We live in a sweet world. The average American kid eats more than 20 teaspoons of sugar per day, and adults eat 50% more sugar today than they did in the 1970s. We all know that too much sugar isn't good for you. But did we know it could be dangerous? A team of researchers at the University of Utah used mice to do a study on the bad effects of sugar. They found it could have serious effects on people's health. Sugar is found not only in sweets and candies, but also in many household items like pasta and crackers. During the 58-week-long study, mice were fed a diet containing 25% more sugar. This percentage equals a healthy human diet along with three cans of soda daily. The team found that these mice were twice as likely to die as mice fed a similar diet without the sugar. Though the mice did not show signs of obesity or high blood pressure, male mice produced 25% fewer offspring   than the other mice. Scientists often use mice for research because they have a similar genetic   structure to humans. "Since most substances   that are dangerous in mice are also dangerous in people, it's likely that those physical problems that cause those mice to have increased deaths also work in people,"says study author James Ruff of the University of Utah. Findings from this study show bad effects that are not as noticeable as weight gain or heart problems. Sugar can contribute to long-term changes in the body that can change development and even shorten lives. Cutting sugar out of the American diet altogether may be difficult. But making the effort to control our nation's sugar need will provide for a truly sweeter future. The study done by researchers aimed at learning about  _
the advantages and disadvantages of sugar the bad effects of sugar on people's health the genetic structure of mice American's eating habit.