A respected dietary expert has named what he says is the ‘most dangerous ingredient’ for your heart. The likes of saturated fat, salt, and high-cholesterol foods have long been on the list of things to avoid to maintain a healthy heart.
But according to Dr Eric Berg – a nutritional expert and best-selling author – there are more harmful things for your heart. He explained to his 1.9million Instagram followers that high blood pressure, plaquing in the arteries, inflammation, and arrhythmias are side-effects of consuming too many refined sugars and refined starches.
“The most dangerous ingredient for your heart is not what you think it is,” Dr Berg said. “The most dangerous ingredient for your heart is not saturated fat, and it’s not cholesterol, and it’s definitely not salt. The worst ingredients for your heart are refined sugars and refined starches.
“Both refined sugars and refined starches deplete you of magnesium B1, Vitamin E, and Zinc. We then start having problems with blood pressure, plaquing in the arteries, inflammation, arrhythmias. All of this can be avoided if you just avoid refined sugars and refined starches.”
Sugar, in all forms, is a simple carbohydrate that the body converts into glucose and uses for energy, but the difference between natural and refined sugars can have a huge difference on our health. Naturally occurring sugars are found in fruits and other foods, while refined sugar is processed so it can be more easily incorporated in foods and beverages. It is usually done to either enhance the flavour or prolong its shelf life.
One 2014 study in JAMA Internal Medicine, scientists found an association between a high-sugar diet and a greater risk of dying from heart disease. Over the course of the 15-year study, people who got 17-21 per cent of their calories from added sugar had a 38 per cent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed 8 per cent of their calories as added sugar.
High sugar in a diet poses a number of risks, such as overloading the liver while it converts dietary carbohydrates to fat. Over time, this can lead to a greater accumulation of fat, which may turn into fatty liver disease, a contributor to diabetes, which raises your risk for heart disease.
Sugar can raise blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation, both of which are pathological pathways to heart disease. Too much sugar can also lead to weight gain, which is also not good for us.
Simple or refined carbohydrates include sugars and refined grains that have been stripped of all bran, fibre, and nutrients, such as white bread, pizza dough, some pastas, and many breakfast cereals. You can digest them quickly, and their high glycemic index causes unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels. They can also cause fluctuations in mood and energy and a build-up of fat, especially around your waistline.
Diets high in refined carbs and sugar have also been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, hyperactivity, mood disorders, and type-2 diabetes.
This is because your bloodstream floods with sugar when you eat refined starches, causing a surge of insulin to clear it. This often leaves you feeling unsatisfied and craving more sugary food, which can lead to overeating, putting on weight, and even developing a resistance to insulin. This can cause type-2 diabetes – something around 5million Brits suffer from, according to the NHS.