Sugary drinks are one of the worst things for the body. I’ve been told this by a lot of people and I ignored the information for a really long time. But then I started losing weight and just skipping those liquid sugars helped significantly. Besides the fact that, for example, cola or other sugary sodas mean a lot of weight gain, they hurt in other ways too. Recently, scientists have found that as little as 20 grams of sugar a day in liquid form can significantly damage the liver.

Sugary drinks make you overweight, destroy teeth, raise cholesterol, and are bad for your blood pressure and heart. In addition, they are addictive. The more you drink, the worse it gets. That’s why it’s taken me so long to completely give up drinking them. I tried several times to quit, but unfortunately the craving was stronger. It wasn’t until I had more serious health problems that I really had to fight the addiction.

“Excessive sugar intake has very addictive properties. It activates opiate receptors, which leads to a spike in dopamine, which activates the reward and pleasure centers in the brain. These are linked to addictive behaviour and are also activated by things like gambling and cocaine,” explains nutritionist Rhian Stephenson.

Destroys the liver

Liver problems should not be underestimated. Scientists in China have recently discovered that liquid sugars, the sugars in drinks, can do a lot of damage to this organ. In fact, they have a huge impact on the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The study involved 15 538 people. They did not have diabetes, liver problems or other diseases at the start of the study.

The study participants were followed for 4 years. During this time, they were diagnosed with 3,476 cases of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. As a result, the study showed that people who consumed about 20 grams of liquid sugar a day had up to a 20% higher risk of developing the disease.

Sugars in liquid form are the greatest evil for the body. And scientists have more arguments every year for avoiding them. ━━ Sugars in liquid form are the greatest evil for the body. And scientists have more arguments every year for avoiding them. ( Source: Fernando Andrade /  Unsplash+ )

Why does it matter in what form we consume sugar?

Sugars burden the body in all forms. Sugary foods in excessive amounts are definitely not good for you and have the same effect as sugars in sweetened drinks. But one cake doesn’t do as much harm as a glass of cola. The problem is that people don’t realise how much sugar is actually in drinks. We tend to ‘tame’ or even overindulge in sweet foods. But that doesn’t happen with drinks.

Moreover, liquid sugars are quickly absorbed in the intestines and travel directly to the liver. Unlike solid foods, where fiber, fat and protein slow down digestion, there is no slowing down with liquids. This means that the liver is suddenly exposed to a large dose of sugar, which it must process immediately. People with liver disease in particular should be careful, but even healthy people may be in more danger than they realise.