Pleasing your sweet tooth can come at a considerable cost to your health—and we’re not just talking about decadent desserts. From sodas to fruit juices, many popular drinks are packed with added sugars that wreak havoc on our blood sugar levels. These beverages don’t just provide a fleeting burst of energy; they can also be the cause of metabolic reactions that contribute to insulin resistance and weight gain. The cycle begins with the rapid absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, triggering a surge in insulin production to regulate sugar levels. And when you regularly sip on high-sugar drinks, it can overwhelm the body’s insulin response, leading to insulin resistance—a condition where cells become less responsive to insulin’s signals, necessitating higher insulin levels to manage blood sugar.
While weight gain is one risk at hand, the consequences of this insulin resistance extend far beyond your waistline. As insulin struggles to keep blood sugar in check, excess glucose gets stored as fat, contributing to weight gain and increasing the risk of obesity-related complications. Moreover, chronically elevated insulin levels can disrupt the body’s hormonal balance, promoting inflammation and paving the way for metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes.
Long story short, it’s crucial to be aware of the health effects of the beverages you’re sipping on. Many of your go-to drinks may be loaded with sugar. To shed some light on a few of the worst options, we spoke to nutritionist Trista Best from Balance One Supplement, registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist Sheri Berger, and registered dietitian Krutika Nanavati.
1. Soda
We'll start with one of the most obvious ones; it shouldn't come as a surprise to hear that soda is loaded with sugar, and drinking it regularly could do some serious damage to your health—and your waistline. Packed with added sugars or high-fructose corn syrup, these fizzy concoctions deliver a rapid influx of glucose into the bloodstream, leading to spikes in blood sugar levels and triggering an array of detrimental metabolic effects.
"Sodas are notoriously high in added sugars, often containing upwards of 40 grams per serving. The high fructose content rapidly increases blood sugar levels, leading to insulin spikes. Over time, this can cause insulin resistance, contributing significantly to abdominal fat accumulation," Nanavati says. Yikes! Stick to low-sugar beverages whenever possible.
2. Energy Drinks
Energy drinks can do more than give you a caffeine boost; they could also spike your blood sugar. Laden with high levels of added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and caffeine, these beverages can lead to soaring glucose levels. Moreover, the excessive consumption of energy drinks can contribute to the accumulation of belly fat due to their calorie-dense nature and potential disruption of metabolic processes.
Energy beverages are a combination of sugar and caffeine, as Nanavati highlights, "These beverages contain not just high levels of sugar but also caffeine and other stimulants. Sugar content in energy drinks can lead to quick spikes in blood sugar and subsequent crashes, contributing to increased cravings, higher overall caloric intake, and accumulation of belly fat." Next time you need an energy boost, choose black coffee instead. It can even boost your metabolism!
3. Store-Bought Fruit Juices
Whole fruit may be great for you, but store-bought fruit juice is a different story. Despite their natural origins, fruit juices typically undergo processing that strips away fiber while concentrating their sugar content. As a result, even without added sugars, these juices can pack a significant glycemic punch, causing rapid rises in blood sugar levels.
Nanavati reveals that "despite their healthy image, many store-bought fruit juices are laden with added sugars, similar to or exceeding the sugar content in sodas. The lack of fiber in these juices leads to rapid absorption of sugar, causing sharp spikes in blood sugar and facilitating fat storage around the midsection."
4. Store-Bought Smoothies
When you make your own healthy recipe at home, smoothies can be a great way to get a lot of nutrients into your diet. However, when the wrong ingredients are added to the mix and they're loaded with too much sugar, they can have adverse effects instead. This is typically the case with store-bought varieties.
"Smoothies can contain large amounts of sugar from fruit juice, syrups, sweetened dairy products and other ingredients," Nanavati warns. "The sugar content in smoothies can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels." Your best bet is always to whip up your own smoothie at home so you have control over exactly what's going into the blender—and, ultimately, your body.
5. Specialty Coffee Beverages
From flavored lattes to frappuccinos, specialty coffee drinks often contain copious amounts of refined sugars or sweetened syrups to enhance taste, leading to detrimental effects on blood sugar and visceral fat. Additionally, the high calorie and fat content of specialty coffee beverages can lead to excess calorie consumption and weight gain, particularly in the abdominal region.
"Many popular coffee drinks are loaded with syrups, whipped cream, and other sweeteners, drastically increasing their caloric and sugar content. The combination of high sugar content with fats increases insulin levels, promoting the storage of belly fat and impairing glucose metabolism," Nanavati notes.
6. Some Types of Kombucha
There are many gut-healthy benefits to kombucha, a popular fermented tea. However, Berger warns that if you're consuming high amounts of kombucha with added sugar, you may be setting yourself up for blood sugar spikes. "Many people are not aware these beverages can contain a heavy amount of added sugar," she says.
As with any sweetened drink, you should be careful about the amount of sugary kombucha you sip on. Too much can be damaging to your health. "Frequently drinking sweetened beverages can negatively impact health with weight gain, increased triglycerides (a common fat in the blood that contributes to high cholesterol), and blood sugar spikes," Berger explains.
Luckily, that doesn't mean you have to give up kombucha altogether. After all, just look at the health benefits! According to Berger, the key is simply to keep an eye on the label. "When shopping for kombucha look for brands that do not have a lot of added sugar and pay attention to the serving size listed on the label," she says. "One bottle of kombucha is not necessarily one serving, and added sugar grams can add up if there is more than one serving in a bottle." Noted!
7. Sugar Sports Drinks
You may think of sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade as a healthy drink to sip on while you hit the gym for a killer workout or get your morning run in. However, Best warns that although these beverages are designed to replenish the carbohydrates you lost during exercise and provide electrolytes for hydration, "many sports drinks also contain added sugars, which can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels."
"The added sugars in sports drinks are typically in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, glucose, or sucrose," she explains. "When consumed, these sugars are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar levels." Yikes!
Keep in mind, though, that as Best points out, that blood sugar spike may not be a bad thing if you've been burning off carbohydrates with an intense workout. "However, for those who are not exercising or consuming sports drinks in excess, the rapid rise in blood sugar can contribute to the development of insulin resistance and other negative health outcomes over time," she says.
For this reason, it's always best to limit your consumption of sports drinks—especially if you're not working out or playing sports—and go with sugar-free options whenever possible.
