Consumers unaware of high sugar content in many drinks

News Reporter

Tuesday 17 April 2012

CONSUMERS are significantly underestimating how much sugar is in popular drinks, especially so-called "healthy" options such as smoothies and fruit juices, Scots scientists have claimed.

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Helen McArdle

More than 2000 people were questioned for a poll commissioned by Glasgow University to find out the number of teaspoons of sugar in some of the UK's most popular beverages.

They found that while those polled tended to slightly overestimate the amount of sugar in fizzy drinks such as cola, they "significantly underestimated" the sugar content of milkshakes, smoothies, fruit juices and an energy drink because they considered these as healthy options.

In the case of one brand of pomegranate juice, people underestimated the sugar content of a carton by a full 18 teaspoons. The survey also found that participants were consuming up to a quarter of their daily recommended calorie allowance from drinks. Asked to breakdown their average weekly liquid consumption, the researchers found that on average participants were drinking 659g of sugar and 3144 calories per week through non-alcoholic drinks. That works out at about 450 calories per day, equivalent to nearly a quarter of the 2000 recommended daily calories for a woman and a fifth of the 2500 recommended for men.The findings also revealed that nearly a quarter (24%) of those questioned did not take into consideration their liquid sugar or calorie intake when they were last on a diet. Half of people who admitted to drinking three or more sugary drinks in an average day, said they never compensated by reducing the calorie intake of their food.Naveed Sattar, Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow, said those trying to lose weight would be better switching to water or diet soft drinks.He said: "What you drink can be as damaging to the body as what you eat and there is no question that consuming too many sugar-sweetened drinks can greatly contribute to abdominal obesity and therefore increase your likelihood of developing health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease."This analysis confirms that many people are perhaps not aware of the high calorie levels in many commonly consumed drinks. "Some varieties of drinks such as pure fruit juices and smoothies which are perceived as 'healthy' options are also very high in sugar. "For many people struggling with their weight, reducing their intake of such drinks and replacing them with water or diet drinks would be a sensible first target to help them lessen their calorie intake." Professor Damien Walmsley, scientific adviser to the British Dental Association, said: "Non-alcoholic drinks can be damaging to oral health both because their sugar content can cause tooth decay and because their acidity can erode tooth enamel. Patients are best off limiting their consumption of sugary and/or acidic beverages and restricting them to meal times. "The best choice for healthy teeth is water."

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Consumers unaware of high sugar content in many drinks

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