Are you slowly killing yourself by too much sugar? As disturbing as that sounds, millions of Americans are doing this every day. And even though we doctors constantly talk about the dangers of too much soda (and sugar)…
Too many people don’t get how dangerous sugar really is!
High sugar consumption is linked to all kinds of serious health problems, such as:
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Addiction and Craving
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High Blood Pressure
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Tooth Decay
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Elevated Cholesterol
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Diabetes
But… scientists have discovered another, even more serious side effect:
HEART DISEASE.
Yes… Heart Disease.
According to research published in the esteemed Journal of the American Medical Society, eating too much sugar can significantly increase your risk of death from heart disease.1
The joint study, conducted by a team of scientists from the CDC, the Harvard School of Public Health, and Emory University, looked at people’s sugar habits in detail.
Here’s what they found:
People who get between 17-21% of their calories from sugar are at a far greater risk for heart disease, compared to people who eat less…
38 percent higher, in fact!
But the findings get even more extreme…
For the people who ate the most sugar (more than 21% of their daily calories)…
Their risk for heart disease shot up to more than double that of the people who ate the least sugar!
So when I tell you to avoid excessive sugar, I’m not just talking about staying slim… I’m trying to help you stay alive!
And thankfully, word is spreading and people are cutting back on unhealthy foods like sugary cereals, pastries, and candy.
But… there’s one area where I still see people damaging their health with sugar:
Soft Drinks.
Soft drinks are bursting with added sugar. But most people have no idea just how much is in there.
Here are the facts: A 12oz can of Coke contains about about 9 teaspoons of sugar.
But according to the American Heart Association, the maximum amount of daily sugar you should eat is:
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9 teaspoons per day for Men
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6 teaspoons per day for Women
In other words, a single serving of Coke equals your entire daily allowance for sugar if you’re a man…
And if you’re a woman, that one little can will to put you 50% over the daily limit!
See how sneaky the sugar in soda can be?
So you can understand why cutting out soft drinks (or at least cutting back) is the smart thing to do for your health! And just because you ditch soda doesn’t mean you have to live on tap water alone…
There are many delicious options for staying hydrated and refreshed. Some of my favorite sugar-free drinks are fruit-infused water, lime-flavored seltzer, and pure coconut water.
Now, if you’ve been a diehard soda drinker all your life, making the switch could take some time. But I guarantee you it’s worth it.
P.S. How are your soda habits? Are you trying to cut back, or look for alternatives? Please be honest and leave your comments below this article… because the more we know about people’s sugar habits, the easier it will be to find solutions.
Dr. Cary Nelson
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Sources:
1. Yang, Quanhe et al. “Added Sugar Intake And Cardiovascular Diseases Mortality Among US Adults”. JAMA Internal Medicine 174.4 (2014): 516. Web. 21 July 2016.