7 things that will make you sicker or kill you sooner, according to science

Try to leave too much sugar, artificial sweeteners, and vitamin D deficiency in 2014

Sugar
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Too much sugar is a primary cause of obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay, and new guidelines from the World Health Organization call for a sharp reduction in the amount of added, or "free," sugars in the typical diet. Sugar accounts for 15 percent of the average American's daily calorie intake, and the WHO recommends that number be reduced to no more than 5 percent, or roughly 25 grams — six teaspoons — per day. That's less than what's found in a single can of soda. Free sugars are found in white and brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and additives like high fructose corn syrup. "The key point is that we are consuming way too much added sugars for good health," says Rachel Johnson of the American Heart Association.

Artificial sweeteners may be just as bad. A new study indicates the additives can alter the body's metabolism to make weight gain more likely. Researchers at Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science found that three sweeteners widely used in low-calorie snacks and drinks — saccharin, sucralose, and aspartame — raised blood sugar levels in mice, increasing their risk of glucose intolerance, a condition linked to obesity and diabetes. Sweeteners, the report found, "may have directly contributed to enhancing the exact epidemic that they themselves were intended to fight."

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