#StaySafe #StayHealthy 

Drink Smart  
November 22, 2022

Drinking fluids is essential to prevent dehydration and water is the best choice to hydrate the body. It is
therefore important to make smart choices of mindfully selected drinks that offer hydration and nurture
the body with vitamins, minerals, and fibers. Many smart drinks recipe exist, and it does not take much
time to make your own: 
 
Water and flavored water: Keep your water bottle close to you. You can add cucumber, mint, and/or
green apple to add taste and vitamins to your water.    
Tea/ iced tea: Brew your favorite flavor of tea, drink it hot, or leave it in the fridge to cool down, and
enjoy an unsweetened iced tea.   
Lemonade: Squeeze a lemon, add a cup of chilled water and fresh mint, mix all together, and enjoy the
sourness of the lemonade.   
Fruit infusion: Take a fruit and/or herb and leave it in boiling water for 5 minutes, filter the water, and
savor the infusion while giving yourself time to relax.   
Fresh juice: Make freshly squeezed fruit juice. If it is the fizz you miss, add ¼ cup of sparkling water to
your fresh juice.    
Smoothie: Give your body a cup full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber by blending your preferred fruit and
vegetable with a cup of milk or water.  

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/set-various-fruit-berry-yogurts-glass-1936234624

There are many other drinks commonly used to quench thirst, called soft drinks are non-alcoholic water-
based flavored drinks with added sugar or other sweeteners, other permitted food additives, and usually
with added carbon dioxide. These include soda, caffeinated energy drinks, fruit drinks, nectar, and
sweetened and flavored water. Soft drinks that are labelled “sugar-free” or “diet” do help to cut down
on calories; however, their long-term effects on preventing weight gain or other health problems are
questioned. 
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Soft drinks provide unnecessary calories and have no benefit to our health, while our body needs fluids
rich in nutrients and limited in calories for good health. 

Unhealthy ingredients in soft drinks: 

High amount of sugar: soft drinks are considered as products high in sugar. They contain sugars like
glucose, fructose, and high-fructose corn syrup. One can of coke has more than 35g of sugar (equivalent
to 9 cubes of sugar), which is higher than the recommended daily allowance of sugar for adults (i.e., no
more than 30g of sugar a day). Excessive amounts of soft drinks lead to a spike in insulin levels, which
can lead to an increase in fat mass, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes (Especially in women) and the
risk of cancer. Extreme amounts of sugar are also detrimental to dental health. 
 

Phosphoric acid: Soda contains acids like phosphoric acid. If the dietary intake of calcium is not
sufficient, the Phosphates found in soft drinks can break down the calcium in the bone and lower bone
density, thus affecting bone health. Additionally, phosphoric acid combined with sugars can lead to
dental decay.

Caffeine: Soft drinks are significant contributors to the total caffeine intake. Excessive caffeine leads to
poor sleep quality, a rise in blood pressure, anxiety, and irregular heartbeat.
It has been scientifically established that reducing soft drinks can decrease the prevalence of obesity and
other chronic diseases and prevent tooth decay. Cutting down on soft drink intake and making the
choice to have smart drinks like mentioned above will positively impact our health. So, let’s try always to
choose mindfully what we give to our body and remember that soft drinks have no place in a child’s
daily diet. 

Sources: 
Encyclopedia of Food Safety, 2014 | Harvard T.H Chan 1 | National Health Service |Center for Disease
Control and Prevention CDC |Li Chen, 2020| Harvard T.H Chan 2 |

Authors:  Ms. Hanin Daghestani, Dr. Sohaila Cheema, Dr. Karima Chaabana, Ms. Anupama Jithesh
Picture: “Soft drinks increase the risk of diseases” by Ms. Hanin Daghestani 
Editor: