Sugar-free vs. No added sugar - the dangers of drinking juices
If you're supermarket shopping and see something that labels itself as "no added sugar" do not be fooled into thinking that this is healthy, or suitable for a sugar-free diet.
"No added sugar" only means that the manufacturer of that product have not added any more sugar to it, but natural sugar still remains in the ingredients.
On the other hand, products labelled "sugar-free" aren't necessarily completely removed of sugar either. Manufacturers can use this label for any product that contains less than 0.5 grams of sugar.
However, you have to be careful when it comes to the portion size of sugar-free foods. A diet soda drink may be less than 0.5 grams per 100ml serving, but if you drink a 500ml bottle, you'll be consuming 3 grams of sugar in one drink!
One of the worst drinks to watch out for that are labelled as "no added sugar" are fruit juices.
According to a study from Deakin University in Australia, fruit juices are actually playing a large role in childhood obesity. This is because many parents believe these "no added sugar" drinks to be healthy and therefore don't limit how much their kids are drinking.
A 340 ml glass of apple juice contains 39 grams of sugar - that's equal to around 10 teaspoons of sugar.
A 340 ml glass of orange juice contains 33 grams of sugar - that's equal to just over 8 teaspoons of sugar.
Compare this to a glass of coca-cola, which contains 11 grams of sugar per 100mls. This means that a 340ml glass of coke has just over 37 grams of sugar - just over 9 teaspoons.
That means that a glass of apple juice contains 1 more teaspoon of sugar than a glass the same size of coca-cola!
So next time you reach for a fruit juice in the hopes that it's a healthier drink, remember that a glass of coca-cola of the exact same size actually contains less sugar - even if the juice is "no added sugar".
