Jane enjoys taking soft drinks. She would always take them after the day's work, when she's dehydrated and thirsty, when she's fatigued, and on some occasion just because she wants to.
That's how addicted she has become. She can't go the day without consuming at least 3 bottles of soda into her system. What can such amount of sugar do to Jane?
A whole lot of you are just like Jane. You can barely go a day without consuming so much sugar, what you are unaware of, is the impact the amount of sugar you consume has on your system.
The calories contained in soft drinks are 'empty' calories. That is they provide little to no nutritional value. Certain drinks that are perceived to be healthy such as fruit juice contain too much sugar that overshadows the nutritional benefits of such drinks.
What are the effects of consuming too much sugar?
Drinking soft drinks does not quench your thirst nor keep you hydrated. Rather soft drinks contain caffeine. The caffeine cause dehydration because of its diuretic effect (excess urination that leads to loss of water) especially when you don't take water. This can result to electrolyte imbalance if not stopped on time.
Also soft drinks contain acids that can cause plagues and dental caries.
Excess sugar consumption can raise your blood sugar levels, may increase your chances of developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, kidney and even heart disease.
How much sugar is in soft drinks?
Coca cola contain about 39g of sugar, that is 10 teaspoon of sugar. You normally would not add 10 teaspoon of sugar in your tea or coffee, so why consume such amount of sugar in soft drinks?
Sparkling juice (citrus) contain 23g of sugar, that is 6 teaspoon of sugar.
The energy drink you consume to increase your energy level contain 38g of sugar, 10 teaspoons.
Apple juice contain 38g of sugar
Ice tea containing sweetener contains 31g of sugar, about 8 teaspoons.
Orange soda contain 49g of sugar, 12 teaspoons.
To consume naturally occurring sugar, you can take food like fruits and milk. The sugar found in fruits provide carbohydrates, they are not empty calories.
To cut back on your excess sugar consumption, it is best to take 100% real fruit juice if you decide to take fruit juice.
Also consuming soft drinks occasionally won't cause a major problem to your health, as long as a healthy diet is maintained.
The best drink to take is water. Taking enough water keeps you hydrated, and also aids proper body functioning.
Before you drink sugary drinks, think about the consequences!