The band Def Leppard sang "Pour Some Sugar on Me," but if the they knew the risks that sugar posed — not just to their love life, but their life itself — they may not have been so enthusiastic about getting more of the sweetener.

Two studies reinforce what I have been saying for years: Added sugar fuels inflammation and chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart woes, and sexual dysfunction, leading to premature aging.

The first, an epidemiological study published in JAMA, found that when postmenopausal women had one or more sugar-sweetened drinks a day, they were 78% more likely to develop liver cancer and die from chronic liver disease than women who had three or fewer sweetened beverages monthly.

That may not be as solid as a randomized, controlled trial would be, but the degree of increase in risk makes one believe it may reflect reality.

The second epidemiological study, in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, found that participants who got more than 25% of their total calorie intake from added sugar were 88% more likely to develop kidney stones compared to folks who got only 5% of their calories from added sugars.

Again, it wasn’t a randomized, controlled study, but the difference in risks is so great that it certainly looks like where there's smoke there may be fire. 

Ditch sweetened beverages and foods with added sugars and tune into LongevityPlaybook.com for solid information on how to live younger longer — and the great-tasting foods and drinks that will help you do that.