The bitter truth about high-sugar diets and artificial sweetener consumption

Excessive consumption has been linked with no less than 45 chronic illnesses, including heart disease and cancer

Pic: iStock

As a registered dietitian running nutrition clinics across Ireland for the past 12 years, Orla Walsh is all too familiar with the problems stemming from a high-sugar diet.

“Sugar intake is too high in Ireland,” she says. “Half of us will die from heart disease and the more sugar we eat, the more likely that is. We do need to reduce our intake of free sugars, as found in the likes of cakes, biscuits, some breakfast cereals, fruit juice and sweets.”