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Oct 20, 2023 · A little extra sugar may seem harmless, but ingested often, it can contribute to a variety of health issues, like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
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- Overview
- 1. It Can Cause Weight Gain
- 2. May Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease
- 3. Linked to Acne
- 4. Increases Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
- 5. May Increase Your Risk of Cancer
- 6. May Increase Your Risk of Depression
- 7. May Accelerate the Skin Aging Process
- 8. Can Increase Cellular Aging
- 9. Drains Your Energy
Sugar is fine for you in small amounts, but too much can lead to weight gain, acne, type 2 diabetes, and can increase your risk of several serious medical conditions.
From marinara sauce to peanut butter, added sugar can be found in even the most unexpected products.
Many people rely on quick, processed foods for meals and snacks. Since these products often contain added sugar, it makes up a large proportion of their daily calorie intake.
In the United States, the average adult consumes an estimated 17 teaspoons of added sugar each day (1). That accounts for 14% of total calorie intake in adults following a 2,000-calorie diet.
Experts believe that sugar consumption is a major cause of obesity and many chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes (2).
That’s why dietary guidelines suggest limiting calories from added sugar to less than 10% per day (3).
Obesity rates are rising worldwide, and evidence suggests that added sugar — often from sugar-sweetened beverages — is a major contributor to obesity (4).
Sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas, juices, and sweet teas are loaded with fructose, a type of simple sugar.
Consuming fructose increases your hunger and desire for food more than glucose, the main type of sugar found in starchy foods (5).
Additionally, animal studies show that excessive fructose consumption may cause resistance to leptin, an important hormone that regulates hunger and tells your body to stop eating (6).
In other words, sugary beverages don’t curb your hunger, making it easy to quickly consume a high number of liquid calories. This can lead to weight gain.
Research shows that consuming sugary beverages is associated with weight gain and increased risk of type 2 diabetes (7, 8).
High-sugar diets have been associated with an increased risk of many diseases, including heart disease, the number one cause of death worldwide (8, 10, 11).
Evidence suggests that high-sugar diets can lead to obesity and inflammation as well as high triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels — all of which are risk factors for heart disease (12).
Additionally, consuming too much sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened drinks, has been linked to atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by fatty, artery-clogging deposits (13).
A study in over 25,877 adults found that individuals who consumed more added sugar had a greater risk of developing heart disease and coronary complications compared to individuals who consumed less added sugar (10).
Not only does increased sugar intake increase cardiovascular risk, but it can also increase risk of stroke (10).
In the same study, more than eight servings per week of sugar-sweetened beverages were associated with increased stroke risk (10).
A diet high in refined carbs, including sugary foods and drinks, has been associated with a higher risk of developing acne.
Foods with a higher glycemic index, such as processed sweets, raise your blood sugar more rapidly than foods with a lower glycemic index (15).
Consuming sugary foods can cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to increased androgen secretion, oil production, and inflammation — all of which play a role in acne development (16).
Evidence has shown that low-glycemic diets are associated with a reduced acne risk, while high-glycemic diets are linked to a higher acne risk (17).
For example, a study of 24,452 participants found that the consumption of fatty and sugary products, sugary beverages, and milk was associated with current acne in adults (18).
Additionally, many population studies have shown that rural communities that consume traditional, non-processed foods have much lower rates of acne compared to more urban, high-income areas where processed food is part of a standard diet (19).
Diabetes is a leading cause of mortality and reduced life expectancy. Its prevalence has more than doubled over the past 30 years, and projections estimate its burden will continue to rise (20).
Excessive sugar consumption has been historically associated with an increased risk of diabetes (21).
While no study has proven that sugar consumption causes diabetes, there are strong connections.
Eating large amounts of sugar can indirectly raise diabetes risk by contributing to weight gain and increased body fat — both of which are risks for developing diabetes (22).
Obesity, which is often caused by excessive sugar consumption, is considered the strongest risk factor for diabetes (23).
What’s more, prolonged high-sugar consumption drives resistance to insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels.
Eating excessive amounts of sugar may increase your risk of developing certain cancers.
First, a diet rich in sugary foods and beverages can lead to obesity, which significantly raises your risk of cancer (26).
Also, diets high in sugar increase inflammation in your body and may cause insulin resistance, both of which increase cancer risk (27, 28).
A systematic review analyzing 37 prospective cohort studies found that in two of five studies on added sugar, a 60% – 95% increased cancer risk was observed with higher sugar intakes (29).
The same review found that in 8 of 15 studies on sugary foods and beverages, a 23% – 200% increased cancer risk was observed with greater sugary beverage consumption (29).
Other studies have found sugar intake to be linked to specific types of cancer.
While a healthy diet can help improve your mood, a diet high in added sugar and processed foods may contribute to changes in mood and emotions.
It may even increase your chances of developing depression.
High sugar consumption has been linked to cognitive impairments, memory problems, and emotional disorders like anxiety and depression (32, 33).
Researchers believe that chronic systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and a disrupted dopaminergic reward signaling system — all of which can be caused by increased sugar consumption — may contribute to sugar’s detrimental impact on mental health (34).
A study following 8,000 people showed that men who consumed 67 grams or more of sugar per day were 23% more likely to develop depression than men who ate less than 40 grams per day (35).
Another study in over 69,000 women demonstrated that those with the highest intakes of added sugars had a significantly greater risk of depression, compared to those with the lowest intakes (36).
Wrinkles are a natural sign of skin aging. They appear eventually, regardless of your health.
However, poor food choices can worsen wrinkles and speed up the skin aging process.
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are compounds formed by reactions between sugar and protein in your body. They are suspected to play a key role in skin aging (37).
Consuming a diet high in refined carbs and sugar leads to the production of AGEs, which may cause your skin to age prematurely (38).
AGEs damage collagen and elastin, which are proteins that help the skin stretch and keep its youthful appearance.
When collagen and elastin become damaged, the skin loses its firmness and begins to sag.
Telomeres are structures found at the end of chromosomes, which are molecules that hold part or all of your genetic information.
Telomeres act as protective caps, preventing chromosomes from deteriorating or fusing together.
As you grow older, telomeres naturally shorten, which causes cells to age and malfunction (39).
Although the shortening of telomeres is a natural part of aging, certain lifestyle choices can speed up the process.
Consuming high amounts of sugar has been shown to accelerate telomere shortening, which increases cellular aging (40).
A pilot study on 61 preschool-aged children found that increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with decreased telomere length, signifying cellular aging (41).
Foods high in added sugar quickly spike blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to increased energy.
However, this rise in energy levels is fleeting.
Products that are loaded with sugar but lacking in protein, fiber, or fat lead to a brief energy boost that’s quickly followed by a sharp drop in blood sugar, often referred to as a crash (42).
Having constant blood sugar swings can lead to major fluctuations in energy levels (43).
A meta-analysis examining sugar’s effect on mood found that carbohydrate consumption, especially sugar, lowers alertness within 60 minutes of consumption, and increases fatigue within 30 minutes after consumption (42).
To avoid this energy-draining cycle, choose carb sources that are low in added sugar and rich in fiber.
- Jillian Kubala, MS, RD
Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day. For women, the number is lower: 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day. Consider that one 12-ounce can of soda contains 8 teaspoons (32 grams) of added sugar! There goes your whole day’s allotment in one slurp.
Jun 30, 2020 · Symptoms. Long-term risks. How to eat less sugar. When to see a doctor. Summary. In the short-term, eating too much sugar may contribute to acne, weight gain, and tiredness. In the long-term,...
- Louisa Richards
Jan 9, 2024 · No matter what it’s called, sugar is sugar, and in excess, it can negatively affect your body in many ways. Here’s a closer look at how sugar can mess with your health, from head to toe. Your...
- Locke Hughes
Jan 29, 2023 · When you eat sugar, your body breaks it down via saliva, even before it leaves your mouth. It then travels through your digestive tract, where it's absorbed into your bloodstream as glucose.
Feb 11, 2020 · The American Heart Association suggests that most women consume no more than 100 calories a day from added sugars and men consume no more than 150 calories a day of added sugars. That translates to about 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men.
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