Does eating a lot of sugar lead to heart problems? The evidence seems to point in that direction. Especially problematic is refined sugar, sugar which is added to foods and beverages. In the Internal Medicine section of the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), research has been reported to show a direct link with sugar added to foods and “a 38% higher risk of cardiovascular disease.”

What’s that you say?

That’s not a problem for you? You don’t add sugar to any of the foods you eat or drink, so that statistic simply does not apply, right? Well, you might want to check that assumption. Here’s why.

In the United States, the typical adult consumes about 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day. 22 teaspoons!

If you have sugar in your kitchen or on your table, grab your teaspoon and portion out that amount. There is no doubt you are staring at that heart-hating mound of sugar thinking, “There is no way that I consume that much sugar each day!”

You may be right. You may consume more or less than that amount, without even knowing it

Here is the problem, though. Multiple health authorities recommend no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women on a daily basis. If you are man you can sneak in an additional 3 teaspoons, for 9 teaspoons total. So even if you consume 50% less sugar than the typical adult, you are at risk.

Start reading food and beverage labels. Really! If there are any ingredients ending in the suffix -ose, you’re looking at sugar. In many modern societies, beverages are the biggest source of added sugar. So start watching what you are eating and drinking, cut back on added sugar, and you immediately improve your healthy and chances of avoiding heart disease.