Hidden sugar in “healthy” fruit drinks often underestimated

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDApr 17 2012

According to research most people are unaware of the high amount of sugar they take in healthy drinks.

The Glasgow University study asked more than 2,000 people in the UK to estimate how much sugar was in a range of drinks. While many overestimated the amount in fizzy beverages, they underestimated levels in ‘smoothies’ and fruit juices. The research also found soft drinks could be accounting for a large chunk of their recommended calorie intake.

The team asked participants to assess their weekly drinking habits. Their answers suggested 450 calories a day were being consumed - a quarter of the daily limit for women and a fifth for men.

But it was the lack of awareness about the sugar content of drinks that caused concern. The participants were asked to guess the number of teaspoons of sugar in a range of popular drinks. They underestimated it for pure apple juice and orange juice, a caffeinated energy drink and a ‘smoothie’ by between two and four teaspoons.

On average, a ‘smoothie’ portion was judged to contain four teaspoons but actually had six, while a similar underestimate was made for pure orange juice. Pomegranate juice was thought to contain four teaspoons of sugar when it actually had 22, while pure apple juice had four more teaspoons than most people thought. Many participants were not taking the calorie content of their soft drinks into account when thinking about their diet.

The team warned that the over-consumption of soft drinks was contributing to obesity and was a major risk factor for conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Lead researcher Professor Naveed Sattar said, “What you drink can be as damaging to the body as what you eat. There is no question that consuming too many sugar-sweetened drinks can greatly contribute to obesity. Some varieties of drinks such as pure fruit juices and ‘smoothies’, which are perceived as 'healthy' options, are also very high in sugar. For many people struggling with their weight, reducing their intake of such drinks and replacing with water or diet drinks would be a sensible first target to help them lessen their calorie intake.”

“This analysis confirms that many people are perhaps not aware of the high calorie levels in many commonly consumed drinks. Some varieties of drinks such as pure fruit juices and ‘smoothies’ which are perceived as healthy options are also very high in sugar…The soft drinks industry also has a role to play here by providing drinks with less sugar or offering cheaper diet versions,” Professor Sattar said.

UK guidelines recommend that ‘added’ sugars – those used to sweeten food, fizzy drinks, syrups and fruit juices – shouldn’t make up more than 10 per cent of the total energy we get from food. This is around 50g a day.