Heart Attacks in Women More Common in Those Who Eat Sugary Foods
An Italian study of 47,749 adults, including 15, 171 men and 32,578 women, concluded that a diet consisting largely of certain high-carbohydrate foods can increase the chance of heart disease by up to 50% in women. A diet rich in foods with a high glycemic index (i.e., white bread, sweets) increases the levels of blood glucose and triglycerides (harmful fats) in the blood stream. Furthermore, this food seems to reduce levels of HDL (good cholesterol), and thus increasing the chance for heart disease. This study concluded that men were far less affected by these types of foods than women.
Researchers noted that not all carbs affected blood glucose levels the same. For instance, carbs found in vegetables, fruits and whole grains have a far lower glycemic index than other carbs, so blood glucose and triglycerides were not as prevalent. In other words, the total number of carbs consumed didn’t make as big of an impact on cardiovascular health as the type of carbs consumed.
As for the reason why women are more affected by high glycemic foods than men, researches said, “We tentatively suggest that the adverse effects of a high glycemic diet in women are mediated by sex-related differences in lipoprotein and glucose metabolism”. They also suggested that more research needs to be done on this topic in order to conclude that men are indeed less prone to cardiovascular disease caused by a diet consisting of high glycemic foods.
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