Hidden Sugars

How much sugar is too much?

Sugar

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Sugar 〰️

Which flavor Gatorade is your favorite?

When my children were young and participating in youth soccer, I followed what the other parents did and bought Gatorade by the case. I sent my kids with bottles of blue or lime green drink to games and practices even though it was questionable whether they needed electrolyte replenishment. Imagine my surprise when I later learned that a 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade contains 34 grams of sugar. (That’s 8½ teaspoons!)

Here's what the experts say.

The American Heart Association has recommendations for daily sugar intake.

For men, the guideline is 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day.

For women, the number is 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day.

For children between the ages of 2 to 18, the recommendation is the same as for women – 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories). In one bottle of Gatorade, your child has already exceeded their daily sugar intake by 36 percent.

The average American adult consumes 77 grams of sugar a day. That figure is even higher for children – 81 grams daily. Do the math. That’s a lot of sugar! No wonder we have a problem with childhood obesity and increasing rates of diabetes.

Beverages account for the leading source of sugar intake.

Below is a list of some common sugar sweetened drinks and their sugar content. All are based on a 12 fluid ounce serving.    

• Coke – 39 grams

• Pepsi – 41 grams

• Sprite – 38 grams

• Dr. Pepper – 39 grams

• Gatorade – 21 grams

Gatorade is more commonly sold in 20 or 32 fluid ounce bottles.

• Powerade – 21 grams

Likewise, Powerade is usually available in 20 or 28 fluid oz. bottles.

• San Pellegrino Aranciata – 28 grams (my personal favorite, although I rarely drink it)

• Red Bull – 39 grams

It also contains 111 grams of caffeine, the equivalent to more than one cup of coffee.

• Monster energy drink – 40 grams

Caffeine content is similar to Red Bull.

Obesity is increasing – and some blame sugary drinks.

According to the CDC, since 1999 obesity in the U.S. has increased from around 30 percent to almost 42 percent in 2017. Sugary drinks have been identified as a culprit in the upward trend toward obesity and its associated health issues. Some local municipalities have tried to enact a soda tax to reduce consumption. While this has resulted in lower soda sales, sometimes there are corresponding increases in soda sales in the adjacent communities. Unfortunately, consumers travel elsewhere to buy their sugary beverages.

In general, soda sales have declined as consumers recognize the health risks and search for healthier substitutes. Manufacturers recognize this and have pivoted toward smaller sized cans and newer offerings such as flavored waters.

What about sugar-free drinks?

In 2018 Gatorade launched a sugar-free option called Gatorade Zero. It is sweetened with sucralose (Splenda). Although it’s derived from sugar, most of the sucralose remains undigested and, as such, is calorie free. Sugar free drinks are full of artificial ingredients and it remains to be seen whether there are long term health effects.

Years ago I stopped drinking Diet Coke, save for occasional lapses, because of the potential link between it and osteoporosis.

Fruit juices are healthy, right?

While fruit juices may not contain added sugars, due to the inherent sweetness of the fruit, they have a very high sugar content. A 12 fluid ounce serving of orange juice has 31 grams of sugar. Apple juice comes in at a staggering 46 grams.

It’s far healthier to EAT fruit rather than drink fruit juices because the roughage of the fruit slows the absorption of sugar into your body. Fruit juices and smoothies containing fruit should be an occasional treat rather than everyday consumption.

Read labels carefully.

• The label is for per serving, not if you drink the entire container or eat the whole package.

• Look for words other than sugar that essentially mean the same thing, such as high fructose corn syrup, honey, agave, or fructose.

• Pay attention to “total sugars” in addition to “added sugars.”

• Even foods that are perceived as healthy may contain added sugars. Case in point: yogurt, granola, or salad dressing.

Water is still the best source of hydration.

Plain water.

No fancy flavors.

It’s still the best!