The recent upsurge in obesity has been paralleled by a rise in consumption of sugar sweetened beverages. Sugar sweetened beverages are made with sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup which is made by changing the sugar (glucose) in cornstarch to fructose, or fruit juice concentrates which contain fructose, glucose and sucrose.
Sweetened beverages, many of which contain high-fructose corn syrup, are the largest sugar contributor to the diet of the people in the United States. These sugars can be useful to people doing strenuous physical activity and in need of energy. In those who do not need them, the energy in sugar is stored as fat. Population studies of diet and health have implicated sugar-sweetened beverages with obesity, diabetes type 2, and heart disease.
A study by the University of California LA, found that adults who drank sweetened soda occasionally were 15% more likely to be overweight or obese than adults who did not drink soda. Adults who drank at least one soda per day were 27% more likely to be obese or overweight than those who did not. Another study, at Harvard University, found that at least part of the link between family history and diabetes was accounted for by obesity and dietary habits, including drinking sweetened beverages. A decade-long study at John Hopkins School of Public Health, concluded that sugar-sweetened beverages were drank most among those at highest risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Sugar sweetened beverages might contribute to overweight and obesity by adding calories or kilojoules without bulk. People who drink these calories do not get a feeling of being ‘filled up’ by the fluid and so continue to eat until they feel full, taking in more calories or kilojoules than they need. The high intake of sugar might also help to cause insulin resistance and inflammation, and harm the ability of your pancreas to make insulin. The fructose in the drinks may also cause your body to make more belly fat, cause your liver to make fat, and lead to hypertension.
Unfortunately, although fruits contain many good nutrients, fruit juice even without added sugar, has as much sugar as cola drinks. This is because plants put sugar into fruits to attract animals to eat the fruit and distribute the seeds. This is not to say to avoid fruits, but fruits are much better in their solid form where they are high in fiber, which slows down the digestion and absorption of fructose which of course, is present in small amounts. Fruit is also rich in antioxidants and other healthy compounds.
Our bodies are two-thirds water… a healthy alternative to sweetened beverages for quenching thirst is… water, or:
* unsweetened herbal tea… also has no sugar and only 2 calories per cup
* some people enjoy drinking coffee without sugar
* sparkling water is sugarless, adding a teaspoon of fruit juice will add some flavor without much sugar
* try crushing your favorite herbs and placing them into sparkling water for half an hour
* or try agave nectar, a natural sugar that your body may metabolize better.
Experiment to find a drink that is just right for you… you will be doing yourself a good turn by putting back on the shelf any beverages that show ‘high-fructose corn syrup’ on the label.
Tags: blood sugar levels, diabetes type 2, fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates, high fructose corn, high fructose corn syrup, john hopkins school, john hopkins school of public health, overweight and obesity, strenuous physical activity
