Why is sugar more harmful than salt?
American scientists in a study found that sugar is a greater enemy of good health than salt.
Added sugar in processed foods and drinks is much more likely to cause hypertension, stroke and cardiovascular disease than salt.
In recent years, nutritionists have repeatedly commented on the question of how important it is to reduce salt intake.
It has been repeatedly pointed out that the intake of excessive amounts of salt through food is a factor in the development of a number of cardiovascular diseases.
However, American scientists from the Mid America Heart Institute found that added sugar in processed and harmful foods and drinks poses a greater threat to human health than salt.
They were able to prove that sugar more often causes an increase in blood pressure and contributes to the development of heart disease and stroke.
The authors of the study call for changing the recommendations for healthy eating for most people, so that they do not limit the consumption of salt but harmful sugar.
The study also states that the use of sugary soft drinks is responsible for 180,000 deaths globally each year.
300 years ago people used only a few kilograms of sugar per year, but now in the US alone this amount has risen to 50-75 grams per year, which corresponds to 24-47 teaspoons per day.
Bulgaria consumes less sugar than in the US, and on average, each Bulgarian consumes 36 kg. per year, which per day is about 100 grams or about 16.5 teaspoons or about 2.7 times the WHO recommended daily dose.
American scientists have found that people whose daily portion contains foods with added sugar, which is equal to about ΒΌ of the daily caloric intake, are at 3 times greater risk of developing of cardiovascular diseases compared to those in which this indicator is about 10%.
The researchers also proved in their study that a daily intake of more than 74 grams of fructose increased the risk of developing hypertension by 30%.
A diet in which food sources of this type of sugar predominate is associated with an increase in blood lipid levels and a weakening of the sensitivity of cell receptors to insulin, which doubles the risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
Nutrition experts are alarmed by the fact that teenagers are consuming 16 times more added sugar per day than recommended by the WHO.
The authors of the study emphasize that the natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables are not dangerous to health. And regular consumption of these foods would almost certainly be beneficial for humans.
