No wonder you are a bit confused, as constantly varying information hits the headlines. For example, at the end of April, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the United States Secretary of Health, made a quite dramatic statement at a press conference: "Sugar is poison!" – pretty harsh words for an ingredient that is practically in every ready-made and semi-prepared food.
But Kennedy was not speaking completely out of thin air. More and more research supports that excessive sugar consumption not only causes weight gain but can also contribute in the long term to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, or heart diseases. And how excessive is the consumption? According to recent American data, 38% of American teenagers are already diabetic or prediabetic. That is more than scary!
But what does "poison" really mean?
It is not about a single spoonful of sugar sending you to the hospital by tomorrow morning. According to the famous Paracelsus, everything is poisonous: by itself it might not be, but the quantity determines the final result. So something becomes harmful depending on how much of it enters our body.
The biggest problem on this topic is that added sugar is not only consumed when we deliberately spoon it – a lot of it hides in our plates and glasses. Moreover, sugar is not only found in foods like muesli, chocolate, jam – it hides in sauces, yogurts, (savory) bakery products, and even cold cuts contain plenty of it.
We often do not even recognize added sugar among the ingredients; on the contrary, we give the food to our children with full conviction, thinking "at least this is sugar-free."
By the way, sugar was also my enemy for a long time. When I switched to a plant-based diet many years ago, one of my biggest realizations was that carbohydrates – especially sugar in its natural form – are not evil. Quite the opposite! As soon as I started trusting the natural sugars found in fruits, whole grains, and high-starch vegetables, not only did my weight start to stabilize, but my energy levels became steadier, and my cravings for sweets decreased. I understood that sugar itself is not the main culprit, but how and in what form we consume it.
Sugar and addiction – is it really like a drug?
There is no full agreement among scientists, but more and more admit: sugar can "in some cases" cause addiction. According to Dr. Nicole Avena's research, sugar affects the brain's dopamine system just like cocaine – and although it does not kill immediately, it can cause a lot of damage in the long term. Dr. Ashley Gearhardt expressed a similar opinion, stating that the brain's reward system reacts to sugar just like to other addictive substances. In other words: after a little chocolate, we crave more, then even more, and we are already caught in a cycle.
The sugar industry, of course, defends itself, and it is obvious that not everyone agrees with the drastic statements. Courtney Gaine, president of the American Sugar Association, says that real sugar consumed in moderation can be part of a balanced diet.
After this, a legitimate question arises in you: how much sugar counts as "too much"? According to WHO recommendations, daily added sugar intake should not exceed 10% of total daily energy intake. A level below 5% brings additional health benefits. This roughly means 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day for an adult.
Compared to this, American adults consume on average 77 grams of sugar every day – three times the WHO recommendation. The ratio varies in European countries, but for example, in Germany or the United Kingdom, the result is similar: average daily sugar consumption is around 80–100 grams.
The answer: dangerous? Yes, but not by itself
Sugar can be dangerous, but not because it is inherently bad, but because it is too easy to overdo and because it sneaks unnoticed into our diet, primarily in the form of ready-made, processed foods. However, this does not mean that using sweet taste is forbidden or that we should not consume sweets: the emphasis is on awareness – recognizing where, when, and how much we eat.
Finally, it is extremely important to clarify: sugar is never equal to fruit! Fruits contain sugar in its natural form, so not only are they not harmful, but they are actually healthy and beneficial. They are rich in fibers, vitamins, and antioxidants, so the natural sugar they contain is absorbed more slowly and does not cause a sudden blood sugar spike like refined sugar.
Meta-analyses also support this. A 2020 summary by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, for example, found no evidence that consuming fruits contributes to obesity or the development of type 2 diabetes. Regular consumption has a protective, preventive effect.
