Sugar is a Greater Enemy to the Body Than Salt

 

Sugars added to processed foods and fizzy drinks poses a greater threat to the heart than salt, it has been claimed

A new study warns added sugars - rather than than added salt - are likely to have a greater role in raising blood pressure, as well as triggering heart disease and stroke.

In the fight to curb the prevalence of heart disease, the experts warn the dangers, particularly linked to fructose, must be highlighted.

Heart disease is the number one cause of premature death in the developed world.

And high blood pressure is its most important risk factor, accounting for almost 350,000 deaths in the US in 2009 and costing more than $50 billion each year. 

Doctors have called for dietary guidelines to focus more on the dangers of sugar, and less on salt.

Dietary advice to help lower high blood pressure has historically focused on cutting salt intake.

But the potential benefits of this approach are 'debatable', the authors of the new study said.

They said the average reduction in blood pressure as a result of restricting salt intake, tends to be relatively small.

Some evidence suggests that 3 to 6g of salt each day may be optimal for health - in fact, anything less than 6g is actually harmful.

Most salt in a person's diet comes from processed foods, which also happen to be a rich source of added sugars, the scientists argue.

Sugar may be much more meaningfully related to blood pressure than sodium, as suggested by a greater magnitude of effect with dietary manipulation,' the study found

A daily intake of more than 74g of fructose is associated with a 30 % greater risk of blood pressure above 140/90 mm Hg and a 77 % increased risk of blood pressure above 160/100 mm Hg.

A high fructose diet has also been linked to an unfavourable blood fat profile, higher fasting blood insulin levels, and a doubling in the risk of metabolic syndrome

But experts have warned both sugar and salt levels must be tackled together to reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease