Soft drinks are soft drinks without alcohol. They are usually carbonated and have a sweet and sour taste. In addition to carbon dioxide, they may also contain ingredients such as sugar, sweetener, flavors, fruit concentrate, and vitamins and minerals. Especially in the use of sugar is not spared in the production of many soft drinks. That is why the sweet drinks often have a high calorie content and are considered unhealthy.
Not only lemonades are soft drinks
When the term soft drinks is used, one classically thinks first of soft drinks such as cola or lemonade. However, according to the Foodstuffs Book, the term soft drink is much broader. Accordingly, soft drinks include:
- Fruit juice drinks
- Fruit spritzers
- Lemonades
- Effervescent
Fruit juice drinks and fruit spritzers
Fruit juice drinks differ from pure fruit juice in that other ingredients – including sugar and flavorings – may be added to them. Their fruit content is therefore no longer 100 percent, but is usually significantly lower. Depending on the type of fruit, it ranges from at least six percent (for citrus fruits) to 30 percent (for pome fruits). Juice spritzers are a mixture of fruit juice and mineral water. Typically, the mixing ratio is around 50 percent water and 50 percent juice. Unlike fruit juice drinks, juice spritzers do not have any additional ingredients added, such as sugar. As a result, they usually also contain fewer calories. The higher the water content of juice spritzers, the better the drink is for your line.
Lemonades and fizzy drinks
Lemonades are water-based soft drinks with fruit extracts, usually carbonated. Depending on how they are prepared, they may be more or less sweetened. Industrially manufactured products, however, usually contain large amounts of sugar and thus also many calories. Effervescent beverages are carbonated soft drinks that are produced not only from natural substances. They may also contain artificial flavorings and colorings. Many “typical” soft drinks, such as cola, belong to the group of fizzy drinks.
Ingredients of soft drinks
Many soft drinks contain a whole range of ingredients, including.
- Quinine,
- Caffeine or
- Phosphate
We explain what is behind each substance.
Quinine: bitter substance with side effects
The bitter substance quinine is used in some soft drinks as a flavoring. A certain maximum limit must not be exceeded, because in high doses quinine can lead to side effects such as headaches and visual disturbances. However, such side effects usually only occur when quinine is used as a drug. To be on the safe side, pregnant women should not consume beverages containing quinine, as the substance may possibly promote labor.
Caffeine and phosphate in soft drinks.
Caffeine has a stimulating effect and gets the circulation going. The stimulant can thus help to overcome minor performance lows. Those who take caffeine in high doses (for example, by taking caffeine tablets) may have to reckon with physical consequences such as nervousness, headaches or sleep disorders. However, such quantities are not usually absorbed via soft drinks containing caffeine. Children, pregnant women and people who are sensitive to caffeine should nevertheless hold back on such drinks. Phosphate is a mineral that is involved in many bodily processes. However, if there is too much phosphate in the body, this can promote bone loss. Therefore, do not consume drinks containing phosphate in excessive quantities. This is especially true if you suffer from kidney weakness. Possibly phosphate present in the body then can no longer be excreted in sufficient quantities.
Unhealthy soft drinks: Sugar content and calories
Many soft drinks – especially high-sugar sodas and fizzy drinks – are unhealthy. This is primarily due to the amount of sugar contained in the drinks. For example, a glass of cola contains an average of nine sugar cubes – a whole liter even contains 36 sugar cubes. With so much sugar, soft drinks are of course not exactly low in calories: a liter of cola has about 430 calories – which is roughly equivalent to a small portion of spaghetti Bolognese.
Are light drinks healthier?
Light drinks have significantly fewer calories because they contain sweetener rather than sugar. However, this does not necessarily make them healthier. In fact, studies indicate that the consumption of light soft drinks can be associated with similar health risks as those of sugary soft drinks. For example, one study found indications that the daily consumption of light soft drinks can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in the long term. However, the more precise correlations have not yet been researched.
Dangers of soft drinks
Unless it’s diluted juice spritzers or low-sugar sodas, regular consumption of soft drinks is unhealthy. Due to the high sugar content, the sweet soft drinks not only make you fat, but also increase the risk of secondary diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Presumably, constant consumption also has a negative effect on our bones. Other studies even indicate that drinking soft drinks can increase the risk of developing cancer. For example, the risk of prostate cancer in men is said to increase by up to 40 percent as a result of drinking one soft drink a day. Similarly, the risk of developing pancreatic cancer is thought to increase as a result of soft drink consumption.
Soft drinks healthy make yourself
Soft drinks are very easy to make yourself. We present two healthy recipes:
- Healthy lemonade: cut an orange into thin slices. Put the slices in a glass with a teaspoon of brown sugar and a sprig of rosemary, and fill it halfway with ice. Then add another 400 milliliters of mineral water.
- Delicious elderberry lemonade: fill 100 milliliters of elderflower syrup in a glass and add 400 milliliters of water and the juice of one lemon. Then add six raspberries to the glass and finally garnish the lemonade with a sprig of lemon balm.
