December 6/Melbourne, Australia/The University of Melbourne -- Too much of sugar may be creating health problems for many, but a new type of sugar developed by a team of researchers in Australia seems to be what is needed to keep a human heart healthy, according to new research on cardiac failure.

Scientists at the University of Melbourne have developed a new type of the sweetener, one which can prevent cardiac failure, published reports show.

A team of researchers that included Corin Storkey, scientist at the Heart Research Institute, has found that a spoonful of the new sugar, developed by an international team, is enough to keep a normal heart healthy,

Storkey made the discovery while working for his PhD under Carl Schiesser, a professor at the Bio21 Institute at the University of Melbourne.

The new sugar, a combination of sugar and selenium, helps to prevent reactive acids from damaging the heart, the journal Chemical Communications reported.

''Our seleno-sugar compounds work by scavenging hypohalous acids, a group of highly reactive chemicals that can damage tissues when produced in the wrong place, at the wrong time or at excessive levels.''

''One predictor of future heart disease in patients is the raised level of the enzyme that produces these hypohalous acids,'' Professor Carl Schiesser who led the team at the University of Melbourne, said.

The team discovered that seleno-sugar compounds are able to prevent hypohalous acids from damaging the important amino acids in human plasma, a key step in stopping the development of disease.

The scientists are now working to optimize their compounds for future pharmaceutical use.

''We are hoping that in the future our new chemicals will keep matters of the heart sweet. Well, at least health-wise!'' Storkey said.

 From the December 7, 2011, Prepared Foods' Daily News.