For decades, cholesterol has been cast as the villain in heart disease. But a landmark 15-year study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that added sugar may pose an even greater danger—dramatically raising the risk of dying from heart disease, even among people who are not overweight.

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The Study: Sugar and Heart Risk

Researchers followed thousands of U.S. adults over an average of 14.6 years, analyzing their diets and health outcomes. The findings were striking:

• People who consumed 25% or more of their daily calories from added sugar were more than twice as likely to die from heart disease compared with those consuming less than 10%.

• The risk climbed steadily as sugar intake rose, regardless of age, body weight, cholesterol levels, or physical activity.

• Even moderate excess—about 17–21% of daily calories from sugar—was linked to a 38% higher risk of heart-related death.

These results underline a simple truth: it’s not just fat and cholesterol that damage the heart—sugar plays a powerful role, too.

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Why Sugar Hurts the Heart

Unlike naturally occurring sugars in fruit and milk, added sugars (those stirred into sodas, desserts, and packaged foods) trigger harmful changes in the body:

• Raises blood pressure – Excess sugar stresses blood vessels, pushing up blood pressure.

• Overloads the liver – The liver converts excess sugar into fat, releasing harmful lipids into the bloodstream.

• Promotes inflammation – Chronic sugar spikes contribute to low-grade inflammation, a key driver of cardiovascular disease.

Together, these effects silently erode heart health—even in people with normal weight or cholesterol.

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Where Sugar Hides

The study identified the biggest culprits in the American diet:

• Sugary drinks – soda, fruit punches, and energy drinks (accounting for over one-third of added sugar intake).

• Desserts & candy – cakes, cookies, ice cream, and sweet snacks.

• Sweetened cereals and flavored yogurts.

A single can of soda often exceeds the American Heart Association’s recommended daily sugar limit:

• Women: 6 teaspoons (100 calories)

• Men: 9 teaspoons (150 calories)

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Rethinking Sweet Choices

Health experts urge people to cut back on added sugar—not just to manage weight, but to protect the heart. Small swaps can make a big difference:

• Replace soda with sparkling water infused with fruit.

• Choose fresh fruit or unsweetened yogurt instead of processed desserts.

• Read labels carefully—sugar hides under names like “corn syrup,” “maltose,” and “evaporated cane juice.”

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A Wake-Up Call

The message from this long-term research is clear: too much sugar can be lethal, even if you look healthy on the outside. While cholesterol still matters, sugar deserves equal, if not greater, attention in the fight against heart disease.

As Dr. Laura Schmidt of UCSF’s SugarScience project noted, “Sugar isn’t just empty calories—it’s toxic calories.”

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✨ Bottom line: Protecting your heart may be less about avoiding butter and eggs, and more about putting down that soda can.