by Mila McManus, MD
Research is revealing the substantial ravages sugar has on coronary arteries. Over the last decade, the obesity and diabetes epidemics have propelled an especially large number of research studies across the globe to determine the cause. One consistent outcome across them was not all that surprising: Sugar is a driver of all lifestyle diseases, not just obesity and diabetes! It is also what is driving coronary artery disease and stroke, as well as ADD/ADHD, Cancer, and Auto-immune diseases. Cholesterol medications won’t protect your health from the effects of sugar and other damaging dietary choices. Sorry.
Just a century ago, people consumed about 15 grams of sugar per day, mostly from pure cane sugar. Today, the typical person consumes a whopping 73 grams of sugar per day, mostly in foods sweetened with the cheaper corn-derived fructose sugar. It’s no wonder that our arteries are deteriorating. A more subtle source of sugar intake comes from refined grains in the Standard American Diet (SAD).
A direct relationship is being established between sugar, particularly fructose, and coronary artery disease. Specifically, the findings include:
- Sugar can increase your systolic blood pressure.
- Sugar can cause hardening of the arteries.
- Sugar increases triglyceride levels, increasing the risk for heart disease.
- Sugar and grains break down into glucose, elevating insulin, the hormone that tells the body to store deep belly, visceral fat, which releases proteins and hormones that lead to inflammation and damage to arteries. [Click HERE to read more about how glucose and insulin work in the human body]
It comes down to the fact that sugar and refined grains are inflammatory foods that ravage our coronary arteries and destroy cellular structures, leading us to today’s most common reasons for death, all of which are degenerative diseases. The most common causes of death today include heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and now obesity. Choosing health means choosing a better lifestyle. A better lifestyle must include a drastic reduction in sugar intake and a substantial increase in whole plant organic foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and animal sources of protein and fat.
Be nice to your arteries. Stop the sugar. Be Well.
Reference:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar
https://www.scripps.org/news_items/7679-how-does-sugar-affect-your-heart-health