Sugar and health effects

Researchers are still exploring the exact mechanisms by which different sugars, including fructose, affect the body. However, they have already found many negative health effects that are related to excessive sugar consumption:

Dental health
Tooth decay increases with sugar consumption, and high-sugar diets are associated with a higher dental caries risk.

Heart disease
People who consume high amounts of sugary foods or drinks are more likely to be at risk of heart disease.

Weight gain (especially abdominal fat)
Increased sugar intake and consumption of added sugars in sugar-sweetened beverages have been linked to body weight gain.

Diabetes
Evidence shows that people who consume high amounts of sugary foods or drinks are more likely to be at risk of type-2 diabetes.

Fructose and health

There are a number of scientific studies proposing that fructose may have particularly negative effects on health. Fructose makes up about half of the refined sugar we use and consume in sweetened foods and drinks each day. If very high doses of fructose are consumed (more than four times the WHO recommended level), fat can accumulate in the liver. This, and other mechanisms, could lead to a range of health conditions, including:

• Fat in the blood
• Increased blood pressure
• Fatty liver disease
• Insulin resistance
• Gout