Eating sugary foods, which type is more harmful to health?

Sugar has been shown to have many harmful effects on health, but how you consume it can also have different effects.

Sugary drinks increase the risk of some chronic diseases - Illustration: TTO

Sugary drinks like soda may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes more than sugary foods like cookies and cakes, according to a review published in the journal Advances in Nutrition.

"Rather than making blanket statements like eliminating sugar altogether, research shows that the source, form, and accompanying nutrients are key factors in determining risk levels," Karen Della Corte, PhD, of nutrition, dietetics, and food science at Brigham Young University, told Health magazine.

Don't think fruit juice is only good for health

Researchers analyzed data from 500,000 people across continents. The results showed that sugar consumption from non-liquid sources did not affect the risk of type 2 diabetes, but sugary drink consumption did.

A daily serving of 30-60g of sugar-sweetened beverages, such as energy drinks, increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25%. With fruit juice, a daily serving of 230g can increase the risk by 5%.

Many study participants who drank sugary drinks regularly also tended to be less physically active, which could affect their risk of diabetes, said Laura A. Schmidt, associate professor of health policy and humanities and social sciences at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine.

Why might consuming sugar in liquid form be more harmful to health?

Sugary drinks can be more harmful because they often have no fiber, protein or fat, which means they enter the bloodstream very quickly, causing spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels and bypassing the brain’s satiety signals, says Della.

Such rapid absorption can also overload the liver in processing sugar, especially fructose.

At high doses, fructose is converted to fat in the liver, and this fat accumulation is linked to metabolic disorders such as hepatic insulin resistance, which promotes type 2 diabetes, Della said.

Other ingredients, such as chemical additives, artificial colors and flavorings commonly found in sugary drinks, can affect the body's "very delicate metabolic balance," Ms. Schmidt said.

Sugary drinks such as energy drinks, soft drinks and cocktails are often “harmful to health and should be consumed with caution, ideally not at all,” she added.

How to cut down on sugary drinks?

Sugary drinks can be addictive, Schmidt says. If you're hooked, try to wean yourself off them, just like you would quit drinking or smoking, she says. "Be proactive and plan for the times when you're most likely to crave sugary drinks," she adds.

You can start by mixing sugar-free soda with an equal amount of fruit juice or soft drink. Then, week by week, gradually reduce the amount of sugary drinks you drink until you are drinking only sugar-free soda.

Schmidt suggests adding a little lemon or lime juice instead. “Make this your new habit,” she says.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/an-uong-thuc-pham-co-duong-loai-nao-nhieu-tac-hai-voi-suc-khoe-20250707084339491.htm