Study shows too much sugar can lead to fatal heart problems

Study shows too much sugar can lead to fatal heart problems

Feb 04, 2014 12:00 AM EST
Associated Press

Could too much sugar be deadly? The biggest study of its kind suggests the answer is yes, at least when it comes to fatal heart problems.

It doesn't take all that much extra sugar, hidden in many processed foods, to substantially raise the risk, the researchers found, and most Americans eat more than the safest amount.

Having a cinnamon roll with your morning coffee, a super-sized sugary soda at lunch and a scoop of ice cream after dinner would put you in the highest risk category in the study. That means your chance of dying prematurely from heart problems is nearly three times greater than for people who eat only foods with little added sugar.

For someone who normally eats 2,000 calories daily, even consuming two 12-ounce cans of soda substantially increases the risk. For most American adults, sodas and other sugary drinks are the main source of added sugar.

Lead author Quanhe Yang of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention called the results sobering and said it's the first nationally representative study to examine the issue.

Scientists aren't certain exactly how sugar may contribute to deadly heart problems, but it has been shown to increase blood pressure and levels of unhealthy cholesterol and triglycerides; and also may increase signs of inflammation linked with heart disease, said Rachel Johnson, head of the American Heart Association's nutrition committee and a University of Vermont nutrition professor.

Yang and colleagues analyzed national health surveys between 1988 and 2010 that included questions about people's diets. The authors used national death data to calculate risks of dying during 15 years of follow-up.

Overall, more than 30,000 American adults aged 44 on average were involved.

Previous studies have linked diets high in sugar with increased risks for non-fatal heart problems, and with obesity, which can also lead to heart trouble. But in the new study, obesity didn't explain the link between sugary diets and death. That link was found even in normal-weight people who ate lots of added sugar.

"Too much sugar does not just make us fat; it can also make us sick," said Laura Schmidt, a health policy specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. She wrote an editorial accompanying the study in Monday's JAMA Internal Medicine.

The researchers focused on sugar added to processed foods or drinks, or sprinkled in coffee or cereal. Even foods that don't taste sweet have added sugar, including many brands of packaged bread, tomato sauce and salad dressing. Naturally occurring sugar, in fruit and some other foods, wasn't counted.

Most health experts agree that too much sugar isn't healthy, but there is no universal consensus on how much is too much.

U.S government dietary guidelines issued in 2010 say "empty" calories including those from added sugars should account for no more than 15 percent of total daily calories.

The average number of daily calories from added sugar among U.S. adults was about 15 percent toward the end of the study, slightly lower than in previous years.

The authors divided participants into five categories based on sugar intake, from less than 10 percent of daily calories - the safest amount - to more than 25 percent.

Most adults exceed the safest level; and for 1 in 10 adults, added sugar accounts for at least 25 percent of daily calories, the researchers said.

The researchers had death data on almost 12,000 adults, including 831 who died from heart disease during the 15-year follow-up. They took into account other factors known to contribute to heart problems, including smoking, inactivity and excess weight, and still found risks for sugar.

As sugar intake increased, risks climbed steeply.

Adults who got at least 25 percent of their calories from added sugar were almost three times more likely to die of heart problems than those who consumed the least - less than 10 percent.

For those who got more than 15 percent - or the equivalent of about two cans of sugary soda out of 2,000 calories daily - the risk was almost 20 percent higher than the safest level.

Sugar calories quickly add up: One teaspoon has about 16 calories; one 12-ounce can of non-diet soda contains has about 9 teaspoons of sugar or about 140 calories; many cinnamon rolls have about 13 teaspoons of sugar; one scoop of chocolate ice cream has about 5 teaspoons of sugar.

Dr. Jonathan Purnell, a professor at Oregon Health & Science University's Knight Cardiovascular Institute, said while the research doesn't prove "sugar can cause you to die of a heart attack", it adds to a growing body of circumstantial evidence suggesting that limiting sugar intake can lead to healthier, longer lives.

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Benefits of Cabbage

RECIPES FOR HEALTH
Winter Cabbage With a Mediterranean Flair

ANDREW SCRIVANI FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
January 31, 2014
One of the things I appreciate about this produce-limited time of year is that it forces me to devote a week of Recipes for Health to cabbage. I love this nutrient-dense cruciferous vegetable for many reasons: the way it sweetens as it cooks in the pan; the price per pound; the way it is comfortable in a soup or a pie, a stew, a gratin or a salad, a stir-fry or a timbale. Yet I sometimes forget to pay attention to cabbage. It can be overshadowed by other winter vegetables like kale, its more fashionable cousin.

The extraordinary health benefits of cabbage reside mainly in its abundant polyphenols and glucosinilates. These micronutrients are proving to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help the body fight disease. Cabbage is also an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A.

I was all set to focus on recipes from Russia and Eastern Europe this week, and I did come up with some fabulous pirozhki, the classic Russian little oval pies. But as so often happens when I am exploring recipes and experimenting in my kitchen, I could not get away from the Mediterranean, where cabbage is also widely appreciated. So this week you will taste a delicious soup that is seasoned with Parmesan rinds, Italian bruschetta topped with pan-cooked cabbage, as well as a spicy Tunisian chakchoukah, a vegetable stew that is traditionally mainly peppers and tomatoes, but in this version features cabbage, peppers and tomatoes, with eggs poached right in the stew.

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Life is too short to regret

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Menghilangkan Bau Cat Dengan Cepat dan Murah

 

Semua cat meninggalkan bau yang relative lama dan sama setelah dikuaskan. Bau yang sebenarnya akan hilang sendiri seiring berjalannya waktu. Namun, karena cat terbuat dari campuran beberapa bahan kimia, boleh jadi aroma yang menyebar mengandung senyawa yang mengancam kesehatan penghuni rumah. Apalagi jika kita memiliki anak kecil yang daya tahan tubuhnya masih rentan.

Sejumlah produsen cat telah memikirkan untuk menciptakan cat yang ramah lingkungan. Setidaknya tidak menyebarkan bau yang menyengat, cepat kering, dan mudah dibersihkan. Namun, cat ramah lingkungan ini masih belum banyak dijual sehingga mau tak mau kita harus menggunakan cat konvensional.

 

Ada beberapa cara yang diyakini bisa mengusir bau cat yang menyengat secara hemat, relative cepat, dan dengan memanfaatkan benda – benda yang ada di sekitar rumah kita.

Berikut ini cara – caranya :

·         Cara pertama, dengan meletakkan beberapa mangkok berisi air dan garam di ruangan yang bau catnya terasa kuat. Dalam beberapa jam, bau cat ini akan berkurang.

·         Cara kedua, dengan memanfaatkan bawang Bombay. Caranya dengan membelah bawang tersebut menjadi dua bagian, kemudian celupkan ke dalam wadah baskom besar atau ember berisi air. Lalu tempatkan dalam ruangan yang baru saja dicat. Beberapa jam kemudian niscaya bau cat sudah tak terasa kuat.

·         Cara selanjutnya dengan memakai bawang putih. Kita bisa menggantungkan beberapa suing bawang putih di depan kipas angin dan arahkan embusan anginnya pada dinding yang baru saja di cat. (Cara ini dianggap yang paling ampuh untuk mengusir bau cat dengan cepat).

·         Cara yang lain, bisa dengan menempatkan seember besar air yang dicampur dengan satu sendok cairan amoniak di ruangan yang aroma catnya kuat. Cara ini biasanya membutuhkan waktu semalam untuk menghilangkan bau cat.

 

Kompas, 24 Januari 2014,à Kolom Ornamen hal. 47

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The Secret to Great Pizza

FOOD & DRINK | JAN 18, 2014, 02:11 AM GMT+07:00
The Secret to Great Pizza At Home
Whatever toppings you choose, a pizza's appeal begins with its crust. Use these illustrated step-by-step instructions to make your dough, then choose from nine different recipes for sauces and toppings
SOME PEOPLE INSIST on pizza drenched in tomato sauce, heaped with cured meats and oozing cheese. Others crave minimalist pies topped with nothing but garlic, olive oil and rosemary, or thinly sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. One way to please everyone at the table is to custom-make pizza at home: Prepare a selection of toppings and take orders.
For me, though, a pizza ultimately succeeds or fails on the quality of its crust. The kind of flour you choose makes a big difference. In the recipe at right, I opt for half whole-wheat flour, half all-purpose or bread flour. The whole wheat makes for a flavorful crust, and provides all the health benefits associated with eating whole grains—though a crust made solely with this kind of flour would be tough and dry. All-purpose flour has a higher protein content, and bread flour an even higher one; adding either to the mix makes a smoother dough and a lighter, more tender crust. You can also make this recipe using entirely all-purpose or bread flour, or a combo of the two. Experiment until you achieve the texture and taste you crave.
The part many novice pizzaiolos find daunting is handling the pizza dough. All too often, the circle springs back like a rubber band and becomes impossible to roll out long before it reaches the diameter called for in the recipe. I recall becoming similarly frustrated myself—and jettisoning the recalcitrant dough in favor of English muffin halves—when first trying to make pizza. Little did I realize, all that stiff dough needed was a short time-out in the refrigerator. Kneading and rolling develop the gluten in the flour and cause the crust to recoil rather than enlarge; chilling relaxes the tightly wound gluten. A five-to-10-minute rest results in compliant dough that stretches effortlessly to its requisite size.
Gail Monaghan
The Ingredients
The Steps
1. Add flours, honey, yeast and salt to the bowl of a food processor or electric mixer and process to combine. Add water and 2 tablespoons oil and continue to process until dough forms a ball. If dough is sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. If dough is too dry, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
2. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until you have a smooth, elastic ball, about 5 minutes. (Kneading can also be done using an electric mixer with the bread hook in place.)
3. Form dough into a smooth ball and place in a large bowl greased with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. Cut risen dough in half. Knead each half briefly and then shape into a ball. Place the two balls on a lightly floured surface and cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let rest 1 hour at room temperature or in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. If refrigerated, let dough come to room temperature before continuing.
4. Use a rolling pin to roll out and your hands to stretch each ball into a circle 12-14 inches in diameter. If dough becomes too elastic, place it in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to relax before continuing.
Pizza Margherita
Total Time: 20-25 minutes Makes: one 12-14-inch pizza
Preheat oven to 500 degrees and place rack as low as possible in oven. Lightly oil a 14-16-inch pizza pan or very large baking sheet and lay uncooked crust on top, rolling in edges to form a rim if desired. // In a 10-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat, add 2 large cloves garlic, minced , and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 1 ½ cups canned whole peeled tomatoes , crushing them as they go into the pan, then packed ¼ cup torn basil leaves . Boil, stirring frequently, until a thick sauce forms, 5-7 minutes. // Spread a layer of sauce over rolled-out crust, top with packed ¼ cup torn basil leaves and 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced . (You may have leftover sauce.) Drizzle with 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil . Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon oregano and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper . If you like, top with 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan and/or red pepper flakes to taste. // Bake 10 minutes. Use a pizza peel or a large spatula and an oven mitt to transfer pizza from pan directly onto oven rack. Bake 2 minutes more, or until cheese is melted and crust is golden and done to your liking.
Variations
1. Onion, Garlic and Rosemary: Combine 2 large red onions sliced into very thin rings, 4 very thinly sliced garlic cloves, ½ cup olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary leaves , and let marinate at least 1 hour. Top pizza and bake.
2. Vegetarian: Brush dough with olive oil or pesto , then top with slightly overlapping thin slices of eggplant, onion, tomato, mushrooms and mozzarella . Brush lightly with more oil or pesto. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper . Bake.
3. Marinara: Brush dough lightly with tomato sauce , then sprinkle with rinsed and dried capers, halved and pitted black olives , and chopped anchovies . Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper . Bake.
4. Quattro Stagioni: Brush dough lightly with tomato sauce . Top with strips of prosciutto, sliced mushrooms tossed in olive oil, sliced marinated artichokes and halved and pitted black olives . Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper . Bake.
5. Mixed Peppers and Onions: Lightly sauté 4 bell peppers, sliced —mixed colors if possible—along with 2 sliced onions and 2 cloves sliced garlic in 3 tablespoons olive oil . Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper . Stir in mixed chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme and/or chives) if desired. Spread over pizza dough. Bake. When hot from the oven, garnish with freshly grated Parmesan .
6. Fresh Sausage and Peppers: Follow instructions for Mixed Peppers and Onions, and dot with ¼ pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, crumbled , before baking.
7. Shellfish and Scallions: Cut 6 scallions into 1-inch lengths and sauté in olive oil 1 minute. Add ¾ pound mixed shellfish —shelled shrimp, sliced scallops, clams and mussels steamed open and removed from shells. Stir in 1-2 cloves chopped garlic , season with salt and freshly ground black pepper , and remove from heat. Brush dough with olive oil and add a layer of chopped fresh tomatoes . Top with shellfish mixture and bake. Garnish with chopped fresh basil or parsley .
8. Mushrooms, Pancetta and Garlic: Cut 5 ounces pancetta into ¼-inch lardons and cook over medium heat until soft. Transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to pan and sauté ¾ pounds sliced mixed mushrooms with 2 cloves sliced garlic, chopped thyme and chopped parsley . Add cooked pancetta and top pizza. Bake. When done, garnish with grated Parmesan or Pecorino .

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