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A new study suggests that the way you consume sugar on a daily basis matters for your overall health.
Specifically, they found that drinking sugary drinks was worse for your health than eating sugary foods.
Here’s what experts make of the findings and how you should apply them in your daily life.
If you’re reading labels and swapping things out in your grocery cart in an attempt to tamp down on added sugar in your life, a new study is going to change how you shop and eat. While no one ever claimed sugar was good for you, it turns out that consuming sugar in some forms is actually healthier than others.
A recent scientific review published in the journal Advances in Nutrition had researchers analyzing the different ways people consume sugar and found that drinking your sugar is worse than simply eating it.
Of course, it’s nearly impossible to avoid all sugar, but the study does suggest that people should be choosy about the way they consume sugar in the future. Here’s why.
Meet the experts: Dena Champion, RDN, a dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center; Jessica Cording, RD, CDN, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers; Tara Gidus Collingwood, RDN, a sports nutrition consultant and owner of Tara Gidus Nutrition Consulting; Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CDN, CEO of NY Nutrition Group
What did the review find?
For the review, researchers crunched data from more than half a million people across the world who participated in 29 different studies, looking at their sugar consumption habits and overall health. The researchers found that people who had sugar through beverages (think: soda and juice) consistently had a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who didn’t drink as much sugar. But people who ate sugar didn’t have the same link.
The results were pretty wild. For every 12-ounce serving someone had of sugar-sweetened beverages a day, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes jumped up by 25 percent. For every 8-ounce serving of fruit juice they had a day, the risk increased by 5 percent.
“These findings suggest that dietary sugar consumed as a beverage (sugar sweetened beverages and fruit juice) is associated with incident type 2 diabetes risk,” the researchers wrote in the conclusion.
What is sugar bad for your overall health?
The big concern here is excess sugar, says Dena Champion, RDN, a dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Excess sugar can lead to increased weight gain and leave less room for healthy options,” she says.
Excess sugar also raises the risk of heart disease, dental issues, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, says Tara Gidus Collingwood, RDN, a sports nutrition consultant and owner of Tara Gidus Nutrition Consulting.
But it’s okay to have a little sugar, says Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CDN, CEO of NY Nutrition Group and author of The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan. “While consuming sugar sporadically and in smaller portions poses no risk for the average healthy person, excessive consumption of added and refined sugar could affect your health over time,” she says. Not only can it cause the issues we already mentioned, but it can also increase the risk of bodily inflammation, which is linked to a host of serious health conditions, like cancer, autoimmune diseases, and cardiovascular issues, she says.
Why is drinking sugar worse than eating it?
While the researchers established the link between type 2 diabetes risk and drinking sugary beverages, they didn’t dive into that exact cause-effect relationship. But there are some theories. “A lot has to do with the lack of protein, fat, and fiber,” says Jessica Cording, RD, CDN, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. “If you’re drinking sugar, which is usually in the context of a sugar-sweetened beverage or juice, there’s nothing to slow down the breakdown of it.” Cue the blood sugar spike and crash. It’s also easy to have a lot of sugar in a short period of time when you drink it, she points out.
If you’re drinking soda, you’ll likely take in more sugar at a faster rate than if you were to say, eat some ice cream, says Collingwood. And then there are serving sizes to consider. “Beverages often contain more sugar than a typical serving of a sweet food,” Collingwood says. “A 20-ounce soda can have 15 to 18 teaspoons of sugar.”
What are the worst sugary drinks to avoid?
This study called out sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and juice, points out Champion. “It may be wise to consume both with caution,” she says. Cording agrees. “I don’t recommend having a big sugar-sweetened soda, energy drink, or fruit juice, especially on its own,” she says.
Instead of drinking fruit juice, Champion recommends eating the whole fruit (which is also more filling). “Avoid sodas, lemonade, or fruit punch whenever possible,” she says. If you’re craving something fizzy but want to avoid the sugar of soda, Champion suggests experimenting with sparkling water, fruit, and herbs. “Berries and mint go well together,” she points out.
Still, while it’s probably not great to drink soda or juice regularly, Moskovitz says it’s okay to drink it in moderation. So, if you want to treat yourself, go for it. Just try to not to make it an everyday thing.
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