Is Liquid Sugar Better for You Than Solid Sugar?
By Stephen R. Farris
If you're following a diet plan, chances are it says you need to cut back on carbs, especially sugar. That also means liquid sugar as well.
Liquid sugar comes in the form of sodas, concentrated fruit drinks, even those energy drinks you grab on the way to work in the mornings or evenings.
Bottom line, they're not healthy and should be avoided when you're trying to eat healthy. All that sugar -- including added sugar -- can lead to a number of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and a fatty liver.
Taking a deeper look at liquid sugar, while it may enhance the flavor of your drink it's actually doing you more harm than good.
Food for Thought
Liquid sugar is not only higher in your daily calorie intake, those grams of sugar add up. And if not kept in check, you could easily go over your daily acceptable value. Here's a short list of how many grams are in certain liquid sugar products.
- Soda - 39 grams
- Sweet tea - 35 grams
- Unsweetened orange juice - 33 grams
- Fruit punch - 42 grams
- Unsweetened grape juice - 54 grams
- Lemonade - 37 grams
There are plenty of other liquid sugar products, including sports drinks, which are just as high or about the same amount of grams.
There are Differences in Sugar
Liquid sugar is different from white sugar or natural sugars. Consuming liquid sugars affects the way your brain registers sugar. With liquid sugar, your brain will not register them like it would from foods that contain sugar. One other thing, both solid and liquid sugars from fruits can have an affect on your hunger levels. Drinking fruits in liquid form (or, for instance, fruit juices) won't leave you with that full feeling versus eating them in a solid form.
Weight Gain
Liquid sugars can cause you to gain more weight. Since most sugary drinks are higher in fructose, studies have shown that it can lead to an increase in belly fat. An increase in belly fat can also lead to obesity and other health-related diseases.
If you must have sugar in liquid form, at least cut back on how much you consume. The best solution is to cut them out completely from your diet.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Casa Grande, Ariz.