Some sources of added sugar are worse than others, new study suggests

[Lauren Taylor]

ADDED SUGAR IS THE ENEMY TO YOUR HEALTH – THAT’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN TAUGHT TO BELIEVE FOR DECADES NOW.

WELL, IT TURNS OUT, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER ENEMY – SOME ARE WORSE THAN OTHERS.

A NEW STUDY SHOW THE KIND OF SUGARY TREAT YOU INDULGE IN – CHANGES HOW IT IMPACTS YOUR HEALTH.

THE STUDY WAS DONE OVER THE SPAN OF MORE THAN 20 YEARS… AND LOOKED AT THREE MAJOR CATEGORIES:

SUGARY BEVERAGES, SWEETS – LIKE PASTRIES, FOR EXAMPLE – AND TOPPINGS, LIKE THE HONEY YOU ADD TO TEA OR THE SUGAR YOU PUT IN YOUR COFFEE.

RESEARCHERS FROM LUND UNIVERSITY IN SWEDEN FOUND CONSUMING SWEET DRINKS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES THE RISK FOR HEART DISEASE – WHILE EATING THINGS LIKE PASTRIES AND CHOCOLATE IN SOCIAL SETTINGS MIGHT ACTUALLY PROTECT YOUR HEALTH.

RESEARCHERS SAY THE STUDY WAS ONLY OBSERVATIONAL – MEANING THEY FOUND ASSOCIATIONS BUT CAN’T YET BE SURE THE WAYS PEOPLE TAKE IN SUGAR CAUSED THE DIFFERENT RATES OF HEART DISEASE – SO IT STILL NEEDS TO BE STUDIED FURTHER.

STILL, ONE OF THE STUDY’S AUTHORS SAID A THEORY BEHIND WHY SUGARY DRINKS MAY SEEM TO IMPACT YOUR HEART HEALTH MORE IS THAT THEY MAKE YOU FEEL LESS FULL… MAKING IT EASY TO DRINK MORE THAN YOU SHOULD.

THE STUDY ALSO FOUND WEIGHT PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN HOW SUGAR IMPACTS YOUR HEALTH – THOSE WITH A HIGHER BODY MASS INDEX WERE AT HIGHER RISK OF STROKE OR AORTIC ANEURYSM WITH HIGHER SUGAR INTAKE… WHILE THOSE CONSIDERED NORMAL-WEIGHT INCREASED HEART HEALTH RISKS.

THE BOTTOM LINE?

CUTTING OUT SUGAR ALTOGETHER IS NOT NECESSARY TO LIVE YOUR HEALTHIEST LIFE.

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