Sugar which is being added in greater amounts and with greater frequency than ever before by food manufacturers in almost all processed foods and beverages appears to raise the risk of heart disease.
Researchers took a close look at data on nutritional intake and levels of fat in the blood in more than 6,000 adults between 1999 and 2006.
They found that those who consumed greater amounts of additional sugar had risks of experiencing heart disease. This included not only higher triglyceride levels but higher ratios of triglycerides to HD.
Researchers: Miriam Vos, MD, Emory School of Medicine & associates.
Published: Journal of American Medical Association, 2010.
Learn more about natural ways to help prevent heart disease.
Poor Dental Hygiene Tied to Heart Disease Risk
It occurs to us that those who consume more sugar may also be more likely to have poor dental hygiene habits. Researchers in the following study were looking at brushing and flossing rates – but sugar consumption is certainly tied to dental caries.
Researchers looking at the health histories of more than 11,000 patients in Scotland, have found that those patients who do not brush their teeth twice a day are more likely to have heart disease compared to those who do so.
70% of the subjects brushed their teeth twice a day, and 60% visit the dentist twice a year. Those subjects with poorer brushing habits had a 70% higher risk of heart disease.
Researchers: University College of London
Published: British Medical Journal (BMJ), May, 2010