If you've managed to avoid all the holiday sweets so far, congrats on the willpower. Now, some tough news: A study found eating no sweets at all could KILL YOU. (!!!)
Researchers tracked the added sugar intake of 70,000 people to see how it affected their heart health. They looked at three sources: Sugary toppings, like honey . . . sweets, like cookies . . . and sweetened drinks, like soda.
They found that too much sugar . . . especially in drinks . . . can up your risk for heart attack or stroke. But they were surprised to find that people who completely avoided sugar were ALSO at a higher risk.
They think it's possible the no-sugar people had pre-existing conditions that weren't revealed, and that's WHY they were avoiding sugar. If so, it could explain why their hearts weren't as healthy.
Still, they say it suggests "extremely low sugar intake may not be necessary or beneficial." So their advice is don't overindulge. But an occasional sweet treat is okay for most people, and may even be good for you.
(Food & Wine / Frontiers)