Eating too much added sugar can have many negative health effects. An excess of sweetened foods and beverages can lead to weight gain, blood sugar problems and an increased risk of heart disease, among other dangerous conditions.

How harmful is added sugar?

Eating an excessive amount of added sugar can increase triglyceride levels, which may increase your risk of heart disease. Tooth decay. Sugar promotes tooth decay by allowing bacteria to multiply and grow. The more often you eat or drink foods with natural sugar or added sugar, the more likely you are to get cavities.

Is added sugar worse than sugar?

There's a big difference between natural and added sugars. Natural sugars are naturally occurring in whole foods like fruit that come with added health benefits like fiber and antioxidants. Added sugars are added during the processing of packaged foods and do not provide any nutrients (besides calories).