That glass of ice tea you ordered at your favorite restaurant goes down real quick. The attendant is quick to give a refill. Ah, the joys of ordering bottomless.
Perhaps many of us are not aware that a primary contributor to weight gain is the wide variety of sugary drinks we consume. Softdrinks are a more obvious culprit, with a 12 oz can containing around 40 to 50 grams of sugar—that’s around 10 teaspoonfuls of table sugar.
But that seemingly harmless glass of iced tea, or some of the ready to drink variants neatly packed in a plastic bottle, and that instant powdered juice drink may contain nearly just as much sugar.
So what’s the real deal with sugar? A little sweetness in our lives can’t be all that bad right? Wrong.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by the Harvard School of Public Health says that sugary sodas and fruit drinks may be a major factor in long-term weight gain as well as the obesity epidemic plaguing the United States. Researchers also say that a can of soda a day may result in an additional 15 lbs. in body weight over a span of one year.
The pitfalls of a sugar rich diet begin, but do not end with weight gain and obesity. Various complications may arise. The primary sweetener used in most commercially available sodas and juice drinks is high fructose corn syrup. This substance, as shown by research, can increase triglyceride count—which may increase the risk of heart problems, diabetes and other health complications.
For the fitness conscious individual, limiting sugar intake is key to a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Thus, it is important to know what’s in those sugary drinks and how it may adversely affect our bodies if taken in excess.
I find it dangerous when the manufacturers of ready to drink ice teas and fruit juices market their products as clean, healthy alternatives when a quick peek at the nutrition labels reveals an astonishing sugar content to rival that of sodas.
Perhaps many of us are not aware that a primary contributor to weight gain is the wide variety of sugary drinks we consume. Softdrinks are a more obvious culprit, with a 12 oz can containing around 40 to 50 grams of sugar—that’s around 10 teaspoonfuls of table sugar.
But that seemingly harmless glass of iced tea, or some of the ready to drink variants neatly packed in a plastic bottle, and that instant powdered juice drink may contain nearly just as much sugar.
So what’s the real deal with sugar? A little sweetness in our lives can’t be all that bad right? Wrong.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by the Harvard School of Public Health says that sugary sodas and fruit drinks may be a major factor in long-term weight gain as well as the obesity epidemic plaguing the United States. Researchers also say that a can of soda a day may result in an additional 15 lbs. in body weight over a span of one year.
The pitfalls of a sugar rich diet begin, but do not end with weight gain and obesity. Various complications may arise. The primary sweetener used in most commercially available sodas and juice drinks is high fructose corn syrup. This substance, as shown by research, can increase triglyceride count—which may increase the risk of heart problems, diabetes and other health complications.
For the fitness conscious individual, limiting sugar intake is key to a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Thus, it is important to know what’s in those sugary drinks and how it may adversely affect our bodies if taken in excess.
I find it dangerous when the manufacturers of ready to drink ice teas and fruit juices market their products as clean, healthy alternatives when a quick peek at the nutrition labels reveals an astonishing sugar content to rival that of sodas.
E-mail the author: greggyromualdez@yahoo.com
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