Healthy Holidays: Exploring The Risks And Benefits Of Sugar Consumption

If you’ve been avoiding sweets this holiday season, I’ve got some news for you—and it’s going to make Grandma’s famous Christmas cookies taste even better! A new study found that skipping sugary treats entirely might actually INCREASE your risk of heart issues. So, if you’re debating that second helping of pecan pie or another round of fudge, science says you might be doing your heart a favor if you go for it!

Researchers tracked 70,000 people to see how sugar intake affected heart health. No shocker here: folks who drank too much soda or went a little overboard on the Oreos had a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. But here’s the kicker—people who cut out all sugar were also at a greater risk for heart problems.

The experts aren’t entirely sure why, but one theory is that the sugar-free crowd may have been avoiding sweets due to underlying health conditions they weren’t sharing. In other words, they weren’t skipping sugar for fun; they might’ve been forced to.

But the takeaway is clear: extremely low sugar intake isn’t necessary—or even helpful—for most people. Moderation is key, which means you don’t need to skip out on all the goodies at your Christmas parties. A cookie here and a slice of pie there isn’t just okay—it might even be good for you!

So, go ahead and enjoy those sugary cocktails, that Texas pecan pie, or even a couple of mugs of hot cocoa while you’re checking out the lights around Lubbock. Just don’t go overboard and wind up in a sugar coma!

And if anyone side-eyes you for eating that extra snickerdoodle, just smile and say, “I’m doing this for my heart.” Merry Christmas, fellow Lubbockites!