Thirsty? Patterns of consumption of sweetened beverages such as fruit juice and smoothies as well as sports and energy drinks are alarming:
Nearly half of the caloric intake from sugar in the U.S. is from sugary beverages. The average American consumes 156 pounds of sugar per year.
UCSF data suggests a 15% reduction in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages across the US would prevent 2.4 million diabetes person-years, 95,000 coronary heart events, 8,000 strokes, and 26,000 premature deaths as well as $17 billion in medical costs.
Sodas are not the only drinks that have a high sugar content that can lead to tooth decay. Juices are another beverage that contains lots of natural and added sugars that can feed that cavity process. For an 8 oz. serving of fruit juice, there can be up to 10 cubes of sugar in each serving. Diluting juice with water and limiting the amount of juice served are great ways to minimize the amount of sugar consumed from fruit juice.
Did you know that flavored milk has more than twice the sugar content as regular milk? There are 7 to 8 cubes of sugar in an 8 oz. serving of flavored milk. That’s the same amount of sugar found in soda! Regular milk has 3 cubes of natural sugar in every 8 oz. serving. So every time we add the chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla flavorings, we are doubling the sugar content of our milk!
On average, people in the US consume just under 40 pounds of sugar per year from sugary drinks alone! Each 12 ounce can of soda contains 10 cubes of sugar. In addition to the sugar, soda often contains high-fructose corn syrup, caffeine, coloring additives, and phosphoric acid. Because soda has corrosive acid, it can also erode or dissolve the outer protective enamel of our teeth. The dangerous combination of sugar and acid found in soda promotes the breakdown of our teeth.
Coffees and teas can be hidden sources of sugar. Often times, there are flavored syrups filled with high-fructose corn syrup that are added to your coffee and tea. Each 8 oz serving of iced coffee and tea contains 6 cubes of sugar. Drinking coffees and teas may also stain your teeth. So in an effort to keep your teeth not only white, but also healthy, please be mindful with all of the flavored coffees and teas you drink!
With kids being more active and involved in sports, sports drinks have gained an increase in popularity. Each 8 ounce serving of those sweet sports drinks contain 4 cubes of sugar. However, sports drinks do not come in 8 ounce bottles. Instead, those bottles come in 24 and 32 ounce sizes, which is equal to 12 and 16 cubes of sugar, respectively. There are a lot of hidden calories bottled in each sports drink. Constant consumption of caloric sports drinks can considerably increase the risk for obesity and tooth decay in children and teenagers.
The popularity of energy drinks has really increased over the last decade. With every 8 ounce serving of these drinks, one consumes approximately 7 cubes of sugar. But it is not uncommon to see energy drinks come in 16-ounce and 24-ounce cans. That’s about 14 and 21 cubes of sugar, respectively! In addition to the high sugar content, there oftentimes are high amounts of caffeine. Guaranine is another popular ingredient found in energy drinks. It is derived from a South American plant, with one gram of guarana being equivalent to 40 mg of caffeine. In essence, energy drinks that contain guarana AND caffeine essentially have caffeine AND more caffeine.
–Dr. Jon and Team HappyHealthyTeeth