The DOI matches its Crossref record; 158 of the 158 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The role of sugar-sweetened beverages in the global epidemics of obesity and chronic diseases
Open accessAbstract
Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a major source of added sugars in the diet. A robust body of evidence has linked habitual intake of SSBs with weight gain and a higher risk (compared with infrequent SSB consumption) of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and some cancers, which makes these beverages a clear target for policy and regulatory actions. This Review provides an update on the evidence linking SSBs to obesity, cardiometabolic outcomes and related cancers, as well as methods to grade the strength of nutritional research. We discuss potential biological mechanisms by which constituent sugars can contribute to these outcomes. We also consider global trends in intake, alternative beverages (including artificially-sweetened beverages) and policy strategies targeting SSBs that have been implemented in different settings. Strong evidence from cohort studies on clinical outcomes and clinical trials assessing cardiometabolic risk factors supports an aetiological role of SSBs in relation to weight gain and cardiometabolic diseases. Many populations show high levels of SSB consumption and in low-income and middle-income countries, increased consumption patterns are associated with urbanization and economic growth. As such, more intensified policy efforts are needed to reduce intake of SSBs and the global burden of obesity and chronic diseases. Evidence from cohort studies and clinical trials supports an aetiological role of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in the development of obesity and related chronic diseases. This Review provides an up-to-date view, considering the evidence, potential mechanisms and policy actions to reduce the global intake of SSBs.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Hyperuricaemia has been shown to precede the occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity.27”
From Dietary sugar consumption and health: umbrella review (2023) · cites this paper as [27]
In the citing paper
“sugar consumption has been suggested to stimulate the secretion of endogenous opioids in the nucleus accumbens and to stimulate the dopaminergic reward system.27”
From Dietary sugar consumption and health: umbrella review (2023) · cites this paper as [27]
In the citing paper
“Until now, the evidence for the association between dietary sugar consumption and the risk of cancer has remained limited and controversial.27”
From Dietary sugar consumption and health: umbrella review (2023) · cites this paper as [27]
In the citing paper
“Evidence of sugar dependence in an animal model indicated that similarly to addiction to morphine and cocaine, rats with intermittent sugar intake had decreased concentrations of dopamine D2 receptor mRNA in the nucleus accumbens and showed the characteristics of addictive-like behaviours called sugar addiction.27 126”
From Dietary sugar consumption and health: umbrella review (2023) · cites this paper as [27]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
1 retracted
Pell, D., Mytton, O. T., Penney, T. L., Briggs, A. D. M., Cummins, S., Jones, C., Rayner, M., Rutter, H., Scarborough, P., Sharp, S. J., et al. (2021) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.n254 · Cited by 133
RetractedHealth effects of overweight and obesity in 195 countries over 25 years
Collaborators, T. G. 2. O. (2017) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmoa1614362 · Cited by 7,918
Abarca-Gómez, L., Abdeen, Z. A., Hamid, Z. A., Abu-Rmeileh, N. M., Acosta-Cazares, B., Acuin, C., Adams, R. J., Aekplakorn, W., Afsana, K., Aguilar-Salinas, C. A., et al. (2017) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(17)32129-3 · Cited by 7,482
Sontrop, J. M., Dixon, S. N., Garg, A. X., Jiménez, I. B., Dohein, O., Huang, S. S., & Clark, W. F. (2013) · American Journal of Nephrology · doi:10.1159/000350377 · Cited by 5,903
Changes in diet and lifestyle and long-term weight gain in women and men
Mozaffarian, D., Hao, T., Rimm, E. B., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2011) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmoa1014296 · Cited by 2,527
Self-citationSugar-Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes
Malik, V. S., Popkin, B. M., Bray, G. A., Després, J.-P., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2010) · Diabetes Care · doi:10.2337/dc10-1079 · Cited by 2,116
Self-citationHall, K. D., Ayuketah, A., Brychta, R., Cai, H., Cassimatis, T., Chen, K. Y., Chung, S. T., Costa, E., Courville, A., Darcey, V., et al. (2019) · Cell Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008 · Cited by 1,971
International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008
Atkinson, F. S., Foster-Powell, K., & Brand-Miller, J. C. (2008) · Diabetes Care · doi:10.2337/dc08-1239 · Cited by 1,965
Effects of soft drink consumption on nutrition and health: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Vartanian, L. R., Schwartz, M. B., & Brownell, K. D. (2007) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.2005.083782 · Cited by 1,863
Ludwig (2002) · doi:10.1001/jama.287.18.2414 · Cited by 1,775
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Personalized microbiome-driven effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on human glucose tolerance
Suez, J., Cohen, Y., Valdés-Mas, R., Mor, U., Dori-Bachash, M., Federici, S., Zmora, N., Leshem, A., Heinemann, M., Linevsky, R., et al. (2022) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.016 · Cited by 423
“We stress that these results should not be interpreted as calling for consumption of sugar, which is strongly linked to cardiometabolic diseases and other adverse health effects (Malik and Hu, 2022; Vos et al., 2017).”
BackgroundDietary sugar consumption and health: umbrella review
Huang, Y., Chen, Z., Chen, B., Li, J., Yuan, X., Li, J., Wang, W., Dai, T., Chen, H., Wang, Y., et al. (2023) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-071609 · Cited by 348
“27 Evidence of sugar dependence in an animal model indicated that similarly to addiction to morphine and cocaine, rats with intermittent sugar intake had decreased concentrations of dopamine D2 receptor mRNA in the nucleus accumbens and showed the characteristics of addictive-like behaviours called…”
BackgroundInfluentialDiet strategies for promoting healthy aging and longevity: An epidemiological perspective
Hu, F. B. (2023) · Journal of Internal Medicine · doi:10.1111/joim.13728 · Cited by 241
“SSBs are a primary source of added sugars in many diets and have been consistently associated with increased risk of chronic diseases and mortality [70].”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationNguyen, M., Jarvis, S. E., Tinajero, M., Yu, J., Chiavaroli, L., Mejía, S. B., Khan, T. A., Tobias, D. K., Willett, W. C., Hu, F. B., et al. (2022) · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2022.11.008 · Cited by 170
Self-citationGut microbiota induces DNA methylation via SCFAs predisposing obesity-prone individuals to diabetes
Guo, W., Zhang, Z., Li, L., Liang, X., Wu, Y., Wang, X., Ma, H., Cheng, J., Zhang, A., Tang, P., et al. (2022) · Pharmacological Research · doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106355 · Cited by 135
Sugar-sweetened beverage intakes among adults between 1990 and 2018 in 185 countries
Lara-Castor, L., Micha, R., Cudhea, F., Miller, V., Shi, P., Zhang, J., Sharib, J. R., Erndt‐Marino, J. D., Cash, S. B., Mozaffarian, D., et al. (2023) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-023-41269-8 · Cited by 133
Ultra‐Processed Food and Obesity: What Is the Evidence?
Dicken, S. J., & Batterham, R. L. (2024) · Current Nutrition Reports · doi:10.1007/s13668-024-00517-z · Cited by 133
“…and Batterham reviewed the impact of dietary adjustments on associations between UPF and obesity outcomes in prospective studies [42 •• It could be that the adverse effects of UPFs are driven by specific products known to impact weight management [50], such as sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) [65].”
BackgroundAfrin, S., Rahman, M. M., Hossain, M. N., Uddin, M. K., & Malafaia, G. (2022) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155849 · Cited by 127
RetractedWorld Heart Federation Roadmap for Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: 2023 Update
Laranjo, L., Lanas, F. T., Sun, M. C., Chen, D. A., Hynes, L., Imran, T. F., Kazi, D. S., Kengne, A. P., Komiyama, M., Kuwabara, M., et al. (2024) · Global Heart · doi:10.5334/gh.1278 · Cited by 143
“Another public health strategy is for the health sector to collaborate with governments and businesses to reduce advertising for unhealthy foods and goods, such as sugar-sweetened beverages [224–226].”
BackgroundCalcaterra, V., Cena, H., Magenes, V. C., Vincenti, A., Comola, G., Beretta, A., Napoli, I. D., & Zuccotti, G. (2023) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu15030702 · Cited by 174
“5 g of sugar and 140–150 calories [35].”
BackgroundInfluentialLara-Castor, L., O’Hearn, M., Cudhea, F., Miller, V., Shi, P., Zhang, J., Sharib, J. R., Cash, S. B., Barquera, S., Micha, R., et al. (2025) · Nature Medicine · doi:10.1038/s41591-024-03345-4 · Cited by 124
Jakobsen, D. D., Brader, L., & Bruun, J. M. (2023) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu15030764 · Cited by 122
“Currently there is no universal consensus on the definition of sugar-sweetened beverages [79] and in the present meta-analysis, sugar-sweetened beverages include a variety of beverages with sugar.”
BackgroundRogers, N. T., Cummins, S., Forde, H., Jones, C., Mytton, O. T., Rutter, H., Sharp, S. J., Theis, D. R. Z., White, M. J., & Adams, J. M. (2023) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004160 · Cited by 114
Beverage consumption and mortality among adults with type 2 diabetes: prospective cohort study
Ma, L., Hu, Y., Alperet, D. J., Liu, G., Malik, V., Manson, J. E., Rimm, E. B., Hu, F. B., & Sun, Q. (2023) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-073406 · Cited by 104
Self-citationZhao, L., Zhang, X., Coday, M., Garcia, D. O., Li, X., Mossavar‐Rahmani, Y., Naughton, M. J., Lopez‐Pentecost, M., Saquib, N., Shadyab, A. H., et al. (2023) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.2023.12618 · Cited by 93
Self-citationRao, G., Peng, X., Li, X., An, K., He, H., Fu, X., Li, S., & An, Z. (2023) · Frontiers in Medicine · doi:10.3389/fmed.2023.1294267 · Cited by 93
Ullah, Z., Yue, P., Mao, G., Zhang, M., Liu, P., Wu, X., Zhao, T., & Yang, L. (2024) · International Journal of Biological Macromolecules · doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.134832 · Cited by 79
Fructose drives de novo lipogenesis affecting metabolic health
Geidl, B., & Gerber, P. A. (2023) · Journal of Endocrinology · doi:10.1530/joe-22-0270 · Cited by 84
“There are important differences regarding the cellular absorption and distribution of glucose and fructose (Maruhama & Macdonald 1973).”
BackgroundWan, Y., Tobias, D. K., Dennis, K. K., Guasch-Ferré, M., Sun, Q., Rimm, E. B., Hu, F. B., Ludwig, D. S., Devinsky, O., & Willett, W. C. (2023) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-073939 · Cited by 64
Self-citationProtective effects and molecular mechanisms of tea polyphenols on cardiovascular diseases
Guo, J., Li, K., Lin, Y., & Liu, Y. (2023) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1202378 · Cited by 73
“Sugar can increase blood viscosity and slow blood flow, which, combined with damage to the vascular endothelium, causes the generation of a large number of atherosclerotic plaques that block blood vessels and trigger the occurrence of acute cardiovascular events (56, 57).”
BackgroundInterplays of glucose metabolism and KRAS mutation in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Liu, Y.-H., Hu, C., Hsu, Y.-S., & Lee, W. (2022) · Cell Death and Disease · doi:10.1038/s41419-022-05259-w · Cited by 74
“However, it remains inconclusive in part because of the limitations of study design and evaluation tools to appropriately weigh the strength of genetic predisposition- or sugar consumption-induced obesity and metabolic outcomes [58, 60, 61].”
Background20-Year Trends in Metabolic Syndrome Among Korean Adults From 2001 to 2020
Park, D., Shin, M., Després, J., Eckel, R. H., Tuomilehto, J. O., & Lim, S. K. (2022) · JACC Asia · doi:10.1016/j.jacasi.2023.02.007 · Cited by 66
“Glucose/ fructose molecules from SSBs are not only absorbed rapidly, but also might play some role in activation of the dopaminergic reward system in the brain induced by hyperinsulinemia, resulting in the accumulation of visceral fat and increased cardiometabolic risk.(21) Moreover, excess fructose input more than the”
BackgroundDeterminants of obesity in Latin America
Ferreira, S. R. G., Macotela, Y., Velloso, L. A., & Mori, M. A. (2024) · Nature Metabolism · doi:10.1038/s42255-024-00977-1 · Cited by 73
Wu, P., Fan, J., Tai, Y., He, X. J., Zheng, D., Yao, Y., Sun, S., Ying, B., Luo, Y., Hu, W. W., et al. (2024) · Food Chemistry · doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139018 · Cited by 53
Lane, M. M., Travica, N., Gamage, E., Marshall, S., Trakman, G., Young, C., Teasdale, S. B., Dissanayaka, T. D., Dawson, S. L., Orr, R., et al. (2024) · Annual Review of Nutrition · doi:10.1146/annurev-nutr-062322-020650 · Cited by 56
Explaining adult obesity, severe obesity, and BMI: Five decades of change
Kranjac, A. W., & Kranjac, D. (2023) · Heliyon · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16210 · Cited by 53
Shu, T., Tang, M. X., He, B., Liu, X., Han, Y., Liu, C., José, P. A., Wang, H., Zhang, Q., & Zeng, C. (2024) · JMIR Public Health and Surveillance · doi:10.2196/46821 · Cited by 54
“In higher-income countries, hypertension, hyperlipemia, diabetes, and obesity have gradually become an increasing threat, which are key risk factors accounting for a large proportion of the mortality rate [26-31].”
BackgroundSong, X., Zhou, B., Baird, S., Lu, C., Ezzati, M., Chen, L., Liu, J., Zhang, Y., Wang, R., Ma, Q., et al. (2024) · The Lancet Public Health · doi:10.1016/s2468-2667(24)00211-1 · Cited by 54
“In urban areas and socioeconomically advantaged provinces, food choices for children and adolescents have been shaped by greater availability, price, and marketing, 34 which have probably contributed to the more rapid rise and higher prevalence of obesity within these regions.”
Early-onset colorectal cancer as an emerging disease of metabolic dysregulation
Du, M., Drew, D. A., Goncalves, M. D., Cao, Y., & Chan, A. T. (2025) · Nature Reviews Endocrinology · doi:10.1038/s41574-025-01159-z · Cited by 51
“Sugary drink taxes have been associated with a 10–20% reduction in SSB consumption, a known driver of obesity and T2DM, with cost-effectiveness analyses suggesting greater benefits for younger populations than for older populations 176–179 .”
Sweetened Beverage Intake and Incident Chronic Kidney Disease in the UK Biobank Study
Heo, G. Y., Koh, H. B., Park, J. T., Han, S. H., Yoo, T., Kang, S., & Kim, H. W. (2024) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.56885 · Cited by 45
Johnson, R. J., Tolan, D. R., Bredesen, D. E., Nagel, M. A., Sánchez‐Lozada, L. G., Fini, M. A., Burtis, S., Lanaspa, M. A., & Perlmutter, D. (2023) · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.01.002 · Cited by 49
Consumption of 100% Fruit Juice and Body Weight in Children and Adults
Nguyen, M., Jarvis, S. E., Chiavaroli, L., Mejía, S. B., Zurbau, A., Khan, T. A., Tobias, D. K., Willett, W. C., Hu, F. B., Hanley, A. J., et al. (2024) · Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine · doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.6124 · Cited by 50
Self-citationYin, H., Feng, Y., Yan, T., Zhang, L., Zhao, Q., Zhao, Q., Huang, J., Huang, S., & Zhang, Y. (2024) · Journal of Hazardous Materials · doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135125 · Cited by 43
Trends and disparities in non-communicable diseases in the Western Pacific region
Peng, W. H., Zhang, L., Wen, F., Tang, X., Zeng, L., Chen, J., Galea, G., Wen, D., & Wang, Y. (2023) · The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific · doi:10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100938 · Cited by 46
“89 Disparities in behavioural and metabolic risk factors also existed in the Western Paci fi c region.”
BackgroundLee, K. X., Quek, K. F., & Ramadas, A. (2023) · Current Nutrition Reports · doi:10.1007/s13668-023-00513-9 · Cited by 51
Guan, H., Tian, J., Wang, Y., Niu, P., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Fang, X., Miao, R., Yin, R., & Tong, X. (2024) · European journal of medical research · doi:10.1186/s40001-024-01739-1 · Cited by 55
“Conversely, a poor diet involving the consumption of, for example, sugary beverages, foods high in sugar and fat, and minimal fresh fruits and vegetables increases the risk of weight gain and T2DM complications [119–121].”
BackgroundLiu, Y., Liu, C., Deng, Y.-S., Chen, Y., Qiu, Q., Shang, X., Wang, C.-R., Han, L., Huang, L., Yang, Z., et al. (2024) · Food & medicine homology. · doi:10.26599/fmh.2025.9420034 · Cited by 49
Pacheco, L. S., Tobias, D. K., Li, Y., Bhupathiraju, S. N., Willett, W. C., Ludwig, D. S., Ebbeling, C. B., Haslam, D. E., Drouin‐Chartier, J., Hu, F. B., et al. (2024) · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.01.001 · Cited by 48
Self-citationRogers, N. T., Cummins, S., Jones, C., Mytton, O. T., Rayner, M., Rutter, H., White, M. J., & Adams, J. M. (2024) · Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · doi:10.1136/jech-2023-221051 · Cited by 40
Muñoz-Labrador, A. M., Hernández‐Hernández, O., & Moreno, F. J. (2023) · Critical Reviews in Biotechnology · doi:10.1080/07388551.2023.2254929 · Cited by 70
“Over the last four decades, worldwide obesity has nearly tripled with an alarming obesity prevalence of eight-fold in children and adolescents, and three-fold in adults over this period, reaching epidemic proportions [1,2].”
Li, C., Wang, C., Lin, Y.-J., Kuo, H., Wu, J.-S., Hong, T., Chang, C., & Wu, H. (2022) · Life Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120770 · Cited by 39
Ren, T., Xu, M., Zhou, S., Ren, J., Li, B., Jiang, P., Li, H., Wu, W., Chen, C., Fan, M., et al. (2023) · International Journal of Biological Macromolecules · doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124687 · Cited by 37
Kim, J.-H., Kim, Y., La, J., Park, W. H., Kim, H.-J., Park, S. H., Ku, K. B., Kang, B. H., Lim, J., Kwon, M. S., et al. (2023) · Cell Reports · doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113220 · Cited by 39
Five representative esters and aldehydes from fruits can enhance sweet perception
Xiao, Z., Hu, Y., Niu, Y., Zhang, J., & Yang, B. (2024) · LWT · doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2024.115804 · Cited by 37
Xia, X., Cheng, Y., Zhang, Z. G., Hua, Z., Wang, Q., Shi, Y. H., & Men, H. (2024) · Food Chemistry · doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141533 · Cited by 37
Chu, A., Lin, K., Croker, H., Kefyalew, S., Markozannes, G., Tsilidis, K., Park, Y., Krebs, J., Weijenberg, M., Baskin, M., et al. (2025) · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.01.014 · Cited by 42
Kang, S., Kang, S. M., Choi, J. H., Ko, S., Koo, B. K., Kwon, H.-S., Kim, M. K., Kim, S. Y., Kim, S., Kim, Y., et al. (2025) · Diabetes & Metabolism Journal · doi:10.4093/dmj.2025.0469 · Cited by 44
Govori, V., Budinčević, H., Morović, S., Đerke, F., & Demarin, V. (2024) · Medicina · doi:10.3390/medicina60030504 · Cited by 38
“This reduces the direct protective effect against stroke [81].”
BackgroundGuardiola-Márquez, C. E., Santos-Ramírez, M. T., Segura-Jiménez, M. E., Figueroa-Montes, M. L., & Jacobo‐Velázquez, D. A. (2022) · Plants · doi:10.3390/plants11243477 · Cited by 36
“SSBs are one of the primary sources of added sugar in diets; a 355 mL serving of soda provides around 35–37 g of sugar and 140–150 calories [42].”
BackgroundHarris, J. L., & Taillie, L. S. (2023) · Annual Review of Public Health · doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-090419-102616 · Cited by 35
Valenzuela, R., Farías, C., Muñoz, Y., Zúñiga‐Hernández, J., & Videla, L. A. (2025) · Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.mce.2025.112676 · Cited by 36
Emmert-Fees, K. M. F., Amies‐Cull, B., Wawro, N., Linseisen, J., Staudigel, M., Peters, A., Cobiac, L. J., O’Flaherty, M., Scarborough, P., Kypridemos, C., et al. (2023) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004311 · Cited by 40
Reeve, E., Lamichhane, P., McKenzie, B. L., Waqa, G., Webster, J. L., Snowdon, W., & Bell, C. (2022) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-022-13808-3 · Cited by 30
“An emerging concern for Pacific countries is high SSB consumption [68].”
BackgroundShin, S., Puri, J., & Finkelstein, E. A. (2023) · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · doi:10.1186/s12966-023-01422-4 · Cited by 30
“Of particular concern is excess consumption of sugar, particularly from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) [7, 8].”
BackgroundObesity in the USA: diet and lifestyle key to prevention
Hu, F. B. (2023) · The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/s2213-8587(23)00194-8 · Cited by 31
Self-citationTobiassen, P. A. ‐., & Køster‐Rasmussen, R. (2023) · Obesity Reviews · doi:10.1111/obr.13652 · Cited by 33
“8,11 Giving public health advice regarding SSB-intake and weight requires robust evidence, preferably from well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with long follow-up time, as weight loss due to behavioral interventions are most often not maintained in the long-term.”
BackgroundResultKristoffersen, E., Hjort, S. L., Thomassen, L. M., Arjmand, E. J., Perillo, M., Balakrishna, R., Onni, A. T., Sletten, I. S. K., Lorenzini, A., & Fadnes, L. T. (2025) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu17040662 · Cited by 32
“Clinical trial data support our findings and provide strong evidence that sugar-sweetened beverages cause weight gain, possibly by providing high caloric content to the diet and inducing hyperinsulinemia through rapid glucose absorption [39].”
Do thrifty genes exist? Revisiting uricase
Johnson, R. J., Sánchez‐Lozada, L. G., Nakagawa, T., Rodríguez‐Iturbe, B., Tolan, D. R., Gaucher, E. A., Andrews, P., & Lanaspa, M. A. (2022) · Obesity · doi:10.1002/oby.23540 · Cited by 31
“Not only is the intake of added sugars, especially in the form of sugarsweetened beverages, strongly associated with the development of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome [79], but hyperuricemia is also a strong predictor, even in individuals who do not have manifestations of metabolic syndrome other than asymp…”
BackgroundUtility of Human Relevant Preclinical Animal Models in Navigating NAFLD to MAFLD Paradigm
Chua, D., Low, Z. S., Cheam, G. X., Ng, A. S., & Tan, N. S. (2022) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms232314762 · Cited by 30
Sun, H., Liu, Y., Xu, Y., Gong, X., Zhai, C., Hu, W., Wang, Y., Zong, Q., Yu, G., Wang, L., et al. (2023) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107690 · Cited by 27
Harrold, J. A., Hill, S., Radu, C. C. P., Thomas, P., Thorp, P., Hardman, C. A., Christiansen, P., & Halford, J. C. G. (2023) · International Journal of Obesity · doi:10.1038/s41366-023-01393-3 · Cited by 27
“It is well established that sugar-sweetened beverages are a major source of added sugar in the diet which, when consumed habitually or to excess, can contribute to weight gain and a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers [1].”
Excess dietary sugar and its impact on periodontal inflammation: a narrative review
Shanmugasundaram, S., & Karmakar, S. (2024) · BDJ Open · doi:10.1038/s41405-024-00265-w · Cited by 27
“This paradigm is evident with the global increase in the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome in parallel with the global rise in sugar consumption [114 – 116].”
BackgroundAlmiron‐Roig, E., Navas‐Carretero, S., Castelnuovo, G., Kjølbæk, L., Romo‐Hualde, A., Normand, M., Maloney, N. G., Hardman, C. A., Hodgkins, C. E., Moshoyiannis, H., et al. (2023) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2023.106515 · Cited by 29
Chusak, C., Tangmongkhonsuk, M., Sudjapokinon, J., & Adisakwattana, S. (2022) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu14040890 · Cited by 28
“According to this viewpoint, excessive SSB consumption may contribute to increased risk factors precipitated by adverse glycemic effects, as well as higher rates of overweight, obesity, and cardiometabolic diseases in online learning undergraduate students [28,29].”
BackgroundNaomi, N. D., Ngo, J., Brouwer-Brolsma, E. M., Buso, M. E. C., Soedamah‐Muthu, S. S., Pérez‐Rodrigo, C., Harrold, J. A., Halford, J. C. G., Raben, A., Geleijnse, J. M., et al. (2023) · Nutrition and Diabetes · doi:10.1038/s41387-023-00237-3 · Cited by 27
“LNCB has been suggested to disturb reward systems, activate the cephalic phase insulin response, and induce gut microbiota dysbiosis, which can further lead to insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes [48, 49].”
BackgroundMaimaitiyiming, M., Yang, H., Zhou, L., Zhang, X., Cai, Q., & Wang, Y. (2023) · BMC Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12916-023-02955-y · Cited by 29
The impact of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages on diabetes: a critical review
Peñalvo, J. L. (2024) · Diabetologia · doi:10.1007/s00125-023-06064-6 · Cited by 29
“These associations occur, in part, due to excess weight and also via independent metabolic effects resulting from glucose and fructose intake [21].”
InfluentialSun, Y. B., Yu, B., Yu, Y., Wang, B., Tan, X. W., Lu, Y., Wang, Y., Zhang, K., & Wang, N. (2024) · Circulation Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology · doi:10.1161/circep.123.012145 · Cited by 25
Malnutrition in patients with obesity: An overview perspective
Cristancho, C., Mogensen, K. M., & Robinson, M. K. (2024) · Nutrition in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1002/ncp.11228 · Cited by 26
Nikolaou, K. C., Godbersen, S., Manoharan, M., Wieland, S. F., Heim, M. H., & Stoffel, M. (2023) · JCI Insight · doi:10.1172/jci.insight.164694 · Cited by 24
Behavioural (mal)adaptation to extreme heat in Australia: Implications for health and wellbeing
Zander, K. K., Mathew, S., & Carter, S. (2023) · Urban Climate · doi:10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101772 · Cited by 22
Zhao, Y., Duan, X., Zhang, J., Ding, Y., & Liu, Q. (2025) · Food Research International · doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2025.115767 · Cited by 23
Sugar-sweetened beverage tax implementation processes: results of a scoping review
Forberger, S., Reisch, L. A., Meshkovska, B., Łobczowska, K., Scheller, D. A., Wendt, J., Christianson, L., Frense, J., Steinacker, J. M., Łuszczyńska, A., et al. (2022) · Health Research Policy and Systems · doi:10.1186/s12961-022-00832-3 · Cited by 26
Qi, X., Chiavaroli, L., Lee, D., Ayoub‐Charette, S., Khan, T. A., Au‐Yeung, F., Ahmed, A., Cheung, A., Liu, Q., Mejía, S. B., et al. (2022) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu14193986 · Cited by 25
Exploring the Long-Term Effect of Artificial Sweeteners on Metabolic Health
Meenatchi, M., & Vellapandian, C. (2024) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.70043 · Cited by 23
“The acceptable daily intake (ADI) for aspartame is 50 mg/kg body weight per day in the United States and 40 mg/kg in the European Union, while for saccharin, the ADI is set at 5 mg/kg body weight [2].”
BackgroundThe impact of dietary interventions on cardiometabolic health
Gjermeni, E., Fiebiger, R., Bundalian, L., Garten, A., Schöneberg, T., Duc, D. L., & Blüher, M. (2025) · Cardiovascular Diabetology · doi:10.1186/s12933-025-02766-w · Cited by 27
Costa, S. A., Nascimento, G. G., de Souza, B. F., Hugo, F. N., Leite, F. R. M., & Ribeiro, C. C. C. (2025) · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.07.033 · Cited by 27
Sugar Is the Key Cause of Overweight/Obesity in Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB)
Yu, L., Zhou, H., Zheng, F., Song, J., Lu, Y., Yu, X., & Zhao, C. (2022) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.885704 · Cited by 22
“, socioeconomic status (30, 31), physical condition (32)].”
BackgroundMetabolic Effects of Selected Conventional and Alternative Sweeteners: A Narrative Review
Teysseire, F., Bordier, V., Beglinger, C., Wölnerhanssen, B. K., & Meyer‐Gerspach, A. C. (2024) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu16050622 · Cited by 28
“Additionally, it is important to recognize that sweeteners may demonstrate varying behaviors when integrated into a food matrix with other nutrients or processed, considering factors such as heat, rather than when administered in isolation.”
BackgroundMavadiya, H. B., Roh, D., Ly, A., & Lu, Y. (2025) · Nutrition Bulletin · doi:10.1111/nbu.70009 · Cited by 23
Zhang, F., Yin, X., Liu, Y., Li, M., Gui, X., & Bi, C. (2022) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.939256 · Cited by 21
Changes in Dental Outcomes After Implementation of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax
Petimar, J., Gibson, L., Wolff, M. S., Mitra, N., Corby, P. M. A., Hettinger, G., Gregory, E. F., Edmondson, E. K., Block, J. P., & Roberto, C. A. (2023) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2023.02.009 · Cited by 21
Wang, H., He, X., Tang, Y., Tang, J., & Yang, J. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1255548 · Cited by 27
Sandri, E., Pardo, J., Larumbe, E. C., Cerdá‐Olmedo, G., & Falcó, A. (2024) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1341420 · Cited by 33
“The high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has been shown to be detrimental to health (50, 51), and have a higher addition to tobacco.”
BackgroundChang, Z., Zhu, Y., Wang, P., Du, L., Wu, M., Wang, X., Kong, C., Huang, D., Xie, R., Guo, J., et al. (2025) · 中国科学通报：英文版 · doi:10.1016/j.scib.2025.04.010 · Cited by 20
The Association between Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Male Pattern Hair Loss in Young Men
Shi, X., Tuan, H., Na, X., Yang, H., Yang, Y., Zhang, Y., Xi, M., Tan, Y., Yang, C., Zhang, J., et al. (2023) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu15010214 · Cited by 23
Yang, J., Tang, R., Chen, S., Chen, Y., Zhang, L., Yuan, K., Huang, R., & Wang, L. (2023) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.85365 · Cited by 22
Lima, M. D. C., do Nascimento, H. M. A., da Silva, J. Y. P., Alves, J. L. D. B., & de Souza, E. L. (2023) · Foods · doi:10.3390/foods12183491 · Cited by 22
Maternal Dietary Carbohydrate and Pregnancy Outcomes: Quality over Quantity
Xue, L., Chen, X., Sun, J., Fan, M., Qian, H., Li, Y., & Wang, L. (2024) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu16142269 · Cited by 28
“Added sugars is another important category of sugar, which refers to all monosaccharides and disaccharides used in processed foods and beverages, as well as sugars added to foods that do not naturally occur [33,34].”
BackgroundJohnson, R. J., García‐Arroyo, F. E., Gonzaga, G., Orozco, K. A. V., Alvarez-Alvarez, Y. Q., Aparicio‐Trejo, O. E., Tapia, E., Osorio‐Alonso, H., Andrés-Hernando, A., Nakagawa, T., et al. (2022) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu14102070 · Cited by 22
“Cardiometabolic diseases, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hypertension, gout, some forms of cancer, and cardiovascular mortality are also positively associated with SSB intake [57].”
BackgroundLi, X., Wu, J., Kang, Y., Chen, D., Chen, G., Zeng, X., & Wang, J. (2022) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.1019344 · Cited by 20
“worldwide, which has become a growing public health challenge of the twenty-first century (3).”
BackgroundTeysseire, F., Bordier, V., Budzinska, A., Oudenhove, L. V., Weltens, N., Beglinger, C., Wölnerhanssen, B. K., & Meyer‐Gerspach, A. C. (2023) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu15020458 · Cited by 19
Glucose versus fructose metabolism in the liver measured with deuterium metabolic imaging
Hendriks, A. D., Veltien, A. A., Voogt, I. J., Heerschap, A., Scheenen, T. W. J., & Prompers, J. J. (2023) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2023.1198578 · Cited by 19
“In particular, chronic intake of high amounts of fructose, for example, by excessive consumption of high-fructose corn syrupsweetened beverages, has been linked to the development of obesity, hepatic steatosis, hypertension, insulin resistance and diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease (Stanhope et al., 2009; Tappy and Le,…”
BackgroundMitchell, S. B., Hung, Y.-H., Thorn, T. L., Zou, J., Başer, F., Güleç, Ş., Cheung, C., & Aydemir, T. B. (2023) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1220533 · Cited by 19
“High sugar consumption is associated with increased intestinal permeability (18, 19).”
BackgroundRebaudioside D decreases adiposity and hepatic lipid accumulation in a mouse model of obesity
Morissette, A., d’Oplinter, A. D. W., André, D. M., Lavoie, M., Marcotte, B., Varin, T. V., Trottier, J., Pilon, G., Pelletier, M., Cani, P. D., et al. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-53587-y · Cited by 19
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Cancer Risk: A Narrative Review
Arroyo‐Quiroz, C., Brunauer, R., & Alavez, S. (2022) · Nutrition and Cancer · doi:10.1080/01635581.2022.2069827 · Cited by 18
von Philipsborn, P., Huizinga, O., Leibinger, A., Rubin, D., Burns, J., Emmert-Fees, K. M. F., Pedron, S., Laxy, M., & Rehfuess, E. A. (2023) · Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism · doi:10.1159/000529592 · Cited by 17
“Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are, therefore, considered an important driver of the global epidemic of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and other chronic diet-related diseases [9, 10].”
BackgroundBruin, M. D.-D., Maho, W., Buso, M. E. C., Naomi, N. D., Brouwer-Brolsma, E. M., Feskens, E. J. M., & Balvers, M. G. J. (2023) · Journal of Chromatography B · doi:10.1016/j.jchromb.2023.123741 · Cited by 18
Shi, D., Tao, Y., Wei, L., Yan, D., Liang, H., Zhang, J., & Wang, Z. (2023) · Current Problems in Cardiology · doi:10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2023.102043 · Cited by 18
Henn, M., Glenn, A. J., Willett, W. C., Martínez‐González, M. Á., Sun, Q., & Hu, F. B. (2023) · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.09.023 · Cited by 23
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Malik, V. S., & Hu, F. B.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Malik, Vasanti S.
- Hu, Frank B.
- Venue
- Nature Reviews Endocrinology
- Published
- 2022-01-21
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 205-218
- ISSN
- 1759-5029 (ISSN-L)
- 1759-5037
- PMC
- PMC8778490
- OpenAlex
- W4207002397
- Cited by
- 854
- References
- 155
- Citations by year
- 2026: 162 · 2025: 236 · 2024: 227 · 2023: 160 · 2022: 69
- FWCI
- 24.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Nature Reviews Endocrinology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diet, Metabolism, and Disease
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Keywords
- sugar-sweetened beverages, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer risk, cardiometabolic risk, added sugars, weight gain, urbanization, low- and middle-income countries, beverage consumption trends, artificially sweetened beverages, level of evidence, biological mechanisms
- MeSH terms
- Sugars, Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Cardiovascular Diseases, Chronic Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Humans, Obesity, Weight Gain, Epidemics
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
