Sugar overconsumption might cause cancer and contribute to heart disease, research suggests. This is thought to be the result of extra stress put on the body during the metabolizing of fructose, or the sugar found in certain plants. Unlike the carbohydrates found in vegetables and starches that are metabolized by all of the body’s cells, fructose is metabolized only by the liver. The increase in metabolizing blood sugar is thought to cause the cell mutations that result in cancer and raise the levels of triglycerides, or fat, in the bloodstream, which can cause heart disease.
More about sugar:
- The average American is estimated to consume about 90 pounds (40.82 kg) of sugar each year.
- There are about 10 teaspoons (40 g) of sugar in an average can of soda, which is nearly twice the amount of sugar that health experts recommend consuming in a day.
- Lower-income people consume the most calories from sugar, at roughly 15% of their daily intake. People in the highest income bracket consume only about 11% of their daily calories from sugar.