People have long been warned about the dangers of too much sugar. All the sugar we eat has been linked to a litany of health problems.

The possible consequences of eating too much sugar include:

Tooth decay

Of all the potential problems with sugar, the link between sugar and tooth decay is the most clear. Sugar is the enemy of dental health.

"Tooth decay occurs when bacteria in the teeth feed on simple sugars, producing acids that break down tooth enamel,"

Insatiable hunger.

Excessive consumption of fructose directly leads to higher than normal leptin levels, reducing the body's sensitivity to this hormone. Accelerating high-fat-induced obesity

Weight gain.

Short of leading a completely sedentary lifestyle, there are few ways to gain weight as quickly and reliably as making sugar a staple in your diet.

Sugary foods are high in calories but do little to satisfy hunger.

Want to lose weight? Reducing your sugar intake is one of the best places to start.

Insulin resistance.

When you eat a lot of high-sugar foods, it increases your body's demand for insulin, a hormone that helps your body convert food into usable energy. But when insulin levels remain high, your body becomes less sensitive to the hormone, and glucose builds up in your blood.

Most people don't realize they are insulin resistant until they develop full-blown diabetes.

diabetes.

Diabetes is a complex disease and there is not enough evidence to suggest that eating sugar is a direct cause. However, both weight gain and sugary drinks can increase the risk.

obesity.

Obesity is one of the most commonly cited risks of consuming too much sugar.

Sugar may directly increase the risk of obesity, but the association may be related to diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or habits associated with a high-sugar diet, such as diet and exercise.

Liver failure.

High doses of sugar can overexcite the liver: The way our bodies metabolize fructose can stress the liver and make the organ inflamed. This is one reason excess fructose is called a "key factor" in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition in which fat accumulates throughout the liver.

Most people with NAFLD have few complications and often don't realize they have the condition. But in some people, the buildup of fat can lead to scarring of the liver and eventually liver failure.

Pancreatic cancer.

Some studies have linked a high-sugar diet to a slightly increased risk of pancreatic cancer. This link may be because a high-sugar diet is associated with obesity and diabetes, both of which increase the likelihood that someone will develop pancreatic cancer.

Kidney disease.

The idea that a high-sugar diet might be a risk factor for kidney disease is still just a hypothesis, but there are some reasons for concern.

The findings suggest that drinking sugary drinks may be linked to kidney damage, leading to kidney enlargement and decreased kidney function.

hypertension.

In a study of 4,528 adults with no history of high blood pressure, consuming 74 grams of added sugar per day or more was strongly associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure. A recent study also supports the worrisome link between a high-sugar diet and high blood pressure.

Researchers found that drinking 60 grams of fructose led to an increase in blood pressure two hours later. This response may be because digesting fructose produces uric acid, a chemical associated with high blood pressure.

heart disease.

Eating too much added sugar may have adverse effects on your heart health.

There is a significant relationship between added sugar and an increased risk of heart disease mortality. In one study on sugar, when participants consumed 17% to 21% of their daily calories from sugar, they were 38% more likely to die from heart disease than those who limited their sugar intake to 8%.

Addicted (sort of).

Most doctors don't think the "food addiction" you read about in diet books is real, and it's certainly different from drug or alcohol addiction. But there is evidence that in some cases, continued sugar intake can lead to changes similar to the effects of substance abuse.

Decreased cognitive abilities.

Obesity and diabetes are both linked to cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease, so it's no surprise that new research has found a link between excess sugar and these brain disorders.

However, the reasons for the relationship between a high-sugar diet and Alzheimer's are unclear. Is it diet-related, or is it only diabetes and Alzheimer's that are truly linked?

In a recent study, a link was found between eating high amounts of fat and simple carbohydrates (including sugar) and hippocampal performance.

Malnutrition.

High-sugar foods replace whole foods (e.g., soft drinks replace children's consumption of milk and juice) and contribute to malnutrition.

In a study of 568 10-year-olds, levels of essential nutrients decreased as sugar intake increased. In one study, researchers found that when people got 18% or more of their calories from sugar, they had the lowest levels of essential nutrients: folate, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

gout.

Gout used to be a painful disease limited to the wealthy. However, our diets have changed and this painful arthritis has become more common across all social classes.

Drinking sugary soft drinks and fructose is strongly associated with an increased risk of gout in men, according to a study that followed thousands of patients for more than a decade.