From eNewsletter 7/29/2019
DID YOU KNOW that high plasma levels of the kinds of fatty acids found in fish oil were associated with a lower long-term risk for new heart failure.
The greater the plasma levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and of EPA and DHA combined, the lower the risk for heart failure in 6000 subjects during a follow-up of 13 years.
The findings, published in Heart Failure, add to a literature of abundant but diverse observations on the cardiovascular effects of elevated levels of omega-3 fatty acids, whether achieved by diet or fish oil-based supplements.
WHERE MOST ADDED SUGAR COMES FROM
Steve and Bonnie: By simply reducing your added sugars from the left column to the World Health Organization's recommendation on the right, you could be 20 pounds lighter a year from now. Imagine if you removed all of those teaspoons?
Overconsumption of added sugar is recognized as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease as well as many other chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus, liver cirrhosis, dementia, and is linked to dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance, and addiction.
Most added sugar comes from processed and prepared foods. Beverages (soft drinks, fruit drinks, sweetened coffee and tea, energy drinks, alcoholic beverages, and sweetened flavored waters) are the biggest culprit. For example, with as many as 11 teaspoons of added sugar in one 12 ounce soda, a single serving is close to double the recommended limit for women and children.
The rest of added sugars come from snacks and sweets (grain-based desserts, dairy desserts, puddings, candies, sugars, jams, syrups, and sweet toppings).
Further, sugar is pervasive in our food supply. You'll find it lurking in some not-so-obvious places, including savory foods, such as bread and pasta sauce, fruit juices, and bottle sauces, dressings, and condiments, such as ketchup.
Surprisingly, you'll find added sugar in 74% of packaged foods sold in supermarkets, including those marketed as "healthy," "natural," "low-fat," or "gluten-free." They're everywhere. The only way to keep them at a minimum is to eat whole, minimally processed foods and scrutinize your labels.
Tips for Identifying Added SugarsBeware of marketing geared toward dieters
Be especially cautious with foods you might consider healthy, such as yogurt or energy bars and any items marketed as "low-fat." Typically, when fat is removed, sugar is added to these products to add flavor and texture.
Beware of alternate forms and names for sugar
Often more than one form of sugar is used in smaller quantities with hard-to-recognize names. In fact, there are over 60 different forms of added sugars.
These are some of the most common ones you may find listed:
Cane Juice, Dehydrated Cane Juice, Cane Juice Solids, Cane Juice Crystals, Dextrin, Maltodextrin, Dextran, Barley Malt, Beet Sugar, Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup Solids, Caramel, Carob Syrup, Brown Sugar, Date Sugar, Malt Syrup, Diatastic Malt, Fruit Juice, Fruit Juice Concentrate, Dehydrated Fruit Juice, Fruit Juice Crystals, Golden Syrup, Turbinado, Sorghum Syrup, Refiner's Syrup, Ethyl Maltol, Maple Syrup, Yellow Sugar, High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Natural versus added sugars Naturally occurring sugars are not an issue (unless lactose intolerant). Fruits, starchy vegetables (sweet potatoes, butternut squash, etc.), and dairy products contain sugars naturally. Yogurt, even plain, will list sugars on the label, but those sugars are from lactose, natural milk sugar, rather than added.
Watch for words that end in -ose Sucrose, maltose, dextrose, fructose, glucose, galactose, high-fructose corn syrup
CHOLECYSTITIS (INFLAMMATION OF THE GALLBLADDER)
This article is reserved for NCI Well Connect Members. You can get this article by signing up here. You can get our free eNewsletter by signing up at the top of our website.
Comments