What sugar does to your body: Interactive graphic shows its effects on your health

Sugar's impact on everything from you skin to your kidneys

(DebbiSmirnoff/iStock)

Most of us know that eating too much sugar is unhealthy – but that doesn’t stop many of us from consuming excessive amounts of food packed with the stuff.

Sugars are a type of carbohydrate present in a variety of foods, and naturally occur in fruits, vegetables and milk. However, so-called free sugars - such as honey, syrups or granulated sugar - are added to products which contain little or no nutritional value and can be harmful.

So, would seeing the harm that sugar does to your body make you think twice about eating that extra slice of chocolate cake or downing a fizzy drink?

Now, a new interactive infographic depicts what sugar does to each part of your body.

The tool showcases the negative effects of sugar in men, women and children.

Click here to use the tool

The graphic shows how sugar changes the teeth (Beneden)

Its impact on the skin, teeth, liver, kidneys, heart and immune system are explored in the interactive tool created by healthcare firm Beneden.

Dr John Giles Medical Director at Benenden said: “Sugar is a food that is often hard to resist, and cutting sugar out of your diet can be challenging.

“The tool provides a guide on how sugar can affect the body if above average amounts are consumed for a long period of time. The main problem underpinning this is obesity, which sugar can contribute to heavily, and this can lead to other problems with the body.”