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Blog author, Solai Buchanan is an experienced Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with an MS from Columbia Teachers College. She specializes in treating heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, polycystic ovarian syndrome,and other chronic diseases. She is a provider at a full-service cardiology practice accepting most insurance and staffed with a primary care MD, pediatrician, and cardiologist. Call: 718.894.7907. NYCC is lead by Interventional Cardiologist Sanjeev Palta, MD, FSCAI, FACC. He trained at Cornell-Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and the State University Hospital of Brooklyn. He currently is an Attending Cardiologist at New York Methodist Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Having performed over 2000 invasive cardiac procedures Dr. Palta’s patients know they are in trusted hands.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

EVEN WITHOUT WEIGHT GAIN, DIET HIGH IN SUGAR INCREASES BLOOD PRESSURE AND CHOLESTEROL

A recent review of existing studies on sugar consumption and heart health finds that regular consumption of too much sugar and other added sweeteners increases the risk of high blood pressure and elevated blood cholesterol, even when individuals maintain a healthy weight. 

These findings corroborate results released earlier this year that were based on data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) which tracks over 31,000 Americans.  For this current review, researchers pooled the results of  all international studies done comparing the effects of higher versus lower added sugar consumption on blood pressure and lipids.  They found 37 trials reporting effects on lipids and 12 reporting effects on blood pressure.

The review concluded that as long as caloric and carbohydrate intake were kept the same, consuming a higher  percentage of calories from sugar did not contribute to more added weight.  But, eating a higher percentage of calories from sugar did result in significantly higher blood pressure levels and cholesterol levels.    So, even when consuming a sugary diet does not result in weight gain, it does increase one's risk of heart disease. 

What to do:  Avoid added sugar as much as possible.  Even at a healthy weight, a daily 20-oz serving of soda alone puts you over the limit of sugar intake.  Beware not only of foods we typically think of as sweets.  "Healthy foods" such as granola bars, cereal, sauces, canned & dried fruit, and yogurt contain substantial amounts of added sweeteners.  

Source:
L. A. Te Morenga, A. J. Howatson, R. M. Jones, J. Mann. Dietary sugars and cardiometabolic risk: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials of the effects on blood pressure and lipids. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2014; DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.113.081521

Articles adapted from:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11256097 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140515095633.htm

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