Celebrity chef Sunny Anderson was 19 when she began experiencing abdominal cramps and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Her doctors diagnosed her with ulcerative colitis (UC), an inflammatory bowel disease that affects the colon and rectum.

That translated to a major cooking lesson: She had to figure out how to avoid foods that trigger her symptoms — especially sugar.

Lab-based research affirms what Sunny learned from experience: Even a short-term increase in sugar consumption is associated with a UC flare.

A study published in Scientific Reports found mice eating a high-sugar diet were more likely to develop their equivalent of colitis than mice that ate a diet free of refined sugar.

Whether or not you've been diagnosed with an ailment like UC, added sugars and simple carbohydrates are nasty provocateurs because they cause the body to produce inflammatory compounds (called advanced glycation end products) that can increase your risk of chronic diseases and lead to oxidative stress. Think of it as your cells rusting.

There's also evidence that sugar damages your gut biome, giving unhealthy bacteria a chance to flourish.

In addition, animal models indicate added sugar increases gut permeability, otherwise known as leaky gut. That allows bigger-than-usual molecules and proteins to move into your bloodstream, where they cause trouble.

If you have digestive problems, you'll feel a lot better if you drop sugary sports drinks, prepared foods with hidden sugars, and anything that isn’t 100% whole-grain from your diet.

Remember, too, that the lactose in dairy products delivers a sugar bomb to your body.