Why should patients with hyperlipidemia avoid sugary foods? An analysis of the impact of sugar on blood lipids.

Avoid frequent consumption of sugary foods: Carbohydrates are one of the three essential energy-producing nutrients for the human body, providing 50% of the body's required energy. After metabolism, sugar enters the tricarboxylic acid cycle and is completely oxidized into carbon dioxide and water, releasing energy for the body's use. Excess sugar can be converted into glycogen or fat and stored in the liver. In my country, rice and wheat are staple foods, containing large amounts of starch, a major source of carbohydrates. This starch, after digestion, is converted into glucose, which the body needs. In terms of quantity, the carbohydrates ingested through three normal meals a day are sufficient to meet the body's needs. Adding sucrose to the diet, or excessive consumption of sweets, fruit candies, chocolate, etc., outside of meals, will lead to excessive sugar intake. This causes excessive lipid synthesis in the liver, resulting in fat accumulation and elevated blood lipids, further contributing to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.

Studies have shown that excessive consumption of sucrose and fructose quickly converts into pyruvate in the liver, which is further converted into triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC). These are then transported into the bloodstream via low-density lipoprotein (LDL), thus raising blood lipid levels. Furthermore, in the elderly, decreased pancreatic function leads to lower glucose tolerance; excessive sugar intake can cause glucose metabolism disorders, resulting in elevated blood sugar and inducing or worsening diabetes. Diabetes, in turn, can exacerbate lipid metabolism disorders and accelerate the formation of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Swiss scientists, in their research on the relationship between sugar consumption and cardiovascular disease, found a direct correlation between the incidence and mortality rates of cardiovascular disease and sugar consumption. Japanese scholars have also reached the same conclusion through their research. Some scholars even point out that excessive sugar intake is more harmful to the body than smoking, hence they call sugar a sweet white "poison."

In conclusion, patients with hyperlipidemia, especially elderly patients with hyperlipidemia, should avoid consuming sweets and various sugars in addition to their regular meals to prevent the occurrence and aggravation of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.