The consumption of foods that provide carbohydrates is part of a healthy diet. Experts point out that the type of carbohydrate you choose to eat is important, as some can have a negative effect on heart health.
Carbohydrates provide the body with glucose, which is converted into energy that the body uses for different functions and physical activity.
The Harvard Nutrition Source notes that carbohydrates are found in a wide range of healthy and unhealthy foods. It also explains that there are a variety of forms, the most common are: sugars, fibers and starches.
The healthiest sources of carbohydrates are unprocessed or minimally processed whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans.
Harvard notes that the least healthy sources of carbohydrates include white bread, pastries, soft drinks, and other highly processed or refined foods. These foods, in addition to contributing to weight gain, also promote diabetes and heart disease.
The worst carbohydrates for heart health
Soft drinks and other sugary drinks are among the worst carbohydrates for the heart. “Sodas and other sugary drinks are simple carbohydrates that are released into the bloodstream faster than other foods and cause a dramatic spike in blood sugar,” explains dietitian Julie Upton via Eat This Not That.
Studies have found that consumption of sugary drinks is associated with higher triglycerides and an increased risk of heart disease .
Harvard shares that a study that followed 40 men over two decades found that those who averaged one can of a sugary drink per day had a 20 % increased risk of suffering from a heart attack or die of a heart attack than men who rarely consumed sugary drinks.
A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in the 2020 found adverse effects of beverage consumption on the lipid profile.
The authors reported that regular consumption of one serving per day of sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with a decrease in high-density lipoprotein density (HDL), the so-called “good cholesterol” and an increase in triglycerides.
The American Heart Association points out that too much cholesterol of the bad type, or not enough of the good, increases the risk that the cholesterol builds up slowly on the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain.
Sugar-sweetened beverages include sodas, colas, tonics, fruit punch, sweetened lemonades and orangeades, sweetened powders, as well as sports and energy drinks.
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