If you have a sweet tooth, you might want to look away now. Because a new study has found that even ‘healthy’ people who eat a lot of sugar have a higher risk of heart disease.
The University of Surrey study, found that men considered ‘healthy’ had more fat in their blood and livers after eating high amounts of sugar (650 calories a day worth of sugar).
One report noted that “After 12 weeks on the high sugar diet, the men with a high level of liver fat – a condition known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) – showed changes in their fat metabolism that are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes.”
Sugar and heart disease
Published in Clinical Science journal, the study compared the men on a high-sugar diet, with a group of men on a low sugar diet of just 140 calories a day worth of sugar.
Even men with low levels of liver fat experienced a spike in liver fat after eating more sugar.
"Our findings provide new evidence that consuming high amounts of sugar can alter your fat metabolism in ways that could increase your risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Professor Bruce Griffin.
The risk for young people
Griffin points out that most adults don’t eat 650 calories of sugar every day. But he was quick to note that some children and teens could easily reach such high levels. And it’s all thanks to soft drinks and sugary snacks.
“This raises concern for the future health of the younger population, especially in view of the alarmingly high prevalence of NAFLD in children and teenagers, and exponential rise of fatal liver disease in adults."
Concerned about your sugar intake – or your child’s risk of NAFLD? Have a chat with a dietician or nutritionist.
