Many doctors, especially heart experts, are asking people over 50 to stop drinking sugary drinks, like sodas, to protect their hearts.
When we think about healthy eating, we often focus on fats or calories, but sugar is a big issue too. Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, a heart doctor, told Parade that people should limit added sugars—men should have no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams) a day, and women no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams). The problem is, many of us eat way more sugar than we realize.
It’s not just cakes and sweets that are loaded with sugar. Dr. Chen pointed out that many sauces, like ketchup, pasta sauce, and barbecue sauce, have a lot of hidden sugars.
Even foods that seem healthy, like yogurt and granola, often have a lot of sugar.
According to Parade, sugary foods that come from fruit are generally okay, but those from processed foods can be harmful, especially as we get older because our metabolism slows down. Too much sugar after age 50 can lead to serious heart problems.
Surprisingly, the worst culprit isn’t sugary snacks but sugary drinks. Dr. Chen and Dr. Karishma Patwa told Parade that sodas and other sweet drinks, like fruit juices and energy drinks, are packed with sugar.
A single soda bottle has about 65 grams of sugar—that’s over 10 times the amount women should have in a day! And because drinks don’t fill you up, you’ll likely eat more calories on top of that.
According to Parade, sugary drinks don’t offer any real nutrition. Dr. Patwa explained that sugary drinks like soda can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, heart attacks, and strokes due to the inflammation they cause. This is why doctors are encouraging people to drink water instead.
Still, having a soda once in a while won’t harm you if you limit it to special occasions, like you would a cocktail. Dr.
Patwa said it’s all about moderation, as Parade highlighted, and there are even healthier soda options that can satisfy your cravings without hurting your heart health.
https://parade.com/health/sugary-food-to-avoid-over-50-cardiologists?utm_source=pushly