Sugary Drinks: Not So Sweet For Your Heart
, Sweet, sugary drinks are so enjoyable that it’s hard to believe that they could be harmful to our health. reported that women who drink sugary drinks every day may be raising their risk for heart disease even if they are not gaining extra weight, according to the findings of a five-year study presented at the American Heart Association’s meeting in Orlando, Florida.
While breast cancer tends to grab the headlines, heart disease is the number one killer of women. “The California Department of Public Health reports that the average American drinks 50 gallons of sweetened beverages a year.” This includes soda, sweet tea and some coffees. The study showed that many women had expanded waistlines, even though they did not gain weight, and this belly fat can have a detrimental effect on women’s health.
A daily high sugar intake can also disrupt your metabolism. Women with a sugary drinking habit developed higher levels of triglycerides, lowered their good cholesterol, and increased bad cholesterol. They were also more likely to develop abnormal levels of fasting glucose, which can lead to diabetes. Sugar also raises inflammation levels in the body, which is another risk factor for heart disease.
So ladies, even if you do not gain extra pounds from drinking sugary drinks, don’t let that fool you into thinking you are not harming your health. Your heart could pay the price. , ,
