WHO warns: Hidden sugars may be silently harming your health

Health experts continue to warn about the risks of consuming too much sugar. The World Health Organization (WHO) has kept its guidelines unchanged for the past five years, advising no more than 10% of daily calories from free sugars—ideally under 5%. For an adult on a 2,000-calorie diet, that means a strict limit of 25 grams, roughly the amount in one sugary drink.

Excess sugar has been linked to serious health problems over time. These include weight gain, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and heart conditions. It can also weaken the immune system, speed up ageing, and cause joint pain. In children, too much sugar raises the risk of obesity, tooth decay, and early signs of insulin resistance.

The way sugar is consumed matters. Drinking it—like in fruit juices or sodas—causes faster spikes in blood glucose than eating it with meals. A single glass of juice can hold the sugar of three or four whole fruits, but without the fibre that helps slow absorption. Over time, this can worsen diabetes and obesity.

Even natural sweeteners like honey should not be seen as healthier alternatives. Honey raises blood sugar and calories almost as much as white sugar. Both contain fructose, which in large amounts can overload the liver, leading to fatty liver, insulin resistance, and belly fat. Sugar also affects the brain, triggering cravings and energy crashes.

Not all sugars behave the same way. Those found naturally in fruits, milk, and vegetables come with fibre, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients help the body process sugar more slowly. The key advice remains reducing added sugars—not cutting out all sugar entirely.

The WHO's recommendations stay firm: adults should limit free sugars to under 5% of their daily energy intake when possible. For a child eating 1,500 calories a day, this means no more than 19 grams—easily exceeded by a single sweetened drink. Long-term effects of high sugar intake include inflammation, damaged blood vessels, and nerve problems. Cutting back on added sugars, rather than avoiding them completely, remains the safest approach for health.