Monday, March 9, 2015
What Should You Be Drinking
Until now, I have spoken a lot about food that is appropriate for a healthy diet. This next Blog will focus on health and unhealthy aspects of common beverages available to the Australian public.
With so many choices, all with different, sometimes unexpected effects on health, its easy to be confused about the "best" beverages for health. Below are some potential health benefits and effects of 10 commonly consumed beverages in Australia.
1: SOFT DRINKS
A soft drink is a carbonated water, flavoured and sweetened with either sugar or sweetener. Probably one of the worst choices in terms of beverages. The consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dental cavities, and low nutrient levels.
Why?
- Fluids are not as satiating as solid foods. That means they dont provide the same feeling of fullness or satisfaction that solid foods do, which might prompt you to keep eating.
- The body doesnt seem to "register" fluid calories as carefully as it does those from solid food. This would mean they are added on top of calories from the rest of the diet. Each can 375ml can of soft drink contains approximately 650-700kj (155-165kcal, or 8-10% of the recommended daily intake).
- Gulping the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar over the course of a few minutes gives the bodys blood sugar controls a run for their money. Most people handle a blast of blood sugar just fine. Over time, though, a diet rich in easily digested carbohydrates may lead to type 2 diabetes.
- Soft drinks are generally lacking in healthful nutrients such as calcium for bone health. The addition of caffeine to soft drinks further limits the absorption of nutrients such as Iron and B-group vitamins responsible of adequate energy levels. Not to mention the harmful affects to teeth and gums due to the sugar content and carbonation of these drinks.
- Obesity and diabetes are both strong risk factors for heart disease, the number one killer of men and women in Australia. Given that drinking sugary beverages increases the risk of both obesity and diabetes, it is natural to assume that drinking sugary beverages increases the risk of heart disease, too.
2: DIET SOFT DRINKS
So-called diet sodas and other diet drinks are sweetened with calorie-free artificial sweeteners such as aspartame (Equal®, NutraSweet®), saccharin (SweetN Low®, Necta Sweet®), or sucralose (Splenda®); a new addition to the market are drinks sweetened with Stevia, a calorie-free sweetener made from the leaves of a South and Central American shrub.
These diet drinks are a better choice than sugar-sweetened soft drinks because they are lower in calories and over the short term, switching from sugar-sweetened soft drinks to diet drinks cuts calories and has been shown to benefit weight loss.
However, the possibility that these sugar-free substitutes may contribute to weight gain in the long term suggests that they arent an innocuous alternative to sugar sweetened soft drink, and should be chosen as the occasional treat rather than as a daily beverage.
Why?
- According to some research, it is possible that sweet-tasting soft drinks, regardless of whether they are sweetened with sugar or a calorie-free sugar substitute, might stimulate the appetite for other sweet, high-carbohydrate foods ultimately leading to weight gain.
- There have been links to the combination of artificial sweeteners with caffeine and other additives having effects on hormone levels in the body making weight loss more difficult.
Although the scientific findings are mixed and inconclusive, there is worrisome evidence that regular use of artificial sweeteners may promote weight gain and progression of some cancers. In view of these mixed findings about artificial sweeteners, drinking diet soda may not be the best replacement for drinking sugary soda.
The Bottom Line: Skip Sugary Drinks and Go Easy on Diet Drinks
3: FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICE
Both fruit juice and vegetable juice have their pluses and minuses.
Unsweetened 100% fruit juice has the most nutrients and the least sugar, and is a better choice than fruit drinks which are usually only 20-25% fruit juice and contain a lot of added sugar. Sweetened fruit juice will have a similar sugar content to soft drinks. However, even unsweetened fruit juice usually delivers more energy than whole fruit without the benefits.
Why fruit juice is not as beneficial as fresh fruit:
Why fruit juice is not as beneficial as fresh fruit:
- Negligible Fibre
- High calorie density
- Not eating -->does not satisfy hunger
- Quicker delivery of sugar into the blood --> increase risk of diabetes.
The Dietary Guidelines for Australians recommends no more than one serving (1/2 a glass) of 100% fruit juice as part of the daily fruit intake.
Fruit smoothies are usually mixed with ice cream, full cream milk or yoghurt and are very high in calories, and so arent recommended as daily beverages.
Vegetable juices like tomato and mixed-vegetable juices are a good substitute, they have less calorie than fruit juices, but even so its better to eat fresh vegetables. Some vegetable juice bought from the supermarket may contain a lot of sodium (salt). People with high blood pressure issues should be aware of this.
4: MILK
Milk is a good source of and , and also provides , , , and other micro-nutrients. Milk can also be a significant source calories and saturated fat, with full cream milk contributing 4.5 grams per glass.
Low fat (1.5-2g fat or 1.5-2 per cent) and skim milk (zero fat) are better options. A high milk intake is associated with strong bones and is especially recommended for young children and older women. Full cream milk on the other hand is high in calories and saturated fat and has been linked with heart disease and should be avoided, in large amounts.
5: ALCOHOL
Alcohol may have benefits for some but may be hazardous for others, and entire books have been written on the subject.
Whether its good or bad for you depends what you drink and how much. Small to moderate amounts - one drink 2-3 times per week for women and two drinks 2-3 times per week for men - seems to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
In large amounts alcohol causes serious disease like liver cirrhosis, brain damage and cancer. Alcohol is also very high in calories and can be a major barriers to achieving weight loss goals. Beware spirit-based mixers which have the added health effects of soda sweetened with sugars described earlier.
6: ELECTROLYTE AND SPORTS DRINKS
Sports drinks have fewer calories than soft drinks and fruit juice, and offer small amounts of sodium, chloride, and potassium. They are not needed as a daily way to hydrate. The only people who really benefit from these drinks are endurance athletes who exercise for more than one hour per day.
Sports drinks, are intended to improve athletic performance by replacing fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat and carbohydrates burned for energy These re-hydration drinks contain mineral electrolytes, such as sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium, and a source of easily digested carbohydrate, usually sugar, to restock energy stores.
While sports drinks can help competitive athletes, they also add extra empty calories and can have as much as 5 teaspoons worth of sugar per bottle.
7: COFFEE/TEA
Drunk plain, they are calorie-free beverages brimming with antioxidants, flavonoids, and other biologically active substances that may be good for health. Two to three cups of coffee or tea a day appear to be fine. Herbal teas, especially, have received attention for there potential role in protecting against heart disease and cancer, while coffee may help protect against type 2 diabetes.
Although moderate caffeine intake isnt likely to cause harm, too much can lead to some unpleasant effects. Heavy daily caffeine use , more than 500 to 600mg/day (4-5cups per day)— may cause:
- Insomnia
- Nervousness
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Stomach upset
- Fast heartbeat
- Muscle tremors
- Decreased absorption of Iron/Vitamin B12 leading to constant fatigue.
More research on the health benefits and effects of tea and coffee is needed, but one thing is for certain: The addition of full cream milk, sugar, honey and flavorings can turn coffee or tea from a healthy beverage into a not-so-healthy one.
8: ENERGY DRINKS
Similarly to coffee, energy drinks are extremely high in caffeine, along with similar stimulants such as Taurine and Guarana. Too much of these ingredients can lead to stomach problems, anxiety, panic attacks and cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart beat). If you suffer from high blood pressure you should consume energy drinks with much care.
Another concern is connected with the large amount of sodium and sugar that can be present in energy drinks. High sodium intake can cause many health problems like dehydration, heart disease, high blood pressure and kidney problems. We get enough sodium from the foods we eat and when we add extra sodium from energy drinks to our daily diet the body can suffer from it.
Excessive sugar in such beverages can also cause dehydration and lead to diabetes and insulin resistance (pre diabetes). In fact, an average can of energy drink can contain up to 12 teaspoons of sugar.
9: FLAVOURED WATER/VITAMIN WATER
Vitamin-enhanced waters, are not necessary and adding vitamins to a sugary drink does not make it a healthy choice.
While flavoured water might taste delicious and promise to deliver essential vitamins, remember there’s a reason why your water tastes good. It’s most likely due to sugar and unnatural ingredients. You might think that your refreshing drink, such as Vitamin Water or other flavored waters are a healthy alternative to soda and juice. But one bottle of Vitamin Water packs in 125 calories and 32.5g (6.5 teaspoons) of sugar. That’s a hefty calorie and sugar count for a healthy beverage.
There are many flavored waters out there that promise to be diet friendly, and boast a low calorie count or no calories at all. The problem with these is that many contain artificial sweeteners and unnatural ingredients to keep them tasting delicious without delivering calories. Unfortunately, these are often not the healthiest drinks to ingest either. Again, some researchers believe, the more beverages with artificial sweetener you consume during the day, the more your body will crave sugar.
10: WATER - WATER IS THE WINNER
Water provides everything the body needs, pure H2O, to restore fluids lost through metabolism, breathing, sweating, and the removal of waste. Its the perfect beverage for quenching thirst, curbing your hunger and re-hydrating your system.
It has no kilojoules at all - though no nutrients either, but thats not a problem. Ideally, we should drink only water and let the nutrients come from a balanced food diet. This was, after all, how our bodies naturally evolved.
Water should be the beverage you turn to most of the time. If you do not like the taste of water, adding mint/lime or lemon juice is an easy way to flavour it up without adding extra calories.
How much water?
NHMRC recommends anywhere from 30-40ml/kg body weight.
Others recommend 6-8 glasses a day OR ~2L/day.
A good indication if you are drinking enough is to look at your urine colour 4-5 hours after waking up. If it is pale yellow to clear this is good. Darker yellow to orange may indicate that you are dehydrated.
Its almost impossible to drink too much - the kidneys excrete the excess out almost straight away.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu
A good rule of thumb is to skip products that have added sugar at or near the top of the list or have several sources of added sugar sprinkled throughout the list.
COMMON ALTERNATIVE NAMES FOR ‘SUGAR’ |
Agave nectar Brown sugar Cane crystals Cane sugar Corn sweetener Corn syrup Crystalline fructose Dextrose Evaporated cane juice Fructose Fruit juice concentrates Glucose High-fructose corn syrup Honey Invert sugar Lactose Maltose Malt syrup Molasses Raw sugar Sucrose Sugar Syrup |
Russell Nassim (APD)
References:
Schulze MB, Manson JE, Ludwig DS, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened beverages, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged women. Journal of the Australian Medical Association. 2004; 292:927-934.
Schulze MB, Manson JE, Ludwig DS, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened beverages, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged women. Journal of the Australian Medical Association. 2004; 292:927-934.
Fowler SP, Williams K, Resendez RG, Hunt KJ, Hazuda HP, Stern MP. Fueling the obesity epidemic? Artificially sweetened beverage use and long-term weight gain. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008; 16:1894-1900.
Chen L, Appel LJ, Loria C, Lin PH, Champagne CM, Elmer PJ, Ard JD, Mitchell D, Batch BC, Svetkey LP, Caballero B.et al. Reduction in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight loss: the PREMIER trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009; 89:1-8.
Popkin BM, Armstrong LE, Bray GM, Caballero B, Frei B, Willett WC. A new proposed guidance system for beverage consumption in the United States. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2006; 83:529-542.
Chen L, Appel LJ, Loria C, Lin PH, Champagne CM, Elmer PJ, Ard JD, Mitchell D, Batch BC, Svetkey LP, Caballero B.et al. Reduction in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight loss: the PREMIER trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009; 89:1-8.
Popkin BM, Armstrong LE, Bray GM, Caballero B, Frei B, Willett WC. A new proposed guidance system for beverage consumption in the United States. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2006; 83:529-542.
Van Dam RM, Willett WC, Manson JE, Hu FB. Coffee, caffeine, and risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study in younger and middle-aged U.S. women. Diabetes Care. 2006; 29:398-403.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment