Amalyan cited sugar as one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease

6 August 20:11

YOUTUBE

Ukrainian entrepreneur and physician Tigran Amalyan believes that excessive sugar consumption and an unbalanced diet are among the main reasons people end up in cardiology wards. He spoke about this in an interview with the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian"

To illustrate the scale of the problem, Amalyan cited statistics from his own professional experience as a cardiac surgeon.

“80% of patients in any cardiology ward are people who ended up there because they eat a lot of sugar,” he said.

Amalyan explained the physiological mechanism by which sugar affects a person’s eating habits, comparing its effect to drug addiction.

“Sugar desensitizes a person’s taste receptors. If you consume a lot of sweets, you can no longer fully appreciate the taste of many dishes because your taste receptors are constantly under its influence… And sugar really is like a narcotic. No matter where you add it, it triggers a person’s desire to eat it,” Amalyan explained.

According to him, it’s impossible to completely eliminate sugar from your diet, since it occurs naturally in many foods. At the same time, the main goal is to avoid foods in which the added sugar content exceeds 5% of the total weight.

“It’s impossible to give up sugar entirely, since it’s naturally found even in apples or corn. But I believe people shouldn’t consume foods where the sugar content exceeds 5% of the total weight,” he clarified.

To promote a healthy lifestyle, Amalyan initiated the creation of SuGuard, a children’s animated project that introduces kids to the basics of proper nutrition.

An extension of his philosophy of balanced nutrition was the creation of SuGuard, a fast-food restaurant specializing in balanced meals, a concept developed by Amalyan himself.

In addition, he wrote the book *Stay One Step Ahead*, dedicated to developing healthy habits, balanced nutrition, and personal development.

Amalyan paid particular attention to the consequences of an unbalanced diet for children. According to him, poor eating habits formed at an early age can lead to serious health problems, including disability. As an example, he cited his observations during his stay in the United States.

“If you don’t teach a child to eat a balanced diet, it can even lead to disability. I see very often—especially in the United States—very young and very, very obese children. This is a form of disability for which no one else is to blame. It is you, the parents, who must address this,” Amalyan concluded.