When researchers talk about “carbohydrates”, they really mean sugars and refined flour products like white bread. These empty-calorie foods dominate most Americans’ diets … and when consumed in excess, they cause fat gain, raise blood sugar levels, promote inflammation, and raise heart and diabetes risks.
There is already plenty of evidence that diets high in carbohydrate-laden foods like pastries, white bread, and refined-flour cereals can be detrimental to cardiac health, but in a new landmark study, research from Tel Aviv University now shows exactly how these high-carb foods raise the risk of cardiovascular disease (Shechter M et al. 2009).
The Israeli researchers divided 56 healthy volunteers into four groups and assigned them to eat one of four things: