10 sugar cubes in a can of Coke, sweetened beverages are the worst for your health

The sugar in sugar-sweetened beverages makes it easy to gain weight. It also makes you gain weight only on your belly. Even thin people who drink a lot of sugary drinks tend to have a spider-shaped body shape with only a bulging belly.

Also, because it's sugar, it causes blood sugar and triglycerides to rise rapidly. It's so high in calories that even if you do a one-hour bike workout, you won't be able to get rid of all the calories in a bottle of Coke.

What's even scarier about sugar-sweetened beverages is that they don't have any healthy parts. Foods that are considered to be fattening, such as rice cakes and cakes, have the advantage of remaining in the stomach after eating and making you feel full. However, sugar-sweetened beverages have no nutrients other than sugar, and you won't feel full when you eat them. As soon as you drink it, it goes straight down the stomach wall and down your intestines, leaving you hungry.

Is fruit juice OK instead of Coke?

Some people may think that replacing cola with fruit juice has health benefits. In particular, mothers who are raising children often buy juice instead of cola for their children's health. However, fruit juices are not made from fresh fruit, but rather fruit concentrates and lots of sugar, citric acid, and flavorings. Buying kids juice instead of Coke is never a good alternative.

Sugar-sweetened beverages consumed in our country

How much sugar-sweetened beverages do children actually consume in our country? The image above is from a survey of teenagers. The average Korean teenager consumes sweetened beverages 2.8 times per week and soda 2.1 times per week, and 1 in 4 consumes soda more than 3 times a week. Did you know that if you drink soda more than 3 times a week, you will gain about 3 kilograms of weight in a year? It can be said that the main cause of childhood obesity in Korea is carbonated drinks.

But what about adults? Adults consume more sugar from coffee than soda. Let's take a look at some of the drinks sold by a well-known coffee brand. The coffee that says 0 kcal at the top is a typical Americano. The coffees above 3~400 kcal below are all frappuccinos. Considering that most Korean women consume about 500 calories per meal, this seems like a staggering number.

The same goes for mixed coffee, which accounts for 50~60% of total coffee consumption. Coffee mixes contain a lot of sugar, with coffee being 1 with 2 prim and 3 with sugar. Mixed coffee has close to one-tenth the calories of a Frappuccino, but it's easy to drink a lot, so maybe you need to be more vigilant.

Types of beverages that can replace sugar-sweetened beverages

If you must drink coffee, we recommend that you avoid drinks labeled Frappuccino, Caramel, Vanilla, or Chocolate. If you can, try an Americano. It's okay to have a cappuccino or latte with milk instead of sugar.

As an alternative to soda, sparkling water can be presented as a very good option. If sparkling water doesn't work, you can occasionally drink a low-calorie zero cola or zero cider. The type of tea is not bad either. Just by quitting sugary beverages, you can control 2~3kg in one year.