OCCASIONAL SWEET TREATS COULD BOOST YOUR HEART HEALTH, STUDY SHOWS

According to a new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, indulging in sweet treats such as pastries, chocolate and sweets may actually lower the risk of certain cardiovascular diseases (although sugary drinks pose a significant health risk – so it’s best to limit your intake of those).

The research

The research team from Lund University in Sweden looked at the relationship between added sugar intake from various foods and drinks and the risk of seven cardiovascular diseases, including: ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure, aortic stenosis, atrial fibrillation and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

The method

The researchers examined 69,705 Swedish participants’ – aged between 45–83 years old – dietary habits via questionnaires, and then tracked their cardiovascular health over 22 years.

These surveys – which took place in 1997 and again in 2009 – recorded how often they drank sugary drinks (including soft drinks and fruit juices), sweetened treats (like pastries, ice cream and chocolate), and toppings (such as honey and jams).

The scientists tracked their cardiovascular health by linking their responses to national medical records – which then provided data on ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, heart attack, heart failure, aortic stenosis, atrial fibrillation and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Worth noting: The fact that this research incorporated data from two separate time points means we have a much more accurate representation of long-term dietary habits.

The results

The study showed that the impact of added sugar on cardiovascular disease risk varied massively depending on the source of the sugar.

Sugar-sweetened drinks:

• Consistently linked to increased risks of ischemic stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and abdominal aortic aneurysm.
• High consumption of sugary drinks led to worse outcomes for these diseases.

Sweet treats:

• Surprisingly, pastries, chocolate and ice cream were associated with reduced risks for all seven cardiovascular diseases studied, including stroke, heart attack and heart failure.

Sweet toppings:

• Linked to a lower risk of heart failure and aortic stenosis, but positively associated with an increased risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Interestingly, participants with the lowest intake of sweet treats often exhibited higher risks for several cardiovascular conditions.

What does this mean for us?

Clearly, not all sugars are equally harmful to our health.

This study offers a much more nuanced look at how added sugar in our diet can affect our cardiovascular health.

While sugary drinks pose a significant risk to cardiovascular health, moderate consumption of sweet treats like pastries, chocolate, and ice cream may not only be less harmful but could even have protective effects against certain heart conditions.

The bottom line

This study shows it’s important not just to reduce our sugar intake where we can, but to also be mindful of the context in which it’s consumed.

We all love the occasional pastry (especially cinnamon buns at Christmas) and even though this study shows sweet treats could be beneficial when eaten as part of an overall healthy lifestyle and diet, the study also highlights the importance of further research.

Our takeaway? Moderation and informed dietary choices are key (and much better than blanket bans on all added sugars).

Read next

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• Gwyneth Paltrow drinks it – but is raw milk safe?
• RFK Jr said Americans are being ‘unknowingly poisoned’ by seed oils – are they really that bad?
• Zebra Striping: the genius drinking hack to master the holiday party season

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2024-12-09T12:45:01Z