San Juan Regional Medical Center nurse: Marlene Betonie

Wean Yourself from Sugary Drinks

Imagine yourself putting 16 teaspoons of sugar in a bowl and then eating it. Sounds disgusting, doesn’t it? And it would be. If you’re a lover of regular soft drinks, though, you should know that 16 teaspoons is the amount of sugar in the 20-ounce soft drink that you blissfully down nearly every afternoon. Over a year’s time, the extra energy from that one large soft drink will add up to more than 93,400 calories–the equivalent of about 25 pounds of added weight.

There are many statistics available about the effects of sugary drinks on weight and health, and the results are sometimes contradictory since some of these studies were sponsored and financed by the soft drink industry. But it doesn’t take much common sense to realize that drinking 16 teaspoons or more of sugar on a regular basis is not the best thing for your weight or your health.
 
From the late 1970s to 2006, calories of sugar-sweetened drinks consumed in the U.S. more than doubled. These drinks are now the primary source of added sugars in the American diet. Sweeteners in these drinks include sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, and fruit juice concentrates, all of which have similar effects on the body’s metabolism, including an increased risk of weight gain, the metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.

Obesity Grows
During that same period from the late 1970s, obesity, particularly among children, has grown to epidemic proportions in the U.S. One meta-analysis found that the association between sugar-sweetened beverages and body mass index in children and adolescents “was near zero” according to the June, 2008 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study, however, was produced by a research center that received financial support from the soft drink industry. Other large cross-sectional studies and prospective cohort studies with long periods of follow-up “show a positive association between greater intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain and obesity in both children and adults,” according to an August 2006 article from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Admitting that more research is needed, public health officials believe that the evidence is strong enough to discourage excessive consumption of sugary drinks. Guidelines of the American Heart Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture call for consuming no more than eight to 12 ounces a day of sugar-sweetened and naturally-sweetened beverages.
 
The problem involves much more than extra calories and weight. A study that followed about 43,000 men for 22 years found that those who consumed 12 ounces or more of sugar-sweetened drinks a day had increased levels of harmful fats and inflammation and a 20 percent increased risk of heart disease.

Although 100 percent fruit juices sound like a virtuous alternative, these drinks have similar caloric content and, as the American Academy of Pediatrics has pointed out, “offer no nutrition advantage over whole fruit for children over six months of age.”

Beverages are often consumed for thirst or in a social situation without regard for hunger. Calorie-for-calorie, they tend to be less satiating than the equivalent amount of solid food. And the body doesn’t seem to register fluid calories the same as it does solid food. As a result, they tend to be added on top of other calories rather than substituting for them.
 
Adults, of course, are just as vulnerable as children and adolescents to the hazards of sugar-sweetened beverages, including not just soft drinks but fruit punch and sports and energy drinks. Acutely aware of the extra calories these drinks carry, adults often seek out diet or zero-calorie versions of their favorite beverage.

There has long been concern about the safety of artificial sweeteners, and they are generally not recommended for children or adolescents. However, the National Cancer Institute has found no sound evidence that those approved for use in the United States cause cancer or any other health problems when consumed in moderate quantities.
 
A diet drink certainly has fewer calories but, in most cases, more sweetness. And separating sweetness from calorie consumption may tend to fool the body, confusing the natural mechanisms that govern appetite. One laboratory study found that rats given food sweetened with saccharin took in more calories and gained more weight than those eating sugar-sweetened food.
A study of 3,700 adults followed over eight years found that those drinking three or more artificially sweetened drinks a day gained more weight than those who didn’t drink these beverages. The most sensible approach, no matter what type of beverage you drink regularly, is to cut back. Rather than thinking of a diet drink as a long-term alternative, use it as you would a nicotine patch–as a short-term fix to wean yourself from the soft drink habit.


Cutting back is never easy, of course, and may take some time as well as will power. Have a plan. If you’re the type of person who walks around clutching a can of soda, think about re-setting that image. Carry a bottle of water instead. Your body can get by without any added sugar so think of your drink as a treat, a substitute for an occasional candy bar or dessert rather than an add-on or a mindless habit.
The Harvard School of Public Health has suggested that soft drink manufacturers produce more lightly sweetened beverages. But looking for an alternative beverage is really not a good answer unless that beverage is water. Pure unadulterated water right from the tap is arguably the healthiest beverage you can find. If it’s too bland for you, just squeeze a bit of lemon or lime into your glass. Drink 20 ounces of water–or even more–every day. Zero calories, zero sweeteners, 100 percent healthy.
 

For more healthful tips visit our online health library at sanjuanregional.com.