sugar and heart disease are both conditions that require to be under management. Depending on the person, your body may tolerate many things in moderation. Nevertheless, excess sugar is an agent you will want to monitor carefully.

At Modern Heart and Vascular Institute, we offer various services that cover multiple conditions, including cardiovascular services for your heart. Choose your preferred location. Same-day appointments are available. Call us today at 832-644-8930.

Regardless of age, focusing on your heart health will always be wise. Complications in the cardiovascular system develop over a long time; decades of unhealthy habits can be to blame.

The idea of taking care of yourself, like not smoking, eating the right things, being active, and knowing your numbers, among others, is relevant throughout our lives and before people realize it.

Start now improving your health by implementing heart-healthy habits into your life.
We are Modern Heart and Vascular Institute, a diagnostic and preventative medicine cardiology practice. For more information, contact us.