I rarely drink soft drinks but bought a can to share on the weekend.
After the taste shock of the sweetness, I saw the sugar content as near 50%.
That's half the can.
Wasn't it about one third sugar not so long ago.
I see so many people in the Servos grabbing a can.
Why? The flavours aren't all that exciting.
And, are are we killing ourselves or are they killing us?
How Much Sugar in Soft Drinks Is Too Much?
GOFYS on 25/11/2015 - 07:28
Comments
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sugar rushhhhhhhhhhhh
S U G A R
Jump in to your racing car
when it becomes a solid……
Never too high, let them drink themselves to death they can at least enjoy that part of the experience.
Its there on the can/bottle, if they dont have enough sense to read it themseves then its part of the process of natural selection.
If its on sale they will think its a bargain. Look at the votes that soft drink bargains get here 😀🍼
BTW OP with a name like that it's a little ironic
White -sugar- Cane :)
We have public healthcare in this country, so tax-payers will have to foot the bill for soft-drink over-consumers' complications from tooth decay, obesity and diabetes. And they aren't likely to be selected out anywhere near before breeding age. So it's not a matter of natural selection; people who make poor choices or are otherwise unfit in some way drag our society down as a whole.
When the hypothesis of a Sugar Tax was brought up a few years ago, it was countered with the concept of a Fat Tax — a tax on being too fat, not fatty foods. I think the latter is a fairer solution.
Sugar doesn't just make you fat it causes all sorts of other health problems. Just because you don't get fat from eating too much sugar doesn't mean that it isnt bringing you to your knees..
Anything containing food energy consumed as part of an energy surplus will "make you fat". :/
EDIT: Just noticed the word "just" in your first sentence. On subsequent reads, your second sentence appeared to contradict the first. You should try using some commas in your writing. ><
@Scrooge McDuck: have you ever come across a skinny person that doesn't exercise, consumes loads of sugar and junk food and doesn't put on weight? Because they are skinny do you consider them healthy?
sugar can cause raised cholesterol, fatty liver, heart disease and diabetes (type 2 thanks geofizzi). The health epidemic from sugar will be a mixture of problems including but not limited to obesity.
The sugar industry is incredibly powerful and resembles the tobacco industry in the way that it blocks legislation and keeps sugar in food.
have you ever come across a skinny person that doesn't exercise, consumes loads of sugar and junk food and doesn't put on weight?
I haven't lived with anyone like that to be able to assess their diet over a whole day. But I'd presume that if someone is "skinny" but appears to consume "loads of sugar and junk food", that perhaps they consume little else at other times of the day to those in which you encounter them.
Because they are skinny do you consider them healthy?
No, not necessarily.
"perhaps they consume little else at other times of the day to those in which you encounter them."
It's more likely because those skinny people have a better metabolism than those who are fatter, assuming they consume the same amount of calories.
That being said the skinnier person is arguably "healthier" because than the fatter person as they don't have excess weight crushing their knees or fat clogging up their arteries.
In terms of fairness I think a soda tax, which we know has no nutritional value at all, is fairer than a fat tax, which is unfair on people who naturally gain weight easily.
I have the odd can of Solo, but otherwise gave up soft drinks years ago - I agree they are too sweet.
Looking at the nutritional info, it isn't really 50%:
http://shop.coles.com.au/online/mobile/national/schweppes-so…12g of sugar per 100mL, so about 2 tablespoons in a can. That's a lot, and you wouldn't want to have that more than once or twice a week. For a comparison, it is about 1.5 Mars bars. I don't think this level of sugar will kill you with occasional consumption, but it wouldn't do you any good to over do it.
I used to know a woman who would drink 2 litres of Coke every day. That is 208g of sugar every day.
She wasn't super fat, just an average middle aged lady, but it boggled my mind to see how much Coke she drank.
You don't need to be super fat to earn yourself diabetes… Which is what 2 litres of coke a day will probably do.
I am a type 1 diabetic so just want to use your post to highlight that you are probably referring (and others in this thread) to Type 2 diabetes, which is more about insulin resistance. Whereby your body doesn't produce enough insulin to cover the food you are eating. Changes to diet and lifestyle can prevent developing type 2 diabetes and/or lower blood sugar levels if you already have it.
Type 1 diabetes is an auto immune disease, where the body attacks the part of the body that creates insulin (to put it simplistically) so no insulin is produced at all. Type 1 diabetics will need insulin injects for the rest of their life and diet or lifestyle choices would not have affectected the likelihood of them developing Type 1 diabetes.
Sorry for highjacking your post, just want to educate where possible. It is not fair for people to think I ate/drank myself to Type 1 diabetes, so like to help people understand the difference.
Appreciate the chance to learn something new!
So true. But type 1 diab need to also make dietary changes. The complications that occur in diab do not discriminate between type 1 or 2.
@Skimpywallet: I think what you mean is that Type 1 diabetics need to manage their blood sugar levels - just like Type 2 diabetics do. In Type 1 This is done by adjusting insulin dosage to their diet. The amount of insulin you take does not negatively affect your health, so realistically if a Type 1 is otherwise healthy they can eat whatever they want and just adjust their insulin dose to cover it.
You should see the diet of Michael Phelps. He is a supremely fit elite athlete and consumes 12,000 calories a day - mostly consisting of carbohydrate rich foods. He needs it to fuel his training and competitions.
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/08/13/the-michael-phelps-di…
Ultimately, for everyone, these sugar filled drinks are an absolute idiocy. There are sugar free versions of many drinks, so why wouldn't you just drink those if you desperately wanted to have a can of coke or whatever.
@geoffizl: that's an insane daily meal plan. When I was doing a lot of rowing I used to swear by eating a pizza the night before a big row. I cant believe how much Phelps consumes.. It surely can't be good for his longevity to consume all of that sugar though.
I wonder how his teeth go, he has already eaten 2 life times worth of food by the looks of it!
Actually, insulin has other effects than direct control of glucose metabolism.
E.g. mobilisation/storage of fat and upregulation of DNA synthesis (there are hypotheses that certain dietary choices —> increased insulin —> increased DNA synthesis —> increased risk of a mutation forming from incorrect DNA synthesis —> cancer).
2 litres a day of coke would put you well on your way to being overweight.
The two main risk factors of type 2 diabetes is a) Genetic and b) being overweight. Sugar does not cause diabetes, but obviously excess sugar leads to weight gain.
So who is right here?
50% vs ~20% (w/w) is either really dodgy maths on behalf of Whitecane, deliberate falsification, or Solo is lower than other softies.
I trust mskeggs is correct cause I recognise the username and I doubt that Solo has much less sugar than any other Softie.Appeal to familiarity!
Solo is actually 20% more sugary than Coke (12g per 100ml vs 10/100mL), but both are pretty sugary. The Coles link I posted above has the nutritional label for Solo should you wish to double check.50% vs ~20% (w/w) is either really dodgy maths on behalf of Whitecane, deliberate falsification, or Solo is lower than other softies.
Or just exaggeration, which is worse than Hitler!
Maybe they meant to say close to 50g not %. I have been facinated by the sugar in soft drink lately too. There is about 10 teaspoons of sugar in a can.
Like white cane I wonder how they reached this optimal amount.. I put half a sugar in my coffee and it is a little sweet. I would never clock up 10 teaspoons.
The "secret" of most junk food is sugar and salt. Does anyone that drinks soft drinK also add this much sugar to your own drinks?
It's the acidity, carbonation and the fact that you tend to drink it cold.
They all hide the sweetness, hence why flat Coke taste's so super-sweet.
She wasn't super fat, just an average middle aged lady, but it boggled my mind to see how much Coke she drank.
How's her teeth?
How's her teeth?
That should be either:
How're her teeth?
or
How's her tooth?
Given the nature of the subject, it could be either…
How're her teeth?
My sincere apologies regarding the grammar deficiency displayed in my previous post. Please allow me to rephrase.
HUURRR DUURRR TEETH?
@DeafMutePretender: Scroogey wasn't making fun of you :( It means how were.. in a comical manner, considering all that fizzy stuff :)
@DeafMutePretender: Well that flew right over my head.
Herpa derp soft drink addiction making holes in my brain. Apologies buddy >_<
Well to be fair I can see how my reply could be perceived as needlessly sarcastic
Notch up another case of the impersonal nature of the Internet lacking facial/body gestures so intent behind messages gets lost and communication gets broken
I used to know a woman who would drink 2 litres of Coke every day.
What happened to her?
What happened to her?
That woman now has very bad teeth and is still drinking Coke to this day. Ironically however, mskeggs died, so that explains why she used to used to know the aforementioned woman. A dead person can't know people, much less any other person.
dad?
I don't drink softdrink anymore. I even refuse the can that comes free when I order the lunch special at the local asian place (lets not talk about all that delicious oil though!)
And you reside in Adelaide, how unOzBargainly of you!
At the very least, you could tip the drink and collect 10 c for the can! ¬_¬
Ahhh but the serves are enormous, very good value :D
Same here.. not even tempted now.
Soft drinks are the easiest thing to cut out to dramatically change your diet for the positive.
Take regular Coke for example. Most people who drink it drink a few bottles a day. In 2 600ml regular Cokes you get 30 teaspoons of sugar. That's over 3 times your daily limit in those two drinks alone. That's 480 Calories from those two drinks. And they don't satisfy your hunger, so you've still got to eat.
Change those drinks to water and you've effectively removed the equivalent of a large meal from your days calorie intake. Every day. That's about 1.5 hours worth of jogging to burn that off. Every day.
Give me water. Cheaper (from a tap), does the job, available everywhere and means I can eat nice meals throughout the day without blowing my healthy calorie intake limit.
So true! I'd rather drink delish chilled water (tap, fill up container, pop in freezer) and spend those other calories on yummy foods instead… priorities :D
What I love is looking at the 'healthy' flavoured waters like Mizone, as much sugar per cup as softdrink, around 27g per cup.
Yeah, it's all marketing, just like the "natural" body washes that are mostly water and Sodium Laureth Sulphate.
What's wrong with Stevia? Oh wait… soda fizz will corrode your teeth.
Usually it's not all Stevia, just less but still too much sugar.
So mineral water corrodes your teeth?
If it is carbonated it is weak carbonic acid. Pretty harmless, but yes, corrosive.
Apparently coke can be used for toilet cleaning and removing stains
So can white vinegar, that's not harmful, just not very tasty.
any sugar in soft drink is too much
Watch out for fruit juices as well some of them have more sugar than soft drinks!
If I am having a soft drink its usually coke zero I know they have other substances for sweeteners which aren't good for you but physiologically for me its a better option as its no sugar.
The drink companies love selling zero and diet drinks. Studies show people drink more when then know its diet or fat free etc.
+1 for juice. Easily 4-6 pieces of fruit in one small bottle. Also those blenders that liquify solid food means people eat faster and larger amounts
Fruit juices at least contain some other nutrients, though, even the reconstituted ones. Soft drinks give you nothing.
Compared to pepsi max , do you that it have no sweetener as well?
For non-caffeine drink, do you think that there is a 0 sugar/sweetener version of 7up/sprite (lemonade)?
I recommend taking a look at this site.
It provides a visual representation of how much sugar (in cubes) is present in your everyday foods.
What is surprising is that apple juice contains just as much sugar as Coke does. And Yoplait yoghurt? Has just about as much sugar as chocolate pudding.
Its amazing how people don't realise this.
Apple juice might have some nutritional benefit but you can gain weight so easily by drinking it.
The nutritionists are always on about not drinking your calories. You consume a lot less if you eat them rather than drink then e.g. eating fruit rather than drinking juice.
Don't drink soft drink regularly but do enjoy a glass of wine, hot chocolate, etc.
And Yoplait yoghurt? Has just about as much sugar as chocolate pudding.
And yet the majority of consumers seeking to "lose weight" are drawn in by the Reduced Fat / Low Fat / X % Fat Free marketing. :/
Yep - aside from one brand with a church and water related name at 3% [all lactose], the lowest sugar levels I could find in unflavoured yoghurt was 6.6, and one of those a store brand. Most of the `Made by organic hippies wearing hand-woven nettle cloth' looking brands were sitting around 10-14 %:-/
I usually pick up the drink or food, check the sugar percentage, then work out what percentage of the container is equivalent, then assess 2/3 rds the space [ [Sucrose Rel.Den. = 1.587].Ding ding ding.
My Swedish friend asked me once - why are people so fat? Why does everything in Australia say 'preservative free' and 'low fat' etc? In Sweden we sell real food and people's aren't fat.
He was genuinely confused.
Yeah, but the type of sugar makes all the difference:
Note: We don't differentiate between different types of sugar - i.e., sucrose, fructose, cane sugar, corn syrup, honey, etc., although there are differences in how these sugars are metabolized. We just used cubes of white sugar as a visual aid. Nutritional information was taken from package labels, manufacturer websites, or the USDA nutrient database. Calorie amounts are based on 4 calories per gram of sugar unless otherwise noted.
I drink diet soft drinks ONLY and can admit I am addicted to the fizz rather than the sugar (for obvious reasons) or caffeine (I don't always drink Colas, in fact my carbonated drink of choice is sparkling water).
The sensation of the fizz gives me a buzz. I don't know how to explain it. I should look into it. I suppose it's just a pleasure response to the sensation rather than anything more like an actual addiction to the chemical properties of carbonated drinks.
I do know, however, that if I get into a little routine of drinking Diet Coke now and then… then I definitely do get an obvious 'itch' for more Coke specifically and will want that over any other drink. I then have to consciously drive myself away from it / wean back off it. Dat caffeine. Plus it tastes so gooood.
Found this article
Could these be the reasons why you enjoy the fizz?
- perceived increase in coldness.
- "There are certain people who enjoy life at the edge." :-)The best way I could describe it is a brief sense of a 'rush' as soon as the bubbles 'hit'… especially when they make my eyes water due to the intensity. It's like oh man, eff yesss. Weird as heck, I know o_O
On a similar note perhaps, I really enjoy wasabi when eating sushi - most likely to an offensive degree to sushi chefs (which I'm conscious of, so I make sure I only go crazy with it when eating take away stuff rather than at dine in places - but that's a tangent). I skip the little soy sauce things and just use the wasabi paste on rolls. Dat lung-expanding, eye-watering, sinus-clearing, breath-taking, I-can't-speak-right-now-just-give-me-a-minute, heart-seizing, dizzying sensation that lasts only moments. I love it. It hurts so good.
Surely there are others out there like me? I hope..
Definitely the second reason then :-)
Yeah, totally know what you mean!
You do realise most of the wasabi paste that you find around is just coloured horseradish?
I'd imagine that itch would be the caffeine.
In true ozbargain spirit, I've been making iced lemon tea with calorie free sweetener as a substitute for sugar. It tastes healthier, but it's probably just as bad for me (saccharin) lol.
The evidence that too much sugar is bad for you is ironclad.
There is no clear evidence that any of the current artificial sweeteners have negative health effects. And artificial sweeteners have been extensively studied for decades now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf82FfX-wuU
The only negative thing I have heard is that there is a correlation between people that consume artificially sweetened products and obesity, but correlation does not equal causation.
Not quoting any sources, but some artificial sweeteners affect insulin levels and there 'could' possibly be an effect on insulin resistance from this, which might be related to your final comment..
You should look into carbonated water, I love the fizz too, but high concentrations of sugar makes me sick (I find diet soft drinks to be disgusting).
I'm pretty sure the fresh orange juice you find in the fridge section is bad for you too.
Yes, in terms of sugar calories.
Consider 8 oranges, that is a lot to eat in one sitting. Yet if you squeeze the juice and sugar into a glass and throw away the fibre you can easily down the sugar content of 8 oranges in a normal glass of juice.is bad for you too.
Not many foods or drinks are inherently "bad for you". Over-consumption is the badness to which you're referring.
If you're cycling in the Tour de France, Coca-Cola might be a great choice; if you've already consumed a food energy surplus and are sitting down for the evening, not so much.
Over-consumption is the badness to which you're referring.
As the previous poster pointed out, one glass of orange juice may contain as many as 8 actual oranges. Would this be considered over-consumption?
Would this be considered over-consumption?
That depends on the total of the other consumption of the consumer, their energy expenditure and their body composition goals.
A glass of OJ can easily put you over your total daily calorie intake.
A small 250ml cup of OJ is 110 calories. This is how much 250ml looks like in a bottle — not alot right?
However, you might be tempted to consume a much taller glass of juice, or say, you decide to go with a Large sized Boost Juice. That easily increases to 250 calories.
And juice being juice doesn't make you full, and if you find yourself habitually going for a Large cup of OJ a day at lunch despite working a desk job and having a semi-sedentary lifestyle, you might find yourself on a slow road to diabeetus.
Also note that Orange Juice and Coke have roughly the same amount of calories, so if you went to Maccas and find yourself pondering "Hmmm, maybe I'll have OJ today since it's healthier than coke", well, think again and read the nutritional data before you order.
It astounds me how few people know and understand caloric intake. All the 'low fat' marketing rubbish has really thrown alot of people off.
If your can of coke has 40g sugar, you could have eaten a few slices of bread or almost 2 servings of oats for the same caloric value. Personally, I'd rather the food that's going to fuel me than the sugar high.
edit: might have looked like I was disagreeing with you, I wasn't. Just went on a bit of a rant lol.
There is nothing wrong with sugar, it is like how much water is too much? It depends on individual conditions. Sugar is actually one of the best sources of energy available, just do not ignore the rest of essential nutritions.
And sugar is not poison just by itself, like if it was smoking then anything would be too much, but as for sugar for example if you have a high energy consuming workout then nothing would be too much!
But if someone is overweight and not moving much or has some health issues then anything is too much! Having said that, I would like to see some overweight tax, sugar tax, fat tax and much higher smoke tax. that helps a lot.Sugar is actually one of the best sources of energy available,
True. Often people claim that "junk" foods and drinks have, "No nutrition." When actually the opposite is true, they're very high in certain nutrients, typically carbohydrates and/or fats.
The problem is that the human body isn't designed for the extremely easy lifestyle we have in the Western world. It's designed to store as much fat as possible, as a wealth of energy to survive times of famine. It is not designed to sit for most of the day while only the hands go to work earning trade credit which can be exchanged for highly concentrated liquidus carbohydrate.
It depends on how healthy the drinkers are. If they are obese and/or has/going to have diabetes then they are asking for trouble. Otherwise eating pure sugar won't hurt you.
That qualifies as the misinformed blanket statement of the year!!
All fat is bad for you.
Did I win?
Good couple of movies to watch: "That Sugar Film" and "Fat vs Sugar"
It's an addictive drug, plain and simple. I'm a recovering sugar-holic. Gave it up completely 2 years ago (horrible transition - like quitting smoking). Would recommend others do the same.
I think this is a little dramatic, if I can be honest. I would strongly recommend that people read the response written by 'Pal'.
Would of been 50% of RDI (recommended dietary intakes) not 50% of the cans volume… But yeah that's still heaps
There is a lady at work who drinks 1L of pepsi a day. Probably as bad for your health as smoking
What an absolutely absurd and utterly uncorroborated statement.
You have a perception, (Based on what? General ignorance? A few comments in an internet forum? Extensive reading of the medical scientific literature?) that a moderate intake of sweet flavoured water is as dangerous for health as smoking tobacco?
Seriously, if you really believe this you should not eat anything, not drink anything, and cocoon yourself away in an hermetically sealed room for the remainder of your (probably brief) existence.
Is that you Sandra? no need to be defensive
Typical strawman argument. Also since when 1l was moderate.
I don't think 'strawman' means what you think it means.
I addressed a specific claim: "Probably as bad for your health as smoking"
A little mild sarcasm is not a strawman argument.
Speaking from a dental point of view.
Soft drinks are bad cause they not only have a lot of sugar but also the carbonated side also increases the acidity levels. This acid causes 'corrosion' for lack of a better word on the teeth and the sugar allows bacteria to cause tooth decay.
This isn't to say that we shouldnt have soft drink at all because everyone has their cravings. But limiting soft drinks to meal times rather than random occasions can help.
Also I remember doing an activity in dental school when we measured the acidity content of different drinks and found that everything is bad for your teeth apart from milk and water. I think soda water was on the boundary of being bad as well so yeah nothing is as good as water or milk.
From what I've read and understood, having soda (and cold drinks) during your meals is bad for the digestion and weight gain.
I found a soft drink a year or two ago that had 212g of sugar in a 600ml bottle. Needless to say I put that back in the fridge and bought a tooth brush and toothpaste instead.
That seems almost so amazing as to not be true - what soft drink was that?
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Sugar is addictive, it gives you a high.