Worst drinks for your health

OHMYGOSSIP — When people take steps to follow a diet or improve their health, they often leave beverages out of the equation. It is important to pay attention to the nutritional content of your drinks, however. Here’s a list of some of the worst beverages for your health when not consumed in moderation.

Sweetened coffee drinks
Sugar and cream are commonly added to coffee. However, some brands of bottled coffee have more sugar, calories and saturated fat than a slice of cake. Regular consumption of drinks like these without altering diet can raise cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Liquor and mixed drinks
Heavy alcohol use (3 or more drinks a day) can present a host of problems, including addiction, liver damage and a significantly increased risk of certain cancers. Additionally, the components of many mixed drinks can add several hundred calories and a bunch of sugar to each drink.

Beer
Like liquor, beer can cause many health problems when used in excess. Many beers are around 200 calories each and can quickly become a significant portion of your daily caloric intake. Whether or not you are trying to watch your weight, it is important to limit your alcohol consumption.

Some energy drinks
Some energy drinks are crammed full of sugar. In one comparison, an energy drink contained the sugar equivalent of six glazed doughnuts. When taken with alcohol, with certain medications or in excess, energy drinks can lead to severe cardiovascular events and hospitalization.

Many brands of lemonade
Unlike many other fruits, lemons are naturally sour and contain less sugar. This means that most lemonade brands are stocked full of added sugars. Lemonade may appear to be healthy, but it is often close to soda in sugar content. High sugar consumption may increase risk of cardiovascular events.

Soda
Soft drinks are considered ‘empty calories’ because they include 150 to 250 calories per can with very little nutritional value. Heavy soda consumption has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes and depression. Experts recommend drinking soda only as a rare treat instead of a daily beverage.

Diet soda
Diet soda has become a popular beverage partly because it contains 0 calories and sugar. Despite these low levels, researchers have connected diet soda consumption with an increased risk of depression and hypertension. If you are watching your weight, it may help to cut all soda out of your diet.

Some smoothies
It may be easy to control what goes in your smoothie at home, but many store-bought smoothies are far from healthy. A large fruit smoothie can top 700 calories, with a majority coming from sugar.

Flavored water
Many flavored waters are little more than water with food dye and sugar. This becomes a problem when people use it to replace daily water intake. Drinking 2 or more a day can add a bunch of sugar to your diet. If you have diabetes or a high risk for diabetes, it is best to avoid these beverages.

Some bottled tea
Tea is often marketed as healthy, and there may be truth to this in many cases. However, it is important to look at the nutritional content of a tea before buying it, as certain bottled brands contain exorbitant amounts of added sugar. If you have diabetes, consider making your own tea to reduce sugar intake.

Some juices
Fruit juices may initially seem like a healthy option, but some brands include artificial flavoring and as much sugar as a soda. Too much sugar intake can worsen symptoms of ADHD and increase the risk of developing diabetes. Look for juices that are 100 percent fruit juice and low in sugar.

The problem of excess
As the saying goes: everything in moderation. Most of the drinks in this list have high sugar or caloric content with little nutritional benefits and can cause problems when taken in excess. If you are watching your weight, remember that beverages can impact your dietary goals as much as your meals.

Source: Daily Rx