Sugar Is The New Fat - Why Sugar In Drinks Is So Dangerous

That sugar is bad for your health is yesterday's news. However, limiting your sugar intake can be difficult, especially when it comes to fruit juices and drinks. How much sugar do you think you drink everyday?
By: DrEd
 
LONDON - Feb. 24, 2014 - PRLog -- The year 2014 started with a number of worrying health reports. By 2050, so a recent study conducted by the National Obesity Forum, half of Britain will be obese - and this estimate may be optimistic. At the same time, the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes has increased to over 3.2 million, with an estimated further 850 000 people living with diabetes, unaware of their condition. The usual suspects are held responsible for these worrying developments - the high fat and salt content in our food. One particular culprit, however, is getting more attention than ever: Sugar. A new campaign called Action on Sugar has now set out to reduce the sugar content in the British diet. The bottom line: Sugar does not only make life sweeter, it also shortens your lifespan considerably.

The link between heart disease and sugar consumption has long been known. The current health scare was predicted by the scientist John Yudkin as far back as 1927, when he published his book Pure, White and Deadly. His research was not particularly popular at the time (carefully speaking) and received scorn from contemporaries and the food industry. With an increasing number of studies confirming Yudkin’s theory, his publication has once again become relevant. Sugar, so the new paradigm, does not only cause obesity but also drastically increases your risk of heart and liver disease.

The problem, as Yudkin pointed out in the 70s, is that humans are not meant to consume refined sugar, and, considering the history of mankind, have not been able to do so until quite recently. Instead of being the rare treat it should be, sugar has found its way into most foods we eat, from bread, soup and yoghurt to juices and soft drinks. It is difficult to take control over how much sugar you eat, when many products marketed as healthy contain large amounts of it.

Soft drinks such as coke and lemonade have recently received particular attention. According to a recent study, one sugary soft drink a day may be enough to increase your risk of heart disease and indeed premature death. What is often overlooked, is that many fruit juices and in fact health drinks and smoothies contain just as much sugar - while being counted as “one of your 5 a day”. A Innocent fruit smoothy for example may provide you with up to 34 grams of sugar - that’s over a third of your daily recommended amount. Consumers are having a difficult time making an informed choice about their sugar intake, when they have to rely on advertising and marketing copy on the packaging.

Politicians and action groups are currently discussing a review of food labelling laws, as well as the possibility of imposing higher taxes on sugary foods. Whatever the outcome of the current talks will be - providing consumers with the necessary knowledge about their favourite food is key to improving our approach to sugar. We should start by taking a look at what we drink.

How much sugar does your favourite drink contain? Have a look at our Sugar in Drinks Infographic to find out: https://www.dred.com/uk/blog/sugary-drinks-infographic.html

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DrEd
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Source:DrEd
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Tags:Health, Sugar, Nutrition, Drinks, Diabetes
Industry:Health, Lifestyle
Location:London City - London, Greater - England
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