A sugar drink or high-sugar drink is a sweetened beverage consisting almost entirely of water and sugar. Unlike "sweetened beverages" such as coffee or tea that may use smaller amounts of sugar, sugar drinks' main component is sugar, and its main appeal is not taste, but sweetness.
Sugar drinks form the bulk of beverages consumed in the Western pattern diet, and covers many common beverages, ranging from soft drinks to fruit juices to energy drinks.
The water component may be in plain filtered form, or else carbonated. The sugar component comes in various forms such as high-fructose corn syrup.
The consumption of sugar drinks is widely regarded by nutritionists to be a serious cause of adverse health in people ranging from young children up to late adulthood. Sugar is a carbohydrate, but unlike with the consumption of vegetables, its effects are not nutritionally balanced if consumed in excessive quantities.
Sugar in large quantities raises cortisol levels and diminishes ketosis, leading to increased blood insulin levels and diminished fat burning. The most noted effect of high sugar consumption is obesity, and in certain individuals hypoglycemia and diabetes have been attributed to such dietary habits.