More evidence linking sugar to heart disease
Friday, April 23, 2010 18:31The American Heart Association now recommends that you keep added sugars to less than 5% of your calorie intake. That's about 25 grams or 6 teaspoons per day for an average-sized adult. This week, a new study published in JAMA adds weight to the argument.
A team of researchers analyzing dietary records from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found a strikingly linear correlation between added sugars and heart disease risk factors. As sugar intake went up, HDL ("good" cholesterol) levels went down and triglycerides went up. The average intake of added sugars, by the way, was about 16% of total calories.
Sweet and Natural
It's tempting to blame excessive sugar consumption on too much processed food. And, really, what does that have to do with the people reading this blog? We're nutrition conscious around here. We don't eat that junk (at least not when anyone's watching!). But that doesn't necessarily mean we're off the hook.
Added sugars are defined as "caloric sweeteners used by the food industry and consumers as ingredients in processed or prepared foods to increase the desirability of these foods." I've added emphasis to highlight the fact that your diet can be free of processed foods and still contain substantial amounts of added sugars.
- A couple of teaspoons of raw honey drizzled over your homemade yogurt? 12 grams of added sugars
- A tablespoon or two of organic maple syrup on your sprouted buckwheat griddle cakes? 12-24 grams of added sugars
- A packet of "in the raw" turbinado sugar in your chai? 5 grams of added sugars
- A teaspoon of molasses in the marinade for your tofu steaks or portobello? 4 grams of added sugars
- A spoonful of organic evaporated cane juice on your steel-cut oatmeal? 8 grams of added sugars
I think you get my point. We all-natural, grind-my-own-grains, ferment-my-own-kefir, wouldn't-feed-my-dog-processed-food types can get a little holier-than-thou about our diets. And yet, we can run up the sugar meter as fast as anyone.
Just sayin' is all.