Eating foods high in added sugar can increase risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD), researchers warn.
Cardiovascular disease is a term used to refer to the disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Heart attacks, strokes, hypertension, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease and heart failure are included in the list.
Health experts always recommend limiting foods and drinks high in sugar. Almost all foods contain a natural form of sugar- carbohydrates. However, to enhance taste, sugar is added to foods, mainly sweets, chocolates, juices, soft drinks and cakes. The added sugar can be in many forms including honey, corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, glucose, maltose, hydrolysed starch and invert sugar. According to health experts from NHS Choices in UK, added sugar should not contribute to more than10 percent of the calorie intake per day. That means less than 70g and 50 g added sugar for men and women respectively. However, the recommended level can change with size, age and activity of a person.
For the study, a team of researchers led by Dr Quanhe Yang of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in US, looked at national health survey data from 1988 to 2010. Results showed a direct link between consumption of added sugar and mortality risk from CVD. Drinking seven or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages was found increasing death from the deadly diseases.
The study has been published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Added sugar has been a source of concern across the globe lately. Highlighting the adverse health outcomes associated with consuming foods high in sugar, World Health Organization (WHO), recently urged the food industry and common people to reduce sugar intake from the currently recommended ten teaspoons to five teaspoons a day.
However, some manufacturers continue using high levels of sugar in their foods and drinks.
Recently, President of the Coca-Cola company's Europe Group, James Quincey revealed that a small coke drink available in theatre contains 23 sachets of sugar, while the big can contains 44 sachets of sugar. That means drinking a single can of coke contributes to 135 calories.
Following are some other products that contain high levels of sugar, as provided by a Medical News Today report:
- One can of Red Bull -7.5 teaspoons of sugar
- One glass of lemonade- 5.5 teaspoons of sugar
- One glass Fruit smoothie - 3.5 teaspoons of sugar
- Milk chocolate bar 44 g- 5.75 teaspoons of sugar
- Snickers bar 57 g - 7 teaspoons of sugar
- Breakfast cereals Cheerios- 1.1 teaspoons of sugar
- Corn flakes- 2.4 teaspoons of sugar
- Froot loops- 10.6 teaspoons of suagr
