Many chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and others, have been linked to high intakes of added sugar and refined carbohydrates in human observational studies.
Heart Disease: Consuming sugary drinks has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease in a number of studies.
A large study with over 75,000 women found that women who ate a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates had a 98% higher risk of heart disease than women who ate the least amount of sugar and refined carbohydrates.
This is probable because of the effect of sugar utilization on coronary illness risk factors, for example, expanded LDL cholesterol, expanded pulse, stoutness, insulin opposition and expanded provocative markers.
Cancer: A number of studies indicate that people who consume a lot of sugar may be more likely to get cancer.
According to one study, mice fed high-sugar diets developed breast cancer that later spread to other parts of the body.
A study that looked at the diets of over 35,000 women found that those who ate the most sugary foods and drinks had twice as much of a risk of developing colon cancer as those who ate the least amount of added sugar.
Although more research is required, the inflammatory effects of sugar may be the cause of the cancer risk. Sugar-induced inflammation may cause DNA and cell damage over time.
Cancer may also be linked, according to some experts, to persistently high insulin levels brought on by excessive sugar consumption.
Diabetes: Studies on diabetes have found a link between type 2 diabetes and an increased intake of added sugar.
One serving of sugary beverages per day was linked to an 18% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a large study involving over 38,000 people.
According to a different study, consuming more corn syrup was strongly linked to diabetes. On the other hand, consuming fiber helped prevent diabetes from developing.
Obesity: Obesity is frequently referred to as a mild inflammatory condition. Obesity and weight gain are linked to eating too much sugar.
Experts say that modern diets, which often have a lot of refined carbs and added sugar, can cause gut bacteria to be out of balance. This may somewhat make sense of the improvement of corpulence.
According to a review of 88 observational studies, sugary soda consumption was linked to higher calorie intake, increased body weight, and lower intake of other important nutrients.
A diet high in sugar counteracted the anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil and promoted obesity, according to a mouse study.
Other Diseases: Other illnesses like liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, mental decline, arthritis, and others have been linked to eating a lot of refined carbohydrates and added sugar.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, in particular, has been linked to excessive fructose consumption. Although the exact cause of this is unknown, it is thought to be a combination of increased gut permeability, bacterial overgrowth, and persistent low-grade inflammation.
However, observational studies constitute the majority of the evidence linking sugar to health issues. As a result, they are unable to demonstrate that these health issues were solely caused by sugar.
Summary: Several chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer, have been linked to excessive added sugar consumption in observational studies.
