When mice with human gut bacteria were given a drink with 10% sugar (fructose) and a common food preservative (potassium sorbate) for 11 weeks, their livers got more fatty, inflamed, and scarred than expected—suggesting the two together are worse for the liver than either one alone.

When mice with human gut bacteria were given sugar (fructose) and a food preservative (potassium sorbate) together, their gut bacteria changed in a unique way—especially a type called Akkermansia that jumped four times higher—and this change seemed to go along with worse liver damage.

When people eat a lot of fructose (like in sugary drinks), their liver has a harder time burning fat for energy, especially if they're also eating a lot of fat — which can lead to fat building up in the liver.

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.

When mice with human gut bacteria are given fructose plus a common food preservative called potassium sorbate, their intestines become more leaky than when they get fructose alone — meaning the preservative might make gut problems worse.

Eating too much sugar, especially fructose found in sodas and sweet snacks, tricks your liver into making excess fat, which can lead to a fatty liver, make your body less responsive to insulin, and raise your risk of heart disease.