According to the New England Journal of Medicine, “Diets high in polyunsaturated fat [found in walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds or their unprocessed cooking oils] have been more effective than lowfat, high-carbohydrate diets in lowering cholesterol as well as the incidence of heart disease.”
Now for the shocking news: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who get 25 percent or more of their daily calories from simple sugars have more than triple the risk of developing low high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol than those who get less than 5 percent of their calories from sweeteners. That’s because added sweeteners in food lower HDL and raise triglycerides. Links between sweets and blood fats were also found to be independent of the fat and cholesterol provided in high-fat foods (source: www.DrWeil.com and Well-Being Journal, July/August ’10).
Bottom line: Eat more polyunsaturated fats and cut back on sugar to reduce your risk of heart disease.
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