Excess sugar may cause heart attacks later
January 11th, 2011 - 3:09 pm ICT by IANSWashington, Jan 11 (IANS) Teenagers fond of too much of sugar in their diet are likely to face a higher heart attack risk as adults. A study found that teens who consume elevated amounts of added sugars in drinks and foods are more likely to have poor cholesterol and triglyceride profiles which may lead to heart disease later in life.
It also found that overweight or obese teens with the highest levels of added sugar intake had increased signs of insulin resistance - a precursor to diabetes, the journal Circulation reports.
Added sugars are caloric sweeteners added to foods or beverages in the manufacturing process or by the consumer, according to the American Heart Association.
“Adolescents are eating 20 percent of their daily calories in sugars that provide few if any other nutrients,” said Jean Welsh, study author and post-doctoral fellow in paediatric nutrition at Emory University School of Medicine, according to its release.
“We know from previous studies the biggest contributors of added sugars to the diet are sugar-sweetened beverages such as sodas, fruit-flavoured drinks, and sweetened coffees and teas.”
This is the first study to assess the association of added sugars and the indicators of heart disease risk in adolescents, Welsh says.
The National Health and Nutrition Survey of 2,157 teenagers (aged 12 to 18) found the average daily consumption of added sugars was 119 grams (28.3 teaspoons or 476 calories), accounting for 21.4 percent of their total energy.
- High-sugar diets in teens 'increase heart disease risk later in life' - Jan 11, 2011
- Sugar-sweetened drinks linked to higher BP - Mar 01, 2011
- Processed foods, beverages bad for heart - Apr 21, 2010
- Sugary sports drinks not as healthy as thought - Sep 28, 2010
- Regular soda intake spikes stroke risk - Apr 22, 2012
- Diet fizzy drinks, artificial sweeteners 'do not raise obesity, diabetes risk' - Apr 19, 2011
- Mega-sized coffee, energy drinks 'laden with excess sugar, calories' - Feb 04, 2011
- Sugared beverages raise heart, diabetes risks for women - Nov 15, 2011
- Consuming sugary drinks daily 'increases diabetes risk' - Mar 06, 2010
- Cut back on sugary drinks to lower BP - May 25, 2010
- 'Diet' soft drinks linked to premature births - Aug 19, 2010
- Sweetened drinks up risk of gout in women: Study - Nov 08, 2010
- Sugary diets linked to heart disease risk - Apr 21, 2010
- Sodas, other sugary beverages linked to diabetes risk - Oct 28, 2010
- Eating chocolates, candies occasionally 'has no adverse health affects' - Mar 31, 2011
Tags: american heart association, emory university school, emory university school of medicine, excess sugar, health and nutrition, heart attack, heart attack risk, heart attacks, heart disease risk, insulin resistance, journal circulation reports, nutrition survey, obese teens, post doctoral fellow, school of medicine, signs of insulin resistance, sodas, study author, sugar intake, triglyceride