Your favorite soft drink might be tasty, but you should check the nutrition facts to see what it’s actually made of and how much sugar it contains. The problem with sugary drinks is the sugar itself and the calorie content.
A 12-ounce (oz) can of the leading soda brands can include 90 to 179 calories. Plus, each can of soda can have more than 10 teaspoons of added sugars.
While soft drinks are fine once in a while, an excessive intake of these drinks can lead to poorer health outcomes. Here’s a list of 10 drinks you may want to consider skipping due to their low nutritional value.
1. Cola
Some of the most popular sodas in the world use the flavor of the kola nut in their drinks. The kola nut is in the cocoa family and primarily grown in Africa and in the American tropics.
2. Orange Soda
3. Cream Soda
4. Root Beer
Root beer was originally a bitter, syrupy drink, and sassafras root used to be the main ingredient that created the classic root beer taste. However, this ingredient was banned by the USDA when it was labeled a carcinogen.
Since then, a combination of natural and artificial flavors has created the old root beer taste. Today the USDA reports a 12-oz serving of root beer contains nearly 42 g of sugar.
5. Energy Drinks
Sugar and caffeine are a powerful combination when you need a pick-me-up, but sometimes the surge of energy is too powerful. While most soft drinks are relatively unhealthy, energy drinks can be dangerous, especially if you drink too many of them.
In fact, overconsuming energy drinks can lead to a trip to the hospital. One energy drink can have 5 to over 14 times the amount of caffeine as cola and almost twice the amount of sugar. People who drink energy drinks are also more likely to binge drink.
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