Typically when we think about diet in terms of heart health , our minds immediately go to a food's saturated fat , trans fat or cholesterol content content—or just its overall calorie content. However, cardiologists warn that sugar content is another big factor in determining whether a food is heart-healthy, and it's a factor that gets ignored way too often.
"We advocate enjoying sugar in moderation," Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, MD , board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, Calif., tells Parade . "The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to under nine teaspoons (36 grams) for men and six teaspoons (25 grams) for women per day."
Of course, when you think of actual, physical teaspoons of sugar, that still sounds like quite a bit—but chances are, you're consuming much more sugar than you even realize.
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"We all know about the sugar in desserts such as cakes and pastries. However, there are many foods out there with unhealthy levels of added sugar that we do not often think about," Dr. Chen explained. "For instance, many people do not realize how much added sugar is in sauces such as pasta sauce, ketchup and barbecue sauce. Even supposedly 'healthy' foods such as yogurt and granola frequently contain a lot of sugar."
There are some exceptions, of course, and some sugary foods are great for you , but those sugary foods tend to be fruits, not processed and ultra-processed goodies. Because our metabolism slows as we age, consuming large quantities of sugar if you're over 50 may pose especially high risks for medical and heart issues over time.
We know—yikes! But what do cardiologists agree is the biggest culprit in patients consuming too much sugar? The answer might surprise you.
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"The category of food that I most hope people can cut back on is sugary beverages," Dr. Chen advises. "This includes soft drinks, coffee with added sugar, fruit juices and sports and energy drinks."
There's a strong reason for that. "Soda and other soft drinks have tons of added sugar," Dr. Karishma Patwa, MD , a cardiologist with Manhattan Cardiology in New York City, says. "Each bottle of soda has almost 65 grams of added sugar."
That's more than 10 times the recommended daily allotment for sugar overall for women! Aside from the sugar content of soda and sugary drinks, the other problem with sweet beverages is that they aren't adding anything to your plate nutrition-wise. "Soda, in particular, has no nutritional value and is also not very filling," Dr. Patwa noted. "Most likely, you'll need to consume other calories to fill yourself."
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This means that if you get all that sugar and all those calories from soda, you're probably going to consume even more calories overall because you're going to still feel hungry once the potential bloat from the carbonation of your cola is gone.
Sodas aren't the only beverage you may want to avoid, however, says Dr. Chen.
"Added sugar in beverages is the worst culprit because of how commonplace sugary drinks are in our diet," he says. "While people may already know to limit their consumption of soft drinks, they may not realize how much sugar is in supposedly 'healthy' beverages such as fruit juices and sports drinks. Instead, they should choose plain water as the most healthy option."
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The health risks from sugary drinks, plus the lack of satiety they provide, may make you want to seriously reconsider your next sweetened sip, per Dr. Patwa: "Sugary foods and drinks are linked to higher risk of diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, high cholesterol, heart attacks and stroke due to increased inflammation."
Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but fret not: A soda or other sugary beverage once in a while won't kill you. Try thinking of soda the same way you might think of a cocktail: A social drink, but not something to pop every night or with every meal.
"Of course, everything can still be enjoyed in moderation," Dr. Patwa tells us. "Soda, for instance, should be enjoyed on special occasions rather than daily."
There are also significantly healthier sodas and soda alternatives that can still satisfy your sweet tooth without sacrificing your healthy diet.
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