But I have friends who’ve complained to me that they’ve really cut back and still have problems keeping their blood pressure closer to where their doctors want to see it.

The truth is, there’s something else that looks remarkably similar to salt, which can secretly sabotage your blood pressure readings in surprising ways.

I’m talking about sugar.

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Added sugar adds up to high blood pressure

Scientific studies are now linking the consumption of added sugar in the diet to an increased risk of high blood pressure.

They say that not only can sugar affect your blood vessels, but it can also exacerbate health conditions that drive blood pressure problems.

Three blood pressure issues caused by sugar include:

#1 – Narrow blood vessels

One way sugar leads to high blood pressure is by increasing levels of a waste product, called uric acid, in the body. When the level of uric acid goes up, the production of nitric oxide (NO) in your blood vessels goes down. That’s a problem in several ways…

For starters, NO is a compound the body produces that signals blood vessels to relax and allow normal blood flow. Without that signal, blood vessels constrict and blood pressure rises.

It also causes blood vessels in the kidneys to constrict. This sets off a cascade of actions, including the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), which regulates blood volume and electrolyte balance. This leads to the retention of sodium and water, which increases blood pressure.

You may be aware that uric acid is associated with the painful condition known as gout. But you may not know that people with gout have an increased risk of stroke.

#2 – Reduced insulin sensitivity

Additionally, a diet high in sugar can lead to insulin resistance. In turn, as cells become less sensitive to insulin, the body makes even more of the hormone to keep your blood sugar balanced. This increased insulin accelerates sodium and water retention, in turn raising blood volume and blood pressure.

If that weren’t enough, reduced insulin sensitivity is linked to inflammation, which can lead to high blood pressure by damaging blood vessel linings and causing arterial stiffness.

#3 – Weight gain and metabolic problems

Finally, as we’re all too well aware, eating too much sugar can cause weight gain, especially around the midsection. Sadly, belly fat is a key indicator of metabolic syndrome, increasing the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.

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Avoiding sugar isn’t so easy

While sugars that occur naturally in whole foods, like fruit, are far less likely to skyrocket your blood pressure, it’s the hidden added sugars that can get you.

The American Heart Association lists these foods as the most common sources of added sugar, so start by avoiding these:

• Regular soft drinks
• Sweetened tea and coffee
• Energy drinks 
• Fruit drinks
• Candy
• Ice cream
• Sweetened yogurts 
• Flavored and/or sweetened milk
• Breakfast cereals and bars

And remember, added sugars hide under many names, including the “ose” ones like high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose, as well as molasses, cane sugar, corn sweetener, raw sugar, syrup, honey or fruit juice concentrates.

Steady support for blood pressure

Who doesn’t have a sweet tooth? I’m a health researcher, but I’ll be the first to raise my hand.

I don’t indulge often, but there are times when it’s just not easy to turn down dessert or pass up the cream and sugar in my coffee. That’s why I have a secret antidote…

Beets.

I realize eating beets regularly is an acquired taste. But beetroot juice is pretty tasty. Drinking it regularly helps my body produce a steady stream of NO, even when I splurge on dessert.

In a 2008 study, drinking 8 ounces of beet juice lowered subjects’ blood pressure by 10mm Hg (a ten-point drop in blood pressure).

This is not surprising, since the dietary nitrate in beets breaks down into NO to signal my blood vessels to do the job they’re meant to do: support oxygenated, nutrient-rich vascular flow to every organ in my body.

Now, yes, beets contain sugar. However, it’s natural sugars, not added sugars. The antioxidants, fiber and nitrates content still make beets a healthy option for sustaining NO production. And concentrated beet powder generally has less sugar per serving than whole beets or beet juice.

Sources:

This Everyday Ingredient Could Be Raising Your Blood Pressure—and It’s Not Salt – Health

The post 3 ways this ingredient raises blood pressure—and it’s not salt appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

From condiments, like ketchup, to luncheon meats, apple sauce, breakfast cereals, and many, many more, it’s a real and present danger to your health.

And now, a study has proven exactly why what we’ve known for a while is true — fructose makes you fat.

Conditioning your gut for obesity

The study, published in Nature, delved into the effects of fructose in your digestive tract. Specifically, the team of researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian was interested in tiny, hair-like structures that line your intestinal walls — called villi.

The purpose of these structures is to expand the surface area of your gut so that your body is better able to absorb the nutrients from the food you eat.

A good thing right? But not in the presence of fructose…

You see, the study found that when mice were fed diets that included fructose, those villi grew and grew. In fact, they became 25 to 40 percent longer than the villi of mice who weren’t allowed to eat the fructose.

You can probably guess where this is going…

If regular size villi absorb nutrients, including dietary fats, then super-sized villi absorb a super-size amount of the nutrients and the calories that go with them!

That’s why the investigators discovered that along with the increase in villus length, and increased nutrient absorption seen in fructose-fed mice, they also experienced significant weight gain and fat accumulation.

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Beyond fat to fears of tumor growth

And if that weren’t enough to put you off fructose, it gets worse.

“Our research has found that fructose’s primary metabolite promotes the elongation of villi and supports intestinal tumor growth,” according to senior author Dr. Marcus DaSilva Goncalves, the Ralph L. Nachman Research Scholar, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and an endocrinologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

This means not only can consuming too much fructose cause weight gain, but it could also threaten your very life.

A question of choices

So do you have to give up all fructose to stay healthy?

Well, the scientists say no.

Not all fructose is bad. You might know that it’s the type of sugar found in fruits.

As Dr. Goncalves explains, “Fructose itself is not harmful. It’s a problem of overconsumption. Our bodies were not designed to eat as much of it as we do.”

And overconsuming fructose isn’t entirely your fault… it’s everywhere in our modern diets.

What can you do? Choose wisely — skipping any foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup we talked about earlier and watch for sneaky added sugars. When eating fresh fruit, wash it well and eat the skin or peeling. That fiber can help your body better digest the fructose in the fruit.

This is especially important to remember as the pandemic continues since high-fructose corn syrup is also linked to poor immune function.

To avoid the not-so-sweet sweetener, read labels on product packaging before you stick anything in your grocery cart. Try to eat whole, unprocessed foods instead of ready-made options. And remember, soda is a big fructose offender, so give it a hard miss.

Sources:

Research uncovers how fructose in the diet contributes to obesity — Medical Xpress

The post How fructose supersizes the way your gut absorbs fat and calories appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Fructose is a natural sugar found in honey, fruits and some vegetables. Naturally occurring fructose isn’t particularly harmful, given there’s only a modest amount in one serving of the foods containing it.

But the level of fructose contained in added sweeteners like HFCS can be dangerous to your health because the body absorbs it so quickly that its systems become overwhelmed. This can trigger health problems like nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and insulin resistance, which can lead to obesity and diabetes.

Now, researchers have identified another potential health complication of consuming too much fructose….

How fructose affects the immune system

A stong immune system is necessary not only to fight off viral or bacterial infections, but to battle diseases, like cancer.

A recent study in mice by scientists in the United Kingdom has shown that a diet high in fructose might prevent your immune system from functioning properly.

Up until now, there has been limited understanding of the impact of fructose on the immune systems of people who consume too much of it. The U.K. study indicates fructose causes inflammation of the immune system and production of more reactive molecules associated with inflammation. This type of inflammation can harm cells and tissues, contribute to dysfunction of organs and systems and lead to disease.

Researchers also gained a deeper understanding of how fructose is linked with diabetes and obesity, given that low-level inflammation is often associated with obesity.

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The study builds on a growing body of evidence about the damaging effects of consuming high levels of fructose. Dr. Emma Vincent of the Bristol Medical School notes the study takes another step toward understanding why some diets can lead to poor health.

“Research into different components of our diet can help us understand what might contribute to inflammation and disease and what could be best harnessed to improve health and well-being,” says Dr. Nick Jones of Swansea University’s Medical School.

The researchers say further investigation is needed to find out whether inflammation caused by fructose could contribute to other diseases such as advanced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or liver cancer. Also, the study indicates high fructose levels leave cells vulnerable to further metabolic challenge, like the kind that occurs during bacterial infection or within the environment of a tumor. These findings could contribute to investigations for new therapies in areas such as cancer and infectious diseases.

Ways to cut fructose out of your diet

While experts are split on whether HFCS and other fructose sweeteners are less safe than other added sweeteners, they do agree that cutting back on added sugars in the diet is important for good health. One surefire way to reduce your fructose consumption is to eliminate as many packaged and processed foods from your diet as possible. Eating whole, unprocessed foods not only lowers the amount of fructose you consume, it provides you with more vitamins, minerals, fiber and other healthy nutrients.

If you’re a soda lover, try switching that sugary beverage for seltzer water flavored with a splash of lemon, lime or unsweetened fruit juice.

If baked goods like cakes and cookies are your addiction, try making them yourself and substituting the sugar in the recipe for a natural sweetener like stevia, raw honey or blackstrap molasses. Even with these substitutions, it’s best to make these kinds of foods to an occasional treat rather than a regular staple of your diet.

When using stevia, always use 100 percent pure stevia, being careful to avoid added fillers, especially erythritol.

Sources:

High Fructose Diets Could Cause Immune System Damage – New Research — Swansea University

Fructose reprogrammes glutamine-dependent oxidative metabolism to support LPS-induced inflammation — Nature Communications

High fructose diets may harm the immune system — Medical News Today

Is Fructose Bad for You? The Surprising Truth — Healthline

The post The not-so-sweet way fructose damages the immune system appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Am I at risk?

If so, when will I start to lose my memories? And what kicks it off in the first place?

Sadly, when it comes to answers from the medical community, pickings have been slim.

We’ve seen plenty of research on the brain plaques and tangles identified as telltale signs of the disease, but researchers may have now linked the beginnings of Alzheimer’s to a surprising cause…

One that helps bolster long-known associations with obesity and diabetes and an increased risk for this mind-robbing disease.

Fructose and the death of neurons in the brain

For a few years now, some scientists have begun referring to Alzheimer’s as type 3 diabetes. And they may have been onto something.

An interdisciplinary team of neurologists, neuroscientists and experts on sugar metabolism, recently presented evidence from extensive data and research that fructose may be at fault for the cell death and damage that initiates the Alzheimer’s cascade.

That means a simple sugar found in fruits, fruit juices, veggies, and even some honey could be the main instigator in the whole dementia issue.

In fact, the Anschutz team found that “Alzheimer’s disease may be driven by the over-activation of fructose made in the brain.”

OK, did you get that?

They didn’t say the fructose you eat, but instead the fructose that your brain makes.

And they believe that this fructose reduces the energy production of the mitochondria in your brain cells, resulting in a progressive loss of the cerebral energy levels required for your brain neurons to remain functional and even viable.

And as more and more mitochondria and the energy they generate are lost, the more neuronal dysfunction and death that occurs. In the scenario outlined by the research team, the amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that we once thought to be the cause of Alzheimer’s are part of the inflammatory response and participate in injury, but are not the central factors driving the disease.

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The sugar linked to diabetes and obesity

Prior research from scientists at Yale University looked at exactly what causes your brain to produce higher levels of that fructose.

You see, their theory was that it’s not actually eating fruits that cause the rise (through migration of the sugar across the blood-brain barrier).

Instead, they theorized that glucose consumption is the main issue.

The research team gave eight healthy, lean individuals infusions of glucose over a four-hour period. They measured sugar concentrations in the brains of the study participants using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Sugar concentrations in the blood were also assessed.

And here’s what they found…

They discovered that cerebral fructose levels rose significantly in response to a glucose infusion, with minimal changes in fructose levels in the blood. In other words, if you eat glucose, you raise your brain fructose levels.

Why?

Well, they say that a metabolic pathway known as the polyol pathway actually converts that glucose to the fructose that destroys the energy production of your mitochondria, killing off brain neurons, and kicking off the Alzheimer’s cascade.

This is super important since the scientists say, “Fructose in the brain is not simply due to dietary consumption of fructose, we’ve shown fructose can be generated from any sugar you eat.”

So, if you want to avoid Alzheimer’s and keep your brain cells healthy, in addition to the other known ways to cut down on your risk, limit your sugar consumption. This could help decrease the fructose production in your brain, protect its energy production and keep your neurons firing. In addition, sugar has been tied to many other diseases, including cancer. So, to keep your brain and your health, less sugar is a no-brainer.

Sources:

Fructose is generated in the human brain — ScienceDaily

Fructose made in the brain could be a mechanism driving Alzheimer’s disease, researchers propose — ScienceDaily

The post Sugar in the brain may initiate Alzheimer’s appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And while the symptoms of the disease, from pain and cramping to diarrhea and fatigue, are bad enough — every IBD sufferer also faces a dramatically increased risk of colon cancer.

This skyrocketing risk is due to the long-term, chronic inflammation of the gut.

Sadly, while the No. 1 question of most people with IBD is “What can I do about it?” — especially when it comes to diet — the medical community has really not had any hard and fast answers.

It’s really been up to the people living with the disease to determine what foods make them feel worse, upping their inflammation and their cancer risk.

Now, however, thanks to research, we know a little more about what not to eat if you have inflammatory bowel disease. Fair warning — your kitchen and your diet are probably packed with it!

Altering gut bacteria and inflaming the bowel

The study, performed by a team of researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, tested three mouse models of IBD.

The researchers fed the mice high amounts of fructose, a common sugar, and guess what…

Across the board, fructose made inflammation of the colon far worse.

In fact, according to the scientists, a high fructose diet resulted in “notable effects in their gut bacteria including changes in their type, metabolism and localization within the colon.”

But even more, fructose may very well be the cause of rapidly growing cases of IBD…

“The increasing incidence of IBD parallels higher levels of fructose consumption in the United States and other countries,” says David Montrose, an assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and faculty researcher in the Stony Brook University Cancer Center. “Our findings provide evidence of a direct link between dietary fructose and IBD and support the concept that high consumption of fructose could worsen disease in people with IBD. This is important because it has the potential to provide guidance on diet choices for IBD patients, something that is currently lacking.”

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Ditch IBD by going fructose-free

This means that for anyone living with IBD, a sure way to calm that inflammation and reduce the pain and suffering is to take fructose out of the equation.

Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done, but not impossible — and certainly worth the effort to improve the quality of life for anyone living with this condition.

Fructose is in a huge, ever-increasing number of the foods (and drinks) that most of us consume on a daily basis.

Dietary sources of fructose include:

• High fructose corn syrup — This common fructose source is lurking in candy, sodas, sweetened juices, packaged baked goods, condiments like ketchup and salad dressings, crackers, granola and nutrition bars, and nut butters. Bottom line: if it’s prepackaged, it’s highly likely it contains fructose.
• Fruits and vegetables — Fruits and even some veggies contain fructose. But the ones with the highest levels of fructose are apples, grapes, watermelon, pears, plums, asparagus, sugar snap peas, artichokes, cauliflower, mushrooms and zucchini.
• Sweeteners — Honey, maple and agave syrup are also hidden sources of fructose.
• Chewing gum — Most chewing gums contain fructose or sugar alcohols that can worsen symptoms of IBD.
• Jams and marmalades — Made with fructose-rich fruits, jams and marmalades are a no-go if you’re trying to avoid the sugar.
• Sweet wines — Dessert wines such as muscatel, port and sherry sport a high fructose content.
• Miscellaneous — Also check ingredient lists for crystalline fructose, sorbitol, fructooligosaccharides, corn syrup solids and sugar alcohols.

So, if you’re living with IBD, whether Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, that is the list of foods you want to avoid.

One diet that follows along the lines of avoiding those foods is the FODMAP diet. FODMAP is an acronym that stands for Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols.

It’s a mouthful, but it’s basically the more scientific name for different carbohydrates (sugars) found in foods — specifically fructose, lactose, fructans, galactans and polyols.

IBS sufferers following the low FODMAP diet were also more likely to report a major improvement in their quality of life than those in the control group following a common sense “healthy” diet: 61 percent versus 27 percent.

For more details on following a FODMAP diet, visit this link at IBS Diets.

Sources:

Study reveals dietary fructose heightens inflammatory bowel disease — EurekAlert!

Fructose content of food — Food Intolerance Diagnostics

Fructose intolerance: Which foods to avoid? — Mayo Clinic

What foods contain high fructose corn syrup? — MedicalNewsToday

Fructose-Restricted Diet — UW Health

Diet and Inflammatory Bowel Disease — NCBI

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Prevalence (IBD) in the United States — CDC

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — Mayo Clinic

Clinical trial demonstrates success of low FODMAP diet — Michigan Medicne

The post The one ingredient that could turn around inflammatory bowel disease appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Unlike many of their classmates, they don’t have their own cell phone, they’re not allowed to be out of my sight when we’re shopping, and I rarely let them drink a soda or even juice.

Of course, I don’t set these rules to make their lives complicated or set them apart from their friends. I do it because I want to keep them safe.

Now, there’s a new study out that’s proving that my third rule — no sugary drinks — isn’t just a good one, it could save my kids from colorectal cancer.

Here’s why…

Aggressive tumors and high-fructose corn syrup

Several past studies have shown an association between drinking sugary drinks, like soda and juice, and the risk of colorectal cancer.

However, the thought in the medical community was that the link was because consuming too much sugar can lead to obesity, and it was the obesity that was the actual risk when it came to cancer.

However, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine suspected that there might be more to that link and decided to test their theory.

First, the team created a mouse model of early-stage colon cancer by deleting the gene for a protein known as APC. The reason they did this is that APC works like a gatekeeper in colorectal cancer. And, a whopping 90 percent of colorectal cancer patients don’t have it.

As the researchers put it, “Deleting this protein is like removing the brakes of a car. Without it, normal intestinal cells neither stop growing nor die, forming early-stage tumors called polyps.”

Next, they gave the mice either regular water or water sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) — the same ingredient used to make sodas so tasty — in their water bottles, at an amount equivalent to a person drinking one 12-ounce can of soda per day. And, guess what…

After just two months, the mice on the sugary drink regimen developed tumors that were both larger and more deadly than those in mice drinking regular water.

“These results suggest that when the animals have early stage of tumors in the intestines — which can occur in many young adult humans by chance and without notice — consuming even modest amounts of high-fructose corn syrup in liquid form can boost tumor growth and progression independently of obesity,” said Dr. Jihye Yun, assistant professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor.

He added, “Further research is needed to translate this discovery to people; however, our findings in animal models suggest that chronic consumption of sugary drinks can shorten the time it takes cancer to develop. In humans, it usually takes 20 to 30 years for colorectal cancer to grow from early-stage benign tumors to aggressive cancers.”

In other words, drinking sodas or any drink sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup can cause cancer to grow faster, so that you could end up with deadly tumors at a younger age.

Cancer feeding time in your intestines

So what is it about high-fructose corn syrup that is like ‘Miracle-Gro’ for tumors?

The researchers found that the tumors could actually drink in both the fructose and the glucose found in the sweetener to feed themselves!

But that wasn’t the only problem…

The tumors could also chemically alter the fructose to produce fatty acids, essentially allowing them to grow at an accelerated rate.

Lewis Cantley, professor of cancer biology in medicine and director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine, said, “While many studies have correlated increased rates of colorectal cancer with diet, this study shows a direct molecular mechanism for the correlation between consumption of sugar and colorectal cancer.”

So, if you want to avoid fueling colorectal cancer, follow the same rule I have for my kids — no sugary drinks. Skip the sodas and juice and instead choose good old-fashioned water for a healthier colon and a longer life.

Sources:

1. High-fructose corn syrup boosts intestinal tumor growth in mice — Baylor College of Medicine

The post The sweetener that’s like ‘miracle grow’ for colon cancer tumors appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I’ve never been one of those gals with a dazzling set of pearly whites, and I understand that not everyone has naturally white teeth.

But as I move through my 60s, I’m running into some problems with my teeth and gums that have nothing to do with appearance, things I haven’t experienced before.

Since I’m planning on being around a while longer and also planning on enjoying the foods I love, I decided to look into things a little more deeply.

Which problems are unavoidable, and which are things I could be doing more to control and correct?

Here’s what I’ve found out.

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1. Your teeth are getting weaker…

Your teeth may be strong, but they’re not indestructible. When you’ve been chewing, biting and grinding all sorts of foods for decades, the enamel on the outside of your teeth will start to wear down. The biting edges of the teeth will also start to flatten, making chewing and biting harder work.

Acidic foods do damage to tooth surfaces. Sugary sodas are among the foods that wear down your enamel. A crack in the enamel can set the stage for painful infection or abscesses within the pulp of the tooth.

Believe it or not, your teeth become less sensitive with age, so it could be some time before you even notice an infection caused by a crack. By that time, root canal surgery or extraction may be necessary.

2. Your gums are receding…

Children aren’t the only ones who get cavities. In older adults, though, they tend to occur right at the gum line. That’s because, as you age, your gum tissue naturally recedes, exposing the soft root of the tooth. Bacteria settles here, causing bleeding gums, loose teeth and even teeth that fall out.

Women in menopause can experience desquamative gingivitis, a condition where the outer layers of the gum bleed easily and separate from the underlying tissue. This exposes nerve endings, making for extremely painful and inflamed gums.

3. And your mouth is getting drier

Your salivary glands don’t work as well as you get older. Medications can also cause dry mouth. These include some antidepressants, decongestants, muscle relaxants, and diuretics.

A dry mouth is more than uncomfortable. Saliva helps keep your teeth clean and protect them from decay. As you get older, you produce less saliva, and certain medications also cause a dry mouth.

Eat alkalizing fruits and vegetables that keep the pH of your saliva more alkaline than acid. According to the folks at Colgate, “The food and drinks you consume, especially sugary ones like soda, affect the pH of your mouth. When you eat or drink, the bacteria in your mouth break down carbohydrates. These bacteria release various types of acids, which lower your saliva pH.”

Saliva also bathes your gums and tongue, keeping them healthy. As your mouth dries out, you can become more prone to gingivitis and other bacterial conditions.

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How to keep your mouth young

Visit your dentist regularly. Don’t think that twice-yearly check-ups are just for kids.

Research shows that there is an intimate connection between gum disease and diabetes, kidney disease, arthritis, and even cancer.

Also, most people diagnosed with oral cancer are 55 or older, and the CDC reports that rates of oral cancer peak around age 60.

So, don’t avoid your dentist!

Here are some other proactive steps you can take to keep your mouth healthy as you get older.

• Mouthwashes with alcohol can make your mouth even drier. So can caffeine.
• Don’t swish fizzy drinks around in your mouth. If you can’t give them up, follow them up with milk or cheese to “cancel out” the acid.
• If you like sugary or starchy snacks or foods, eat them with your main meals (not as snacks). That’s when your mouth makes the most saliva to help wash acid away.
• Foods with calcium and vitamin D guard against bone loss which can lead to tooth loss.
• Brush twice a day with a soft toothbrush that will not be harsh on sensitive gums.
• Clean dentures daily. Take them out of your mouth for at least four hours a day, and at night.
• Quit smoking. It causes cancer, including oral cancer.
• Know the signs of oral cancer:
  • a white or reddish patch inside your mouth
  • a lip or mouth sore that doesn’t heal
  • loose teeth
  • a growth or lump inside your mouth
  • mouth pain
  • ear pain
  • difficult or painful swallowing

Sources:

1. How Teeth Change With Age — WebMD
2. 7 Things You Need To Know About Your Teeth As You Age — Prevention
3. Oral Cancer Incidence (New Cases) by Age, Race, and Gender — National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
4. Oral issues you need to be aware of as you get older — 123dentist.com

The post 3 reasons your dental care needs extra attention after 50 appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Well, you should know that salt is not the enemy it was once thought to be. In fact, the culprit you should be most concerned about is one your doctor hardly ever mentions when you visit…

A study published in the British Journal of Medicine’s publication, Open Heart, on the impact the foods we eat have on cardiovascular risk found that “compelling evidence from basic science, population studies, and clinical trials implicates sugars, and particularly the monosaccharide fructose, as playing a major role in the development of hypertension.”

This is concerning because much of the processed and packaged foods and drinks Americans consume are laden with sugars and many are “hidden” in such terms as fructose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, and others.

The worst sweetener

In their research, the study scientists found that fructose was the worst culprit among factors that impact high blood pressure.

The reason is that fructose is the sugar most commonly found within our processed and packaged foods and drinks. While sucrose is also found in these food sources, it is made up of equal parts fructose and glucose. However, high fructose corn syrup is often made up of 55 percent fructose to 45 percent glucose but its ratio can skew as much as 80/20.

This makes it nearly twice the fructose as sucrose (table sugar) and much more difficult for the body to metabolize!

According to the research report, “evidence from epidemiological studies and experimental trials in animals and humans suggests that added sugars, particularly fructose, may increase blood pressure and blood pressure variability, increase heart rate and myocardial oxygen demand, and contribute to inflammation, insulin resistance and broader metabolic dysfunction.”

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When you consider obesity, metabolic syndrome and systemic inflammation as among the killers of quality of life, do you need more evidence to cut out packaged foods and drinks and go natural?

High blood pressure is a contributor to cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of preventive, premature death in the developed world. That is no simple statement, as it speaks volumes to the way we in the so-called “modern first world” preserve and consume our food.

While history has focused on salt as a main dietary component of cause and prevention of high blood pressure, these findings point to sugars in processed foods, especially to fructose, as a formidable danger. And so in addition to avoiding or seriously limiting intake of sugars and processed foods for weight management, it’s obviously imperative for prevention of cardiovascular disease, too.

If you haven’t made the plunge to eating organic whole foods, summer is the best time to give it a go. Your local farmer’s market is likely bulging with delicious home-grown — and sugar-free — foods that would have a positive effect on your blood pressure and your overall health.

The post The blood pressure danger you never hear about appeared first on Easy Health Options®.