All nutritionists agree that refined sugars are bad for health. Often, we plan our major meals of the day and snacks based on this fact. But we do not pay attention to our drinks in a day. And if the choice of drinks is faulty, it would dilute the effects of an otherwise healthy diet. Which are those beverages that one should not consume often for health reasons?
Foods and drinks and refined sugars
We all now are aware of the ill effects of refined sugars on our body. They have been linked with type 2 diabetes mellitus, with cardiovascular diseases and also with poor brain health and cognitive defects. Hence, we should avoid sugary foods and drinks.
Based on this scientific facts, we avoid sugars in our foods. Accordingly, we plan our major meals and snacks for the day. But we often overlook what we are drinking to quench our thirst and meet our fluid requirements of the day.
Diet soda (Source: USA today)Certain drinks are healthy whereas others are not. We should not be drinking the latter drinks too often. Heather Nace from Tulane University’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine in New Orleans states:
“Unfortunately, in this country, so much of the added sugar we’re consuming is coming from sugar-sweetened beverages,”
“We know it’s not good for us, [but] it can also be tricky to avoid,”
The beverages to drink less often
Heather explains:
“I think there’s a time and place for everything to fit into a healthy diet,”
“but if you’re somebody who’s drinking soda as your main beverage throughout the day, it’s something to be mindful of.”
These beverages have certain demerits and should be consumed less often:
Diet soda
Most of these diet sodas have artificial sweeteners. They are bad for health and leave an after taste in the mouth. Dietitian Carlie Saint-Laurent Beaucejour says:
“For me, personally, I don’t like diet beverages and diet sodas,”
“And it’s also the side effects … just because it can cause bloating and other digestive issues that may not be good — I do see that a lot in people that I work with,”
This soda is good for diabetics. Others can have it but occasionally.
Regular soda
Its high sugar content is detrimental for body. Heather explains:
“A 12-ounce can of soda has about 39 grams of sugar in it,”
Moreover, it lacks vitamins and minerals. Therefore, there are no health benefits of consuming it. It can also cause teeth erosion.
Energy drinks
Energy drinks (Source: Amazon)About energy drinks, Heather elaborates:
“The thing about energy drinks, which is really interesting, is most people … think of them as being, ‘Oh, it’s good for me. It’s going to give me energy,’”
“They sort of often overlook the fact they also have a lot of this added sugar.”
An 8 ounce can of Red Bull gives 27 g of sugar.
Juices with high refined sugars
These have very little of real fruits in them. And they are loaded with refined sugars. They lack dietary fiber. Nutritionist Jennifer Scherer from Virginia says:
“I’m just of the belief that you should have the whole fruit itself, which has the fibre,”
She prefers an orange to an orange juice.
Alcohol
Red wine (Source: The mindful mocktail)Alcohol affects the body and mind. It can damage stomach, liver, brain, etc in the long run. It can lead to vitamin deficiencies. And it can increase risk of cancer. Some people are allergic to it and cannot tolerate it. But red wine might be okay to consume in moderation. It has some health benefits. Jeanette Andrade from the University of Florida enlightens:
“Dark red wines ― not necessarily a rosé, that’s not going to give you as much antioxidant boost ― but the really dark, rich red wines,”
Some studies say that red wine can lower inflammation and reduce risk of clot formation and strokes. But more research is required in this field.
Also, read 5 worst drinks for diabetics!
Also mixers added in cocktail can up its sugar and calories content. So do not make it a habit to have above five drinks. Occasionally having them should be okay.