When it comes to health, what we drink matters just as much as what we eat. It is very important for the body to receive a sufficient amount of fluid during the day. This not only helps you avoid dehydration, but also helps regulate body temperature, improves sleep quality, improves your mood, and also promotes the flow of nutrients into your body cells.However, not all drinks are equally healthy – it all depends on the ingredients included in their composition.
If a drink contains a lot of sugar, salt, caffeine or alcohol, then it is difficult to call it healthy. When you’re thirsty on a hot day, it’s worth listening to the opinions of nutritionists and dietitians about popular drinks, both those that we make ourselves and those that are presented in abundance on store shelves.
1. Fruit juices
This is perhaps the worst choice you can make when deciding to quench your thirst. Although, at first glance, it may seem that fruit juices should be absolutely healthy, in fact this is very far from the case.
The fiber that the fruits themselves are so rich in is usually removed from juices. Fiber is not only useful in itself, but it neutralizes the acid contained in the juice and inhibits the absorption of fructose into the blood, and if a fair amount of glucose is added to the drink, which is usually the case in packaged juices, then that too.
As a result, after drinking a glass of fruit juice, we get three powerful blows at once – to the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, to carbohydrate metabolism and to the liver, because a large amount of simple carbohydrates causes a surge in blood sugar levels and disrupts the metabolism in liver cells.
Fructose is especially harmful – if you drink fruit juices every day, you are guaranteed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (fatty liver disease), metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and gout.
Therefore, experts recommend eating whole fruits instead of juices.
2. Regular non-alcoholic soda
It’s hard to deny that a can of ice-cold soda is very refreshing in the heat, but it won’t bring any health benefits, quite the opposite. A standard can of soda contains 155 calories, and 147 of those come from carbohydrates, which is equivalent to almost nine teaspoons of sugar. If you regularly drink soda and other sugary soft drinks, you increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, gout, cardiovascular disease and premature death.
3. Diet soda
Yes, it has fewer calories, but it is far from the best alternative to regular soda. Artificial sweeteners, which replace sugar, are not at all harmless; they contribute to weight gain and the development of type 2 diabetes.
4. Energy drinks
They contain B vitamins, guarana, taurine and ginseng, as well as lots and lots of caffeine (about the same as 4-5 cups of coffee) and lots of sugar. Such a drink may invigorate you for a short time, but the promise that you will get a lot of strength and energy is nothing more than a marketing ploy.
There is no scientific evidence that these ingredients help combat low energy, increase endurance, speed up metabolism, or work as antioxidants.
In reality, you’re getting too many calories and too much caffeine, which can lead to heart rhythm disturbances, digestive problems, anxiety and insomnia.
5. Milkshakes
This admittedly delicious concoction of ice cream, milk and sugar is not only loaded with calories, it’s also high in unhealthy saturated fats, which can increase your risk of heart disease.
Better choice
1. Smoothie
If you don’t have the time or ability to eat as many vegetables and fruits as recommended, smoothies are a great option. This drink contains all the vitamins included in its ingredients, as well as, very importantly, fiber. But give preference to homemade smoothies rather than those sold in ready-made form in stores, because sugar is usually added to them.
2. Sports drinks
The electrolytes and sugar contained in these drinks make them an ideal choice for athletes who need immediate support after intense training. But unless you’ve run a half marathon or sweated for two hours at the gym, stay away from these drinks because they’re high in sugar.
3. Red wine
Moderate consumption of red wine is good for heart and brain health. Red wine contains, from the skins of red grapes, a powerful antioxidant called resveratrol, which protects the body’s cells from damage by free oxygen molecules.
But, as with any alcohol, it is important to observe moderation with wine – no more than a glass a day for women and two glasses a day for men.
A good choice
1. Milk
Cow’s milk contains many essential microelements, such as calcium, potassium, vitamin D, necessary for healthy muscles, bones and teeth. A cup of milk contains more protein than a large egg. To get more nutrients but fewer calories, choose low-fat milk or skim milk.
2. Tea
Green, black and other types of tea are rich in antioxidants that protect the body from cancer, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Hot or iced, it is better to drink tea unsweetened and prepare it at home, rather than buying bottled tea, which has a lot of sugar added to it.
3. Coffee
Coffee once had a bad reputation, but since then, numerous studies have confirmed that it is truly a miracle drink, protecting us from type 2 diabetes, liver disease, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, and many other benefits.
Three to five cups of coffee a day will benefit your health, as long as you don’t go overboard with the cream and sugar.
4. Water
If you need to quench your thirst, there is nothing better than plain water. This is exactly what your body needs, without which it physically cannot exist. If you don’t have enough water, you risk dehydration, constipation, kidney stones, brain fog, and many other serious consequences. Drink two and a half liters of water per day (and even more if it’s hot or you’re busy with physical work). And most importantly – no calories!