Hello, welcome everybody, this is doctor Bolad, board certified physician in cardiology, interventional
cardiology and internal medicine, certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
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my subscribers, thank you for your continued support. Today I will talk to you about SUGARS
ADDED to foods and drinks and development of heart disease. I will first explain the
types of sugars, their effect on the heart and towards the end of the video, I will talk
about the current recommendations of how much added sugar is thought to be safe to keep
our hearts healthy. In a balanced diet, carbohydrates should make 45 to 65% of caloric intake, proteins
10-35% and fats 20-35% of the caloric intake. Both the quantity and type of carbohydrate
(eg, whole-grain versus refined-grain) have differential effects on glucose levels after
food intake, and the recommendations is that added sugars should be limited and comprise
no more than 10 percent of the total calories consumed. Almost half of the added sugar in
the American diet comes from one source, which is sugary sweetened drinks. The other half
comes from baked goods, candy, cereals, and desserts. Naturally occurring sugars (eg,
from fruit or milk) are not considered added sugars. Sugars are a type of carbohydrates,
and like all carbohydrates, contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen molecules. Sugars are
classified into: Monosaccharides, these include glucose which
is dextrose, fructose which is fruit sugar, and galactose which is milk sugar.
Disaccharides, which contain two monosaccharides linked together, include sucrose (which is
the table sugar and it is made of glucose and fructose), lactose which is milk sugar
and contains glucose + galactose, and maltose which is malt sugar and contains 2 glucose
molecules. Polysaccharides, contain more than 10 monosaccharide
molecules linked together, and an example is the starch.
No matter how complex a carbohydrate is, once in our body, all carbohydrates are broken
down to the three simple monosaccharide sugars: glucose, fructose and galactose.
Added Sugars have multiple effects on our bodies. Added sugars have been shown to increase
our Blood Pressure. Several studies examined the relationship between sugar intake and
increase in blood pressure. In this study, administration of a fructose load to individuals
was associated with an increase in blood pressure over a 2 hour period after ingestion, compared
to individuals who had water or just glucose. In this other study, administration of a large
amount of sucrose mainly as beverages in overweight individuals, as compared to others taking
sweeteners, was associated with an increase in blood pressure after 10 weeks. I also have
to point out that the association of sugars intake and increase in blood pressure was
not found in other studies. Nonetheless, the signal is clear, and that sugars should be
avoided to reduce the risk of increased blood pressure.
Increased intake of added sugars has been shown to increase the risk of developing coronary
heart disease. In this metanalysis of prospective studies of over 173 thousand individuals,
intake of sugars in the form sugar sweetened beverages, was associated with increased risk
of development of coronary heart disease. In this other study of 127 thousand individuals,
a strong positive association was found between food intake rich in refined starches and the
development of coronary heart disease. Added Sugars can also lead to death from heart
disease. A study of the time trends of added sugar consumption as percentage of daily calories
in the United States have shown that most US adults consume more added sugar than is
recommended for a healthy diet and that there was a significant relationship between added
sugar consumption and increased risk for death from cardiovascular disease.
Added sugars also have detrimental effects on other organs. They can affect the brain
and lead to cognitive problems such as Dementia and Alzheimer disease. They can affect the
pancreas and lead to diabetes and pancreatic cancer. They can also cause liver Disease,
kidney disease, as well as retina, muscle and nerve damage.
The American Heart association recommends that we limit our added sugar to 9 teaspoons
(which is 36 grams) per day for most men and 6 teaspoons (which is 25 grams) per day for
women and for children over the age of two. I suggest that in order to know how much added
sugar you have in a drink or meal, that you look at the nutritional facts as shown here,
the arrow points at the added sugars. Again, the total daily recommendation for men is
36 grams and for women is 25 grams. If you have any questions about what I presented
to you today, then subscribe to my channel and share your question in the comments section
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share this video with family and friends. This is Doctor Bolad, helping you with your
heart health, thanks for watching, and talk to you soon.