Obesity rates have increased all across the world, and added sugar, particularly from sugar-sweetened beverages, is regarded to be one of the primary causes.

Sweeteners added to foods and beverages to improve taste are known as added sugars. Fructose, corn syrup, cane sugar, and agave are examples of common sugar. Sugar is high in calories and offers few other nutrients, so it may lead you to gain weight if you consume too much of it. For example, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of corn syrup, a common sweetener, has 120 calories, all of which come from carbohydrates. Added sugars are known as "empty calories" because they're high in calories but low in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, and fiber, which your body requires to function properly. A rise in visceral fat, a type of deep belly fat linked to diabetes and heart disease, has been linked to drinking many sugar-sweetened beverages.

High-sugar diets have been linked to an increased risk of a variety of diseases, including heart disease, the world's leading cause of death. Obesity, inflammation, high triglyceride, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels have all been linked to high-sugar diets, which are all risk factors for heart disease. Furthermore, excessive sugar intake, particularly from sugar-sweetened drinks, has been related to atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by fatty, artery-clogging deposits.

According to a research of over 30,000 participants, those who consumed 17–21% of their calories from added sugar had a 38% higher chance of dying from heart disease than those who consumed just 8% of their calories from added sugar. One 16-ounce (473-ml) can of soda includes 52 grams of sugar, which accounts for over 10% of your daily calorie intake based on a 2,000-calorie diet. This means that only one sugary drink per day can put you over the recommended daily sugar limit.

A high-refined carbohydrate diet, which includes sugary foods and drinks, has been linked to an increased risk of acne. Processed sweets and other foods with a high glycemic index raise blood sugar faster than foods with a lower glycemic index.

Sugary foods spike blood sugar and insulin levels quickly, resulting in increased androgen secretion, oil production, and inflammation, all of which contribute to acne development. Low-glycemic diets have been related to a lower risk of acne, while high-glycemic diets have been linked to greater risk. For example, a study of 2,300 adolescents found that those who consumed added sugar often had a 30% higher risk of developing acne. In addition, compared to more urban, high-income areas, many population studies have revealed that rural communities that consume traditional, non-processed foods had almost non-existent rates of acne. These data support the theory that a diet high in processed, sugary foods contributes to acne development.

Over the last 30 years, the worldwide prevalence of diabetes has more than doubled. There is a clear relationship between excessive sugar consumption and the risk of diabetes, even though there are a few explanations for this.

Obesity, which is frequently induced by eating too much sugar, is the most significant risk factor for diabetes. Furthermore, long-term high-sugar consumption leads to insulin resistance, a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance raises blood sugar levels, putting you at a higher risk of diabetes. According to one population research from over 175 countries, every 150 calories of sugar ingested per day, or roughly one can of soda, increased the chance of getting diabetes by 1.1%

Excess sugar consumption may increase your risk of developing some cancers. A diet high in sugary foods and beverages can lead to obesity, which increases your cancer risk dramatically. Furthermore, high-sugar diets cause inflammation in the body and may lead to insulin resistance, both of which raise the risk of cancer.

One research on almost 430,000 adults revealed that consuming additional sugar was linked to an increased risk of esophageal cancer, pleural cancer, and small intestine cancer. Women who ate sweet buns and cookies more than three times per week were 1.42 times more likely to develop endometrial cancer than women who ate them fewer than 0.5 times per week, according to another study. The link between added sugar intake and cancer is still being researched, and more research is needed to completely comprehend this complex relationship.

A balanced diet can help you feel better, but a diet high in added sugar and processed foods may raise your risk of depression. Consuming a lot of processed foods, especially high-sugar foods like cakes and sugary drinks, has been linked to an increased risk of depression.

Sugar's negative impact on mental health is thought to be caused by blood sugar fluctuations, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and inflammation, according to researchers. Men who consumed 67 grams or more of sugar per day were 23% more likely to develop depression than men who consumed less than 40 grams per day, according to a 22-year study of 8,000 people. Another research of almost 69,000 women found that those who consumed the most added sugars had a considerably higher risk of depression than those who consumed the least.

Wrinkles are a natural part of the aging process. They will appear at some time, regardless of your health. Poor eating choices, on the other hand, can worsen wrinkles and accelerate the aging process. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are compounds produced by sugar and protein reactions in the body, they're thought to be important in skin aging.

AGEs are produced when you eat a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar, which can cause your skin to age prematurely. Collagen and elastin, which help the skin stretch and maintain its young look, are damaged by AGEs. The skin loses its firmness and begins to sag when collagen and elastin are destroyed. Women who ate more carbohydrates, including added sugars, had more wrinkles than women who ate a high-protein, low-carb diet, according to one research. The researchers came to the conclusion that a reduced carbohydrate diet was linked to a more youthful look of the skin.

Telomeres are structures found at the ends of chromosomes, which contain part or all of your genetic information. Telomeres serve as protective caps on chromosomes, keeping them from deteriorating or fusing. Telomeres normally shorten as you get older, causing cells to age and malfunction.

While telomere shortening is a natural part of aging, bad lifestyle choices can accelerate the process. Sugar consumption has been proven to accelerate telomere shortening, which increases cellular aging. Research on 5,309 people found that drinking sugar-sweetened drinks on a frequent basis was linked to lower telomere length and cellular aging. In fact, independent of other variables, each daily 20-ounce (591-ml) consumption of sugar-sweetened soda equated to 4.6 additional years of aging.

Foods high in added sugar spike blood sugar and insulin levels quickly, resulting in increased energy. This increase in energy levels, however, is just temporary. Products high in sugar but low in protein, fiber, or fat provide a short surge of energy followed by a significant drop in blood sugar, a phenomenon known as a crash.

Constant blood sugar fluctuations can cause significant energy fluctuations. Choose carb sources that are low in added sugar and high in fiber to prevent this energy-draining cycle. Another great way to keep your blood sugar and energy levels consistent are to combine carbohydrates with protein or fat. For example, eating an apple along with a small handful of almonds is an excellent snack for prolonged, consistent energy levels.

Fructose consumption has long been associated with an increased risk of fatty liver. It's proven that consuming moderate amounts of specific types of sugar may double the production of fat in the liver.

Unlike glucose and other sugar, which are absorbed by a wide variety of cells throughout the body, fructose is almost completely broken down by the liver. Fructose is converted to energy or stored as glycogen in the liver. The liver, on the other hand, can only store so much glycogen before it is turned to fat. Large amounts of added sugar in the form of fructose overwhelm the liver, causing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition marked by excessive fat accumulation in the liver. People who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages on a regular basis had a 56% higher chance of getting NAFLD than those who did not, according to the research of over 5,900 adults.