Carlos Solis
Not all sugars are the same. Fruits, vegetables, milk, and plain yogurt contain sugars, but they also provide vitamins, fiber, and phytonutrients — and milk provides protein and vitamin B12. You can’t compare an apple to a bag of candy: the apple fills you up and nourishes you, while candy delivers empty calories.
Start by limiting so-called “free” sugars. Those are the sugars manufacturers or cooks add, plus sugars released during processing, like in fruit juices and smoothies. Usual suspects include sweet, fizzy drinks, cookies, pastries, chocolate, sweet alcoholic drinks, flavored yogurts, sauces, and many convenience foods.
Health risks
1. Extra weight and heart problems
High sugar intake is linked to a higher risk of overweight and heart disease. A Greek national nutrition study found that children getting more than 10% of their calories from added sugars had a 2.57 times higher risk of overweight or obesity than children consuming less than 10%.
Doctors also point to possible connections between excess sugar and higher blood pressure, certain cancers, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
2. Mood, memory, and child development
Evidence is building that chronic high sugar intake harms memory, mood, concentration, and object recognition. A review of Australian studies found correlations between high sugar consumption and anxiety, stress, and hyperactivity. Some studies link heavy sugary-drink consumption during pregnancy or breastfeeding to lower cognitive scores and weaker social-emotional development in children. The review authors warn that refined sugars may play a role in cognitive decline.
3. Effects on the microbiome
Research on sugar’s effects on the microbiome is still early, but excess sugars are associated with dysbiosis. Changes in microbiome composition, in turn, correlate with obesity, insulin resistance, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Why sugar in drinks is especially problematic
Sugary drinks are dangerous because you can drink a lot of sugar very quickly. Many studies show people who favor sweet drinks have more liver fat, lower levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, and higher levels of “bad” LDL and triglycerides. Other research links soda consumption to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Sugary beverages show a stronger link to cardiovascular disease than other sugar sources. People in the highest intake group for sugar-sweetened liquids had significantly higher risks of ischemic stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Researchers say liquid sugar is less filling, so it more easily leads to overeating and blood-glucose spikes.
Does sugar cause addiction?
Experts say sugar is not addictive in the same way nicotine is, but some people show addictive-like behaviors: they binge, they struggle to stop, and they can experience withdrawal symptoms. The habit often starts early because sweets tie into reward and family traditions, so quitting is hard. Sugar increases dopamine release and can blunt the satiety hormones ghrelin and leptin, which reduces the sense of fullness.
Sweeteners: safe or not?
There are two broad groups of non-sugar sweeteners. High-intensity ones provide almost no calories and are extremely sweet; polyols come from sugar, provide fewer calories, and add bulk. The EU has approved 11 sugar substitutes, including aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, plus seven commonly used polyols such as xylitol and sorbitol. Regulators consider them safe when people stay within the acceptable daily intake. For example, official limits mean someone could, in theory, drink up to 12 cans of an aspartame-sweetened beverage a day without exceeding the limit.
In 2023 the WHO recommended against using non-sugar sweeteners to control weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases. After that, the BDA, BNF, and Diabetes UK updated their joint guidance. They say sweeteners can help people who drink lots of sugary drinks, especially those at risk for type 2 diabetes, but use them only as a tool in a gradual plan to reduce sugar cravings. Water remains the best drink.
Observational data are starting to link some sweeteners to microbiome changes and possible risks to cognitive health. A 2023 Brazilian study suggested potential harm to cognitive function, and other studies have found associations with obesity, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. So don’t rely entirely on sweeteners.
How much sugar is safe?
You don’t need to cut out all added sugar, but you should avoid exceeding recommended limits. The World Health Organization and the American Heart Association advise that added sugars make up no more than 10% of daily energy — about 200 calories or 50 g (12 teaspoons). In the U.K., the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition recommends aiming for 5% of calories, roughly 30 g of sugar per day, or seven sugar cubes. For comparison, a standard chocolate bar contains about 25 g of free sugar, and a 330 ml can of cola has about 35 g.
How to cut back
Cut back gradually. If you usually add a teaspoon of sugar to your tea, try half a teaspoon, then reduce more over time. Swap sweet sodas for sparkling water with fruit slices or other lower-sugar drinks. You can “retrain” your taste: genetics influence sweet preference, but environment and habits are changeable. Regularly choosing less-sweet options makes them taste better over time.
Better swaps include fresh fruit instead of sugary snacks, whole-grain crackers with cheese instead of candy bars, plain yogurt with fruit instead of flavored yogurts, and unsweetened nut butters instead of jam or chocolate spreads. Dietitians’ top tip: focus on what you can eat more of — vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
You don’t have to give up sweets entirely, but watch your sources of free sugars and make gradual swaps. The goal is to reduce how often and how much added sugar you eat, and to choose whole foods and water as your main options.
Based on reporting by The Guardian
