By David Blyweiss, M.D.

Lately, I’ve written a lot about the evils of sugar, especially because of its link to obesity and diabetes. But now you can add one more evil to the list: heart disease. Two new studies have linked a high intake of sugar and other simple carbohydrates to both lower HDL (good) cholesterols levels and a higher risk of heart attack.

In the first study, which was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers surveyed more than 6,000 adults and discovered that those who ate the most sugar were three times more likely to have low HDL levels. They also had higher triglyceride levels.

The second study, which involved more than 47,000 subjects, was even more alarming. According to researchers at Italy’s National Cancer Institute, women who eat too many high glycemic carbohydrates—which cause quick spikes in blood sugar levels—more than double their risk of having a heart attack. The worst carbs? Any foods made with refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

These “bad” carbs score extremely high on the glycemic index, which assigns each food with a numerical value based on how quickly it raises a person’s blood sugar. High-glycemic carbs include white sugar and starches. “Good” carbs, on the other hand, include most fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grain cereals, breads and pasta. These foods cause a more gradual rise in blood sugar which leads to a slower release of the hormone insulin. This moves glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells where it’s used as fuel or stored as fat. Slowing this digestive process limits the damage to cells triggered by elevated blood sugar, possibly protecting against heart disease, diabetes and other woes.

What I find discouraging is that, despite all of the evidence pointing to sugar’s ill effects on our health, industry analysts say global sugar consumption will reach 176 million tons by 2015. That’s about 20 percent more than what most American’s are eating now. Given the link between sugar and heart disease—not to mention obesity and type 2 diabetes—this increase is significant.

The American Heart Association says that most women should not consume more than 100 calories of added sugars per day; most men, no more than 150 calories. That’s about 6 teaspoons of sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons for men. To put that in perspective, the average 12-ounce can of soda contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar.

Most American’s consume an average of about 360 calories from refined sugars every day, or 16 percent of their total daily calories. That means that every day, their blood sugar levels are sent on a heart-damaging rollercoaster ride. But it’s not just the foods we think of as sweet—soda pop, candy and cake—that contribute to our sugar overload. Much of the sugar we consume is hidden in processed foods like salad dressings, canned soups and spaghetti sauce. Often listed on ingredient labels as dextrose, fructose, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, sorbitol, fruit juice concentrate, galactose, lactose, polydextrose or maltodextrin, it can be hard to spot.

While it’s next to impossible to cut sugar out of your life entirely, it is critically important to reduce the amount of sugar you eat as much as you can. In addition, you can also blunt the effects of this “white poison” to some degree by taking 3,000 mg. of fish oil daily. Fish oil helps counter the pro-inflammatory effect of sugar. It also helps to lower triglycerides. And, according to the Cleveland Clinic, fish oil may boost HDL levels. What’s more, studies show that fish oil improves insulin sensitivity, which helps your body handle what sugar you do consume.

While everyone likes an occasional sweet treat, knowing the damage that sugar can cause should make you think twice before reaching for that soda or cookie. Your heart will certainly thank you for it.

References:

Adkins Y. Mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2010 Apr 9. [Epub ahead of print]

Sieri S. Dietary Glycemic Load and Index and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in a Large Italian Cohort. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2010;170:640-647.

Welsh JA. Caloric Sweetener Consumption and Dyslipidemia Among US Adults. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2010; 303:1490-1497