In male rats, eating a lot of sugar (fructose) causes health problems like trouble processing insulin and cell stress, just like eating a lot of fat does—so sugar might be just as bad for your metabolism as fat.

When male rats eat a lot of sugar, their bodies have a harder time managing blood sugar and fats, just like when they eat a lot of fat — so both kinds of diets might mess up their metabolism in similar ways.

Eating too much fructose, like the sugar in soda and candy, can mess up your liver’s ability to respond to insulin, make more fat in your liver, and raise fat levels in your blood, which can lead to bigger health problems like heart disease.

Eating too much fructose over a long time can mess up how your liver responds to insulin, making your body produce more insulin, cause body-wide inflammation, and raise fat levels in your blood—all of which raise your risk of heart disease.

When male rats eat a lot of sugar and fat, their liver and pancreas show signs that their cells are dying off more than usual, which might be why they develop metabolic problems like diabetes.

Eating too much fructose, like the sugar in soda and sweet snacks, makes your liver create more fat, which raises bad fats in your blood and causes body-wide inflammation, making heart disease more likely.