Are you a fan of drinking sodas or juices? However, you might be worried about getting diabetes or other health issues. So, you might consider buying sugar free drinks. These drinks do not contain sugar and help in reducing your calorie intake.

 Did you know that sugar free drinks sales reached a peak of 1.3 billion in 2019? It’s undoubtedly because of the benefits these drinks offer. It offers a healthy alternative to sugar-rich sodas and energy drinks.

So, let’s delve into the benefits of drinks without sugar and the types available. Read this piece to understand the benefits and ramifications of buying drinks that are sugar-free.

Types of Sugar-Free Beverages

Sugar-free beverages are made either with naturally occurring sugars or free sugars.

The naturally occurring sugars are the sweeteners that come from vegetables, fruits, and milk-based products. These don’t harm your health but contain calories.

In contrast, free sugars are disaccharides and monosaccharides. These are artificial sweeteners that are added to beverages. However, they are present naturally in honey, fruit juices concentrate, and syrups.

You’ll also notice that you get sugar-free beverages made with sugar alcohols that can be better than artificial sweeteners and fructose.

Ingredients in Sugar-Free Beverages

Essentially sugar-free beverages contain the following ingredients. Of course, these vary from brand to brand:

• Sweeteners- as mentioned above, sugar-free beverages contain artificial sweeteners like saccharin, stevia, sucralose, or more.
• Colours- edible colours are often used in drinks
• Flavours- you get a variety of flavours like orange, cola, berries, and more
• Preservative- Potassium benzoate and some other preservatives are commonly used in drinks
• Caffeine- many sugar-free beverages contain caffeine to provide you with energy

Sugar-free beverages contain these ingredients along with sparkling water. The sparkling water is naturally occurring, or it is created by adding carbon dioxide to water.

Benefits of Sugar-Free Beverages

The benefits of sugar-free beverages are multitude. They offer some amount of health benefits:

• There are no links to sugar-free drinks causing cancer
• It reduces calories intake
• Sugar-free beverages have been known to decrease fat around the liver
• They may help in reducing weight, and it might lower your BMI
• It helps give a sweet taste without giving rise in blood sugar levels
• You’ll face fewer headaches
• Going sugar-free will improve mental state
• It promotes a healthy skin
• You’ll feel more energetic when you go sugar-free

Further, going sugar-free in beverages will help you have a healthier life. Plus, you’ll be getting rid of the biggest culprit of diabetes, sugar. However, note that when you switch from sugary drinks to sugar-free beverages, you’ll face withdrawal.

Withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, sugar cravings, headaches, and more. Fortunately, these symptoms will last only for a couple of days or at the most a week. Exercising and drinking plenty of water will help you go sugar-free in your drinks.

Ramifications of Consuming Sugar-free Beverages

While sugar-free beverages have a multitude of benefits, it’s important to note that they have specific negative ramifications as well:

• Withdrawal symptoms for a short-term
• There are conflicting reports that sugar-free beverages have contributed to diabetes
• Overconsumption of these beverages can cause depression
• Artificial sweeteners can also contribute to seizures in some individuals
• Artificial sweeteners in sugar-free beverages have also contributed to tooth decay

So, there are some negative ramifications for sugar-free beverages too. The key is to consume lesser and ensure you get balanced nutrition and exercise for your overall well-being.

Endnotes

Sugar-free beverages are made sweet using artificial sweeteners or other naturally occurring sweeteners. You will be embarking on a lifestyle change journey if you switch to sugar-free beverages. This journey can prove beneficial. However, if you overconsume sugar-free beverages, you can face some negative effects.

So, switch to sugar free drinks but ensure you don’t overconsume them.