If you are eating with heart health in mind, there’s a good chance you’re doing your best to minimize your sugar intake. After all, a diet high in sugar increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, which in turn could lead to cardiovascular disease. But if you have a sweet tooth, cutting out sugar is hard. Really hard!
Here’s some good news: According to cardiologists, not all sugary foods need to be taken off the table, so to speak. In fact, there’s one sugary food in particular that’s especially good for heart health.
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Why Not All Types of Sugar Impact Heart Health the Same Way
Dr. Mohanakrishnan Sathyamoorthy, MD, FAACC, a cardiologist and the Chair of Internal Medicine at Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, says that it’s true that there’s a connection between blood sugar levels and heart health. He explains that high levels of glucose impact hormones, including insulin growth factor. Insulin growth factor stimulates the growth of many types of cells. High levels of it can increase the risk of certain types of cancer and, Dr. Sathyamoorthy explains, can trigger the development of disease in all kinds of organs, particularly the heart.
“High blood sugar levels cause inflammation that can damage the heart and blood vessels over time. Inflammation in the arteries leads to the development of the cholesterol-rich plaques that cause heart attacks and strokes,” explains Dr. Kimberly Campbell, MD, a cardiologist at Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia.
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Both cardiologists say that not all sugary foods impact the body the same way. There’s a big difference, they say, between eating a donut and a piece of fruit. Sugar that does not exist naturally and is added to foods during processing is known as added sugar. “Consuming a diet high in added sugar has been shown to cause weight gain and inflammation leading to high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Consuming natural sugar in fruits and vegetables is different, but not because of the sugar itself. The fiber in fruits slows digestion. This decreases the speed at which the sugars in fruit are absorbed and reduces blood sugar spikes,” Dr. Campbell says.
To Dr. Campbell’s point, when someone eats fruit, the natural sugar isn’t absorbed in the blood as quickly because the fruit’s fiber slows digestion. Ultra-processed foods high in added sugar, however, are low in fiber, so they are digested quicker and the sugar is absorbed faster, which increases blood sugar levels.
A Sugary Food That’s Good for Your Heart
With this in mind, if you have a sweet tooth, one sugary food that Dr. Sathyamoorthy recommends to satisfy your craving is berries. “Berries, like blueberries and blackberries, are excellent due to their powerful antioxidant properties, which promote vascular health,” he says. Scientific studies back this up, showing that eating berries regularly can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Scientific research shows that the antioxidants in berries help protect against oxidative stress, which causes inflammation in the body. Inflammation increases the risk of chronic diseases, including ones that impact cardiovascular health. Additionally, the fiber in berries is good for heart health too. Studies show that a high-fiber diet helps lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Increasing your fiber intake by six grams a day can lower your risk of dying from heart disease by a full 25%.
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Eating fruit in its whole form is better for the heart than consuming it as a juice. “Because the health benefits of fruit depend on the presence of natural fiber, it is best to consume fresh fruit in its natural form. Fruit also contains many nutrients required by the body, adding to their health benefit,” Dr. Campbell says.
Does this mean you can’t ever enjoy a cupcake or your favorite candy bar? Not at all. Dr. Campbell says that when it comes to anything diet-related, moderation is key. You can still enjoy cookies, candy and cake. But if you find yourself craving something sweet every day, your health will benefit by satisfying your craving with fruit and saving ultra-processed sweets for special occasions.
“For individuals without diabetes, I don’t worry too much about fruits and their effects on glucose, which is often referred to as the glycemic index. I pose it this way to patients: What do you think is healthier? A diet full of fruits and leafy green vegetables or fried and processed foods?” Dr. Sathyamoorthy says, summing this sugar and heart health lesson up. “For folks with diabetes, there may be a little bit more planning involved to maintain ideal glucose levels, but in general fruits and leafy green vegetables are always going to be healthier for anyone!”
So next time you’re craving something sweet, grab a piece of fruit instead of reaching in your pantry. It will directly benefit your heart!
Next up, find out what the best diet for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease is, according to cardiologists and scientific research.
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