Wellness

Sugary drinks and eye health may seem unrelated, but what you sip each day can affect much more than your thirst. A new long-term study found that people who consumed at least one sugar-sweetened drink daily had more than twice the risk of developing stomach cancer compared with people who rarely drank them. The study does not prove that sugary drinks caused the cancer, but the size of the association deserves attention.

Sodapop is not the only drink worth examining. Fruit punches, lemonades, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened coffees, and some electrolyte beverages can contain surprising amounts of added sugar. Cutting back does not mean that you should automatically switch to diet beverages containing artificial sweeteners. There are better everyday choices, including water, lemon water, coffee, tea, green tea, and drinks lightly sweetened with stevia.

How much sugar is hiding in your favorite drink? When do you actually need electrolytes? Are diet drinks a healthy substitute? This article examines the new stomach cancer research, the relationship between sugary drinks and eye health, the proper use of electrolyte beverages, and practical ways to reduce sugar without giving up every occasional treat.

What Counts as a Sugary Drink?

A sugar-sweetened beverage is any drink containing sugar that was added during manufacturing or preparation. Common examples include:
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Brain fog can make it hard to recall words, concentrate, or complete everyday tasks. Even after spending enough time in bed, you might feel exhausted. Your eyes might feel dry, burn, or have trouble shifting focus.

What causes brain fog? Poor or broken sleep is one common cause. Sleep problems can affect your energy, memory, attention, and eye comfort. They can leave you feeling mentally cloudy and physically drained during the day.

Sleep problems are not the only possible explanation for tired eyes and brain fog. Diabetes, anemia, thyroid disorders, medications, nutritional deficiencies, and other health conditions can cause similar symptoms. In this article, we talk about symptoms of brain fog, poor sleep, and why tired eyes and brain fog often occur together. We also point out how excessive screen time can lead to brain fog. And we offer practical tips: eye exercises, easy lifestyle changes, nutritional support, and when to call a doctor.
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Want to support healthier vision and improve your overall health as you age? One practical place to begin is to eat fewer ultra-processed foods and choose more whole or minimally processed foods. You do not need a perfect diet, nor do you need to eliminate every packaged product. Small, consistent substitutions can improve the quality of your diet while reducing ingredients and processes that promote inflammation, oxidative stress, poor blood sugar regulation, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

A diet dominated by ultra-processed foods may raise the risk of serious age-related eye conditions, including macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. These products may contribute to high blood sugar, inflammation, and oxidative stress that damage delicate cells and blood vessels in the eyes. A diet lacking essential fatty acids and other nutrients may also interfere with healthy tear production and contribute to dry eye. When you choose these foods, you miss out on crucial nutrients. And, many ultra-processed foods are high in calories while providing few useful nutrients. Hence the term “junk food.” ^{1 2}

What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?

Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations made from extracted ingredients and additives rather than intact foods. They often undergo processes such as molding, pre-frying, or chemical modification and may contain flavors, colors, sweeteners, emulsifiers, or other substances that are rarely used in a home kitchen. ³
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Detoxification is essential for maintaining health. It is the body’s natural process of identifying, breaking down, and eliminating potentially harmful substances. The liver does most of this work, while the kidneys, digestive system, lungs, skin, and lymphatic system help remove waste through urine, stool, breath, and sweat. The body continuously detoxifies itself; it does not require special cleanses or extreme diets to perform these essential functions. Several mechanisms in the body accomplish this work.

Two of the most important are the glymphatic and lymphatic systems.

The Glymphatic System

The glymphatic system is the brain’s waste-clearance pathway. It relies on glial cells and cerebrospinal fluid to remove metabolic waste, especially during deep sleep.
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GLP-1 drugs have produced remarkable weight-loss results for many people, but can these medications have serious side effects? Weight-loss medications containing semaglutide, including Wegovy and Ozempic, reduce appetite through several interconnected systems involving the brain, digestive tract, pancreas, hormones, and nerves. ¹

Semaglutide does not appear to cross the blood-brain barrier freely. Instead, it can reach or influence selected appetite-regulating areas, including regions of the hypothalamus and brainstem. ² By affecting appetite and food-reward signaling, the medication can help you feel satisfied with less food and may reduce cravings and eating motivated primarily by pleasure rather than hunger. ³
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Healthy cooking can help protect your eyes, brain, heart, and overall wellness. The way you choose, prepare, cook, and store food can affect nutrient levels, toxin exposure, inflammation, blood sugar balance, and long-term disease risk. Simple choices, such as using safer cookware, limiting aluminum exposure, choosing fresh or frozen foods over canned foods, and cooking with healthy oils, can make everyday meals more nourishing.

This article shares practical cooking tips for healthy eating, including how to reduce aluminum exposure, choose safer cookware, prepare vegetables and proteins, support the body’s natural detoxification pathways, and make a nutrient-rich French Peasant Stew. These healthy cooking strategies are especially helpful for people who want to support vision health, reduce oxidative stress, and build better daily habits without making food preparation complicated.
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Updated July 23, 2026: This is a fluid situation. Health officials are still investigating several Cyclospora outbreaks, and the source of every case has not yet been confirmed.

The microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis has recently been linked with contaminated produce in the United States. Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal illness that can spread when people eat raw produce or drink water contaminated with the parasite. Fresh herbs, leafy greens, lettuce, berries, and other raw fruits and vegetables have been involved in past outbreaks. The incubation period typically ranges from 2 to 14 days, with an average of about 1 week.

One multistate outbreak has been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Federal investigators traced that specific outbreak to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico and sourced from central Mexico. Taylor Farms voluntarily removed iceberg lettuce from central Mexico from the U.S. market.

However, the situation has become more complicated. The FDA first reported that one lettuce sample had tested positive for Cyclospora. After further review, the FDA said that result should be considered a false positive. As of the FDA’s update, there were no confirmed positive product test results for Cyclospora, although traceback and outbreak data still pointed to the recalled lettuce supply chain in that specific outbreak.
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Research on the dangers of artificial sweeteners continues to roll out. A 2026 Tufts University review and meta-analysis compared studies of artificial and low-calorie sweeteners with non-caloric options. ¹ The researchers found that artificial sweeteners increased fasting insulin and HbA1c numbers, and tended to reduce insulin sensitivity. Additionally, they pointed to how artificial sweeteners change the gut microbiome as a possible culprit.

Non-nutritive, artificial sweeteners are FDA-approved, low-calorie alternatives to sugar. They can be synthetic or naturally derived and are found in a range of products, from diet soda to protein bars to sugar-free gum. They are also used as coffee sweeteners.

Multiple studies have shown various side effects associated with the use of these sweeteners. These side effects include gastrointestinal symptoms, ² neurologic (damage) ³ and taste perception changes, ⁴ allergic reactions, ⁵ insulin and metabolic effects, ⁶ and cardiovascular effects. ⁷
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N-Acetyl-Cysteine is an amino acid that has been researched heavily for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. NAC is primarily a building block for glutathione. Key clinical studies explore its role in respiratory health, vision support, liver function, aging, and anti-inflammatory properties.

As an antioxidant, NAC helps protect healthy cells by neutralizing free radicals before they can cause harm. It supports the body’s supply of cysteine, a key building block of glutathione, one of the body’s most important internal antioxidants. By helping restore glutathione levels, NAC strengthens the cell’s antioxidant defenses and helps clear reactive oxygen species, or ROS. NAC also has anti-inflammatory effects. In the early stages of immune activation, it may help reduce the release of cytokines, which are chemical messengers involved in inflammation. ¹
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