When it comes to quenching your thirst, water is the clear winner. And the best part? It's free from the excessive sugar found in most fruit, soft, sports, and flavoured mineral waters. Choosing water over these sugary alternatives is a simple yet powerful step towards a healthier lifestyle.
Soft drinks, cordials, sports and energy drinks, and flavoured mineral waters often contain large amounts of sugar. In fact, a can of soft drink contains around 10 teaspoons of sugar.
Drinking too many sweetened drinks can cause a range of problems, including tooth decay, poor appetite, picky eating, change of bowel habits and putting on excess weight. These drinks should only be consumed occasionally, not every day.
It's not just the sugar in sweetened drinks that's a concern. The stimulant additive-caffeine-is another caution. Soft drinks, in addition to their high sugar content, also pack a caffeine punch. Energy drinks, in particular, are loaded with caffeine. The potential side-effects of caffeine consumption, especially in children, are worrisome. These include sleep disturbances, bed wetting, anxiety, and headaches, even from small quantities. It's best to steer clear of cola drinks and especially energy drinks for children.
