Sweetheart — these drinks might kill you.
Sugary drinks — such as soda and fruit juice — can cause a spike in blood sugar levels and lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke, according to a new study.
The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that the most popular beverages are often the ones causing the most damage, due to their high levels of fructose.
Scientists from Harvard surveyed over 40,000 people, who had no history of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer and tracked how sugar affected their health.
Scientists found excess fructose intake leads to weight gain, increased visceral fat — weight that develops over time around the center of the body — and downstream cardiometabolic disorders such as heart conditions.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart, as well as lead to type 2 diabetes.
According to the paper, sugar-sweetened beverages are the most common source of fructose in the diets of people in the US, making up for 46% of total fructose, with fruit only providing 13.4%.
They found the levels of fructose in food and drinks varied depending on their source.
Scientists also found eating fruit by itself is healthier than drinking fruit juice, which contains high amounts of fructose.
Although sugary food and drinks can lead to health problems, scientists warn that artificial sweeteners can do the same. In 2022, scientists reported that artificial sweeteners can change blood sugar levels, according to new data published in the journal “Cell.”