In Canada, someone dies of heart disease or stroke every seven minutes. In addition to smoking cessation and becoming physically active, studies show that making healthy food choices can also protect the heart. The main nutrients in the heart health spotlight are usually fat and sodium. However, in April 2010, new research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that excessive sugar intake may also play a role in cardiovascular disease risk.
While the link between high sugar intake and elevated triglycerides has been known for some time, this new research indicates that consuming high amounts of added sugar is also associated with lower levels of “good” (HDL) cholesterol. Abnormal levels of both cholesterol and triglycerides can increase the risk of heart disease.
Given the continual increase in sugar in the North American diet, this is a growing problem. The average American consumes nearly 16 percent of their daily calories from added sugars, but guidelines suggest no more than 5-10 percent. Since sugar is a common food additive in packaged and processed products, it’s important to study its effects.
In the present study, researchers assessed the association between consumption of added sugars and blood lipid levels in 6113 U.S. adults. Respondents were grouped by intake of added sugars as follows: 5% (reference group), 5-10%, 10-17.5%, 17.5-25%, and 25% of total calories from added sugar. Food intake was collected via 24-hour dietary recall.
Researchers found that daily consumption of added sugars averaged 3.2 ounces (21.4 teaspoons; 359 calories). This represents 15.8 percent of total daily caloric intake, a substantial increase from 1977-1978, when added sugars contributed only 10.6 percent of the calories consumed by adults.
Data analysis showed that the more added sugar that was consumed, the lower the “good” cholesterol levels were, and the higher the triglycerides levels. Among higher sugar consumers (10% added sugars or more), the odds of low HDL cholesterol levels were 50-300% greater compared with the reference group.
Understanding the effect of sugar on cardiovascular disease risk is critically important because added sugars are a potentially modifiable source of calories. In addition to paying close attention to sodium and fat, it is also critical to consider how much sugar is found in you menu.