The threat of sugary drinks – myth or reality?

Now the world community is paying more and more attention to nutritional issues, and especially to those products that contain hidden sugar. Sweet drinks take one of the first places in this rating.

A review by Vasanti S Malik and Frank B Hu published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology mentions that drinking 1-2 sugary drinks daily increases the risk of diabetes mellitus by 26%, cardiovascular diseases, 16% of stroke. In addition, there is a tendency towards obesity, kidney disease and gout.

So why do you still need to give up sugary drinks?

Most people know that sugar abuse contributes to weight gain and the acquisition of many diseases. Therefore, today most people try to adhere to a diet, but do not quite understand what it should actually be.

For example, they eat boiled chicken breast with vegetable salad, but wash it down with a glass of compote, sweet soda, or a cup of vanilla cappuccino. And then it turns out that the weight not only does not stand still, but also increases, as does the blood sugar level. The main mistake of these people is that they perceive drinks not as food, but as water. Of course, this approach is wrong. 

The share of sugary drinks as a source of sugar in the daily diet of the average person accounts for up to 50% of carbohydrates. Based on the WHO recommendations, sugar should not exceed 360 calories (12 teaspoons) or 10% of the total caloric intake of the daily diet.

One standard glass (330 mm) of sweet lemonade contains 10-12 teaspoons of sugar. Just think how many useless calories you consume when you just drink.

As for diabetics, a glass of soda can increase blood glucose levels by 5-7 mmol / L, and this is without taking into account all the other carbohydrates that you consume during the day. Therefore, diabetics need to completely abandon sweet lemonade.

Milkshakes, coffee-based drinks, colorful soda contain a lot of glucose, sucrose and fructose. Their excessive use threatens the development of hypoglycemia, in which the blood sugar level drops below 3.5 mmol / l (when using a volume of 200 ml at a time).

The effect on the body of fructose in sugary drinks?

Any fructose, wherever it is contained (in lemonades, sugar substitutes for hot drinks, etc.) negatively affects the body. Abuses are manifested:

• in visceral obesity (accumulation of fat in the abdomen);
• in the deposition of fat in the liver (fatty hepatosis);
• an increase in bad cholesterol, which is produced by the liver;
• in the development of gout (the level of uric acid rises);
• insulin resistance (insulin resistance);
• in a sudden rise in blood sugar levels in diabetics.

The rise in blood sugar occurs instantly as soon as fructose enters the mouth. Immediately, the pancreas begins to produce large amounts of insulin and the glycemia drops again.

Such fluctuations are perceived by the brain as a signal of hunger, and a person is hungry. Most often, something sweet. Due to such “swing”, the level of development or aggravation of diabetes mellitus increases and there is a general negative effect on the vessels of the pancreas.

In addition, sugary drinks are high in calories, but at the same time they cannot create the feeling of fullness that the body needs. And it turns out that a person consumes a huge amount of extra calories without even realizing it.

The body stores fat in the liver, disrupting its normal functioning, and a large amount of “bad” cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) begins to be produced. Due to sharp fluctuations in sugar and insulin, it freely penetrates the walls of blood vessels, deposited in them in the form of cholesterol plaques. Which in many cases leads to an increase in blood pressure, the development of strokes and heart attacks, and problems with the vessels of the legs.

However, it should be understood that such diseases appear with the systematic use of sugary drinks. In situations where you drink a jar of lemonade or a cup of chocolate with cream and vanilla syrup every three to four months, then there will be no problem.

How to stop drinking sugary drinks?

Do you like adding 3-4 tablespoons of sugar to your coffee? We recommend trying a sweetener instead, such as saccharin, stevia, aspartame or cyclamate. These supplements do not raise blood sugar and do not contain any calories. For those who do not like the taste of sweeteners, reduce the amount of sugar used in drinks.

It should be remembered that although any packaged or bottled juices contain less fructose, there is also sugar here. According to research conducted by scientists around the world, juices are directly linked to the risk of diabetes and obesity.

You can refuse them by following a proven scheme, when instead of a glass of juice, water is taken, to which 1 to 5 teaspoons of juice is added. In this case, you will feel the aroma of the drink, but you will not get the amount of sugar that you are used to. 

Over time, you can switch to water with lemon juice or fresh berries. It is also advisable to replace tea or coffee with a glass of drinking water. This will certainly have a positive effect on the functioning of the body.

Juices are not allowed, but fruits are allowed?

Many people ask the question – why juices are not allowed, but fruits can be, because they also contain fructose? This can be explained very simply, in fruits there is also a large amount of fiber, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Fructose does not allow simple sugar to be quickly absorbed from the intestines into the bloodstream, due to this, glycemia does not increase so much. In addition, 3-5 medium apples are usually used for one glass. Think about how easy it is to eat that amount of fruit a day in addition to your main meal?

Whenever you feel thirsty, drink filtered water. Do not deceive your body by drinking juice, fruit drink or compote.