When kids with weight problems and metabolic risks cut down on fructose (a sugar found in soda and sweets), their blood levels of certain fat molecules called ceramides go down—and at the same time, their body’s ability to use insulin gets better. This makes scientists think those fat molecules might be a clue to how well insulin is working.

When kids who are overweight and at risk for heart and blood sugar problems cut back on sugary foods (like soda and candy) for just nine days, their blood shows lower levels of certain harmful fats, and their bodies start using insulin better—like a reset button for their metabolism.

When kids who are overweight and at risk for heart problems cut down on sugar like fructose (found in soda and candy), their blood levels of a certain fat molecule go down—and their bad cholesterol and triglycerides improve too. This might mean that fat molecules in the blood help control cholesterol levels.

When kids who are overweight and at risk for heart and liver problems cut out sugary foods with fructose—without eating fewer total calories—their liver fat and harmful fat-making processes go down, and so do certain toxic fat molecules, hinting that all of this is happening because of the same liver problem.

When kids with weight and metabolic problems cut out sugary foods like soda and candy, their liver makes less fat and also produces fewer weird fat molecules called deoxyceramides — and these two changes seem to happen together, suggesting they’re linked by the same sugar-driven process.