In May 2019 researchers from New Zealand and the USA published their review to assess whether sugary drinks produce different risks for the metabolic syndrome compared with foods that contain natural or added sugars. It has been noted that whilst some studies show that liquid added sugars, such as those found in soft drinks, as having a greater risk for development of metabolic syndrome compared with solid sugar, other studies suggest that fruit juice intake may also lead to a higher risk for weight gain and insulin resistance compared with natural fruits. Current evidence suggests that this may be due to differences in how fructose is metabolized. It appears that fructose is able to increase the risk of metabolic disease by reducing the energy levels in liver cells, the reduction in energy levels being dependent on the amount of fructose in the liver.
Sundborn G et al. Are Liquid Sugars Different from Solid Sugar in Their Ability to Cause Metabolic Syndrome? Obesity (Silver Spring). 2019 May 4. [Epub ahead of print]