It was not a sweet day for sugar lovers out there.
An unhealthy amount of free sugar in the diet might have negative effects on the cardiovascular system. So for now, bid your final goodbye to your sweet tooth era.
A recent study published in the London-based BioMed Medicine Journal suggests that eating a diet high in added sugars in food, often known as “free sugar,” can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Added sugars or free sugars are a type of sugar carbohydrate that is intentionally added to food and beverages before they are ingested. Honey, maple syrup, and fruit naturally contain sugars, and added sugars are also a part of this category.
Over 110,000 people between the ages of 37 and 73 were screened for cardiovascular disease in the study. From 2006 to 2010, they took part in a four-year data collection.
The participants were invited to complete two to five 24-hour online nutritional evaluations, during which they were instructed to record everything they consumed and drank.
Free sugar equals free health issues?
According to the study, larger levels of triglycerides across the board in lipoproteins and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease were shown to be associated with larger intakes of free sugar.
After almost nine years of following the subjects, the researchers found no connection between total carbohydrate intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
However, they discovered that a higher intake of free sugar was connected to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a wider waist measurement when they looked into how the findings vary depending on the types and sources of carbs consumed.
Ways to fight sugar cravings
A report from Cleveland Clinic noted that if someone wants to stop his/her sugar cravings, he/she has to “make a movement” in order to prevent themselves from satisfying their cravings
“Exercise will help decrease your ghrelin levels. It can also help you to be more tired, get to sleep and stay asleep a little bit longer, which also reduces cravings,” the report said.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-stop-sugar-cravings/
The amount of food that one consumes is the primary factor that determines ghrelin levels.
What can you do? Go with fiber-rich food
What, however, can be done to protect against the development of cardiovascular disease, which has been related to an excessive intake of free sugars?
It was expected by the study’s authors that reducing one’s consumption of refined grain starch and free sugars while increasing one’s consumption of whole grain starch and non-free sugars would reduce one’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
A recent meta-analysis of observational studies found that eating more whole grains and fiber-rich meals was associated with a reduced risk of ischemic heart disease. Stroke risk, however, was deemed an area where more research was needed.
The study revealed that cardiovascular disease (4,188 cases), ischemic heart disease (3,138 cases), and stroke (1,124 cases) are all connected to excessive consumption of free sugars.
The PH condition
But even though the study was merely focused on foreign subjects, which highlights their greater and easier access to food high in free sugar content, the Philippines remains relevant to the data provided by the study.
Recent findings from the Philippine Statistics Authority indicate that ischemic heart disease was the primary cause of death among Filipinos in the year 2022.
The PSA noted that ischemic heart problems were responsible for 77,173 deaths from the beginning of January to September of that year This represented 18.5% of all deaths that occurred in the country in the said year.
