HEALTH

1. Liquid sugar is just as bad—if not worse.

According to the report, 36% of our sugar intake comes in liquid through sodas, energy and sports drinks and even coffee. Just by drinking one can of soda per day, you can increase your risk of dying from heart disease by 1/3, and have a 26% higher chance of having diabetes—yikes!

2. It can really harm your liver.

Fructose, a commonly used type of sugar, has been known to harm your liver in the same way that it affects people with alcoholism. Excess sugar intake can lead to fat build up, liver scarring and inflammation...none of which sound like a whole lot of fun.

3. It can be hard to identify.

To make matters worse, there are now over 61 different names for sugar, which makes it even more challenging to know what to avoid when checking out a list of ingredients. Find 57 examples HERE.

4. It’s in some foods you would never expect it to be in. 

Most of us think we can avoid the temptations of sugar by limiting our intake of cookies, cake and other desserts—but the reality is that sugar is added into 74% of packaged foods. It's hidden in foods we wouldn’t expect (like bread and pasta). The amount that we have each day can really add up if we’re not paying attention...so make sure you are aware of how much sugar you are consuming on a daily basis. 

5. Your skin suffers from it.

To those of you looking for better skin, sugar may be holding you back. Turns out, the more sugar you have, the more it’ll cause you to break out and for your skin to age quicker. Solution? Drink lots of water and limit your intake. The less you have, the happier your overall bod and skin will be.

6. But note, completely quitting sugar is not the answer.

While sugar isn't the best thing for you, you don't have to go sugar-free either. Instead, just try paying attention to your diet and watch for "added sugar." By simply keeping an eye out for unnecessarily sugar in basic food items, you'll have a better chance to massively reduce your exposure before you even touch food that is overloaded with it.

How do you control your sugar intake? Share with us in the comments below.

by Jossie Carbonare & Alexa Matthews | 2/1/2016