Now that it is getting warmer (I was in London this weekend and it was a real scorcher!) it is essential that we consume adequate fluids throughout the day in order to keep properly hydrated.  Dehydration occurs, technically, when the loss of water from the body equates to 1% of the body’s weight.  It is important to drink before feeling thirsty as the sensation of thirst usually occurs after the body is already more than 1% dehydrated.

Keeping hydrated is important in order for us to function at our best.  Dehydration actually impairs short-term memory and can make us feel fatigued and irritable and is linked to the occurrence of headaches.  However, what we chose to quench our thirst can have a real impact on our health and waistlines!  I would highly recommend sticking to water as a thirst preventer and quencher.

A single can of regular soft drink may contain 40-50g of sugar.  If you were to drink one can a day in addition to your daily regular food intake you could gain 5kg of weight in one year!  The International Association for the Study of Obesity recognise that energy dense drinks represent a significant contributing factor in the rise in childhood obesity.  Soft drinks represent liquid calories and last year an analysis of 88 medical studies(1) concluded that there are clear associations between soft drink intake and increased energy intake and body weight. Soft drink intake was also associated with lower intakes of important nutrients (such as calcium and vitamins) and with an increased risk of several medical problems such as diabetes.

What about ‘diet’ soft drinks?  Artificial sweeteners are not something I can get excited about and I personally do not think they have any part to play in achieving a healthy balanced diet.  With respect to weight loss and/or weight maintenance there is evidence to suggest that artificial sweeteners may actually stimulate the appetite(2,3,4) and lead to increased calorie intake.  It is thought that the sweetness without the calories does not satiate the body and hence appetite is increased and subsequent calorie intake may be greater than if a regular drink had been consumed in the first place.

Pure fruit juices and fruit smoothies are often seen as the ‘healthy’ option.  Of course, these juices are more nutritious than a sugar-filled soft drinks but they do represent added calories if drunk in addition to normal daily intakes.  They are also high in natural fruit sugar (fructose) which has been linked to obesity and diabetes.  I would suggest limiting juice consumption to one glass per day with breakfast or as part of a meal but not for use as a regular thirst quencher or hydrator.

At the end of the day plain old water wins hands down in my opinion!

(1) Vartainian LR et al.  2007.  Effects of soft drink consumption on nutrition and health: a systematic review and meta-analysis.  Am J Public Health.  97:667-675
(2) Rogers PJ & Blundell JE.  1989.  Separating the actions of sweetness and calories: effects of saccharin and carbohydrates on hunger and food intake in human subjects.  Physiol Behav.  45:1093-1099
(3)Tordoff MG & Alleva AM.  1990.  Oral stimulation with aspartame increases hunger.  Physiol Behav.  47:555-559
(4) Lavin JH et al.  1997.  The effect of sucrose and aspartame sweetened sweetened drinks on energy intake, hunger and food choice of female moderately restrained eaters.  International Journal of Obesity.  21:37-42

Written by Ani Kowal