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For Blood Pressure, Sugar May Be Worse Than Salt

Processed foods are high in sugar as well as salt and can contribute to high blood pressure.

When public health authorities give dietary recommendations to help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, they usually focus on salt. We are all advised to cut our sodium intake.

Two scientists point out that most of the salt in our diets comes from processed foods, which are also high in sugar.

They suggest that sugars, particularly fructose, may be just as responsible as salt for boosting blood pressure and conclude that the public should be warned to stay away from such foods and sugar-sweetened beverages.

[Open Heart, December 10, 2014]

To hear more information about the hazards of sugar and read an entire book detailing how sugar is contributing to the obesity epidemic among children and how that affects the nation’s health, you may wish to consider our book and CD combination offer, the Fat Chance Listen & Read.  Dr. Robert Lustig is a pediatric neuroendocrinologist at UCSF who has gleaned ample evidence from medical research on this topic.

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About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
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