For 50 years, saturated fat–found in meat, butter, cheese, and many baked goods and fried foods–has been demonized as the no. 1 dietary villain in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Yet decades of research show that sugar is actually even worse for the heart than saturated fat.
A large body of research showed that sugar is even worse for your heart than saturated (bad) fat.
Research suggests that either can be effective in the short term (and so can other approaches like a Mediterranean-style diet or a well balanced reduced-calorie diet), but doesn't tell us that one approach is better than the other. So the most effective approach is the one that works best for you.
It's true that fats are higher in calories than the same weight of carbohydrate or protein. And saturated fats, found mainly in animal produce like the fat on meat and poultry and in dairy foods, are associated with the high cholesterol levels that can be a risk factor for heart problems and strokes.
Regularly eating fried foods is associated with a higher risk of developing heart problems. Fried foods are high in saturated fat and trans fat, so they promote plaque buildup in arteries that can put you at risk for coronary artery disease, heart failure, heart attack, and stroke.
Pizza Is Not a Fried Food
Fried food can lead to problems such as weight gain, increased blood pressure, developing diabetes, and increasing your risk for heart disease. Pizza, on the other hand, can protect your heart because of the nutrients that it provides.
Table sugar or processed sugar is additional sugar consumption and can trigger serious health issues such as obesity or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and fruits are good for health.
Sugar is the real culprit when it comes to gaining weight. When your sugar intake is too high, your body fails to produce an adequate amount of insulin to break it down.
Do you get sugar cravings and energy crashes? You might be a sugar burner. If you're a fat burner, you have lasting energy and can go hours without thinking about food. This is a state called ketosis, and it happens when you follow a high fat, lower-carb diet.
For 50 years, saturated fat–found in meat, butter, cheese, and many baked goods and fried foods–has been demonized as the no. 1 dietary villain in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Yet decades of research show that sugar is actually even worse for the heart than saturated fat.
So how long does it take for excess carbohydrates to turn to body fat? Once a meal is consumed, your body either uses the calories as fuel, or stores the calories in fat cells to be used a later time. Within four to eight hours from the beginning of a meal, your body begins to store consumed calories as fat.
Eating too much sugar is associated with larger fat deposits around the heart and in the abdomen, which are risky for health.
Moreover, processed, high fructose corn syrup may be the worst type of sugar a person can consume. Some medical experts relate sugar to cocaine in the way it has addictive effects on the brain in humans and in animals and this notion is supported by research.
Foods that are composed of carbohydrates are turned into sugar or glucose. These include foods such as pasta, bread, vegetables, fruit, and rice. Other foods composed of proteins and fats may eventually be turned to sugar depending on the body's needs; however, 100% carbohydrates are converted to glucose.
There is no doubt that cutting or reducing added sugar from the diet is highly beneficial, but the same cannot be said for the fiber and nutrients some complex carbohydrates provide, like fiber, polyphenols, and essential vitamins and minerals.
Sugar doesn't instantly equal body fat. But if you consume too much sugar, which many people do, it may eventually be stored as fat in your body through the process of lipogenesis, making it harder for you to maintain a healthy weight.
Spinach and other leafy green vegetables like kale, lettuce, etc. are great for burning belly fat and are very nutritious as well. There have been some studies done on the subject of the fat burning capabilities of spinach and the very healthy veggie has come out a winner in this category.
Almost 2,000 calories in a Domino's, under 500 in a KFC and 1,100 in a kebab – how many calories are in your takeaway? TAKEAWAY fans were amazed when a BBC documentary showed that there's less than 500 calories in a KFC meal – compared to a belly-busting 1,900 calories in a Domino's pizza.
Ice Cream Versus Potato Chips
You're definitely avoiding sugar with a serving of these popular potato chips, but are actually consuming more calories and fat than in one serving of vanilla bean or chocolate ice cream!
Acrylamide is a chemical created in certain foods that are cooked at high temperatures. Because chips are sliced so thin and fried so hot, they're even heavier in acrylamide than French fries (which, sadly, 7 out of 9 experts warn against).