For context, the recommended daily sugar intake, according to the AHA, is about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams for most adult women and 9 teaspoons or 36 grams for most adult men. So what drink has the most sugar?
Dubbed nectar of the gods by its many fans, Mountain Dew takes the crown for the soda with the most grams of sugar, according to Business Insider. Coming in at a whopping 77 grams per 20-ounce bottle, per PepsiCo, that's more than 18 teaspoons of added sugar (via American Heart Association).
Sugary drinks include soda, fruit-flavored drinks, flavored water, sports and energy drinks, and sweetened coffee and tea.
A 12 oz can of Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of sugar. A 20 oz bottle of Mountain Dew contains 77 grams of sugar. An 8.3 oz can of Red Bull contains 27 grams of sugar. A 20 oz bottle of Minute Maid Lemonade contains 67 grams of sugar.
The American Heart Association recommends even less: that men limit themselves to nine teaspoons of added sugars per day, and that women limit themselves to six teaspoons per day. In either case, one sugary drink a day puts you at or over the recommended level.
"The effects of added sugar intake — higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease — are all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke," says Dr.
Moreover, processed, high fructose corn syrup may be the worst type of sugar a person can consume. Some medical experts relate sugar to cocaine in the way it has addictive effects on the brain in humans and in animals and this notion is supported by research.
Coca Cola (500ml) - 13.5 cubes.
Beer has zero grams of sugar while sodas could have forty or more in each can. If we are counting calories and sugar, I would say someone who drinks two beers a day is much less likely to get a beer belly at the same rate as someone who drinks two sodas a day.
A 355 ml can of Coca-Cola has 10 teaspoons of sugar (39 grams), while a Mountain Dew has over 11 (47 grams). Fountain Drinks – These are big! A 7-11 Big Gulp has 32 teaspoons of sugar (91 grams), while a Super Big Gulp has an unhealthy 40 teaspoons (146 grams)! Fruit Juice – Fruit juice contains plenty of sugar.
Sugar in wine compared to other beverages
In a 5oz glass of Coke (if you do drink Coke that way), you can find 16g of sugar. Only fortified (23g) and late harvest wines (30g) have more sugar than coke in the equivalent quantities. But typically one does drink a whole can of coke and not just a glass.
They can cause a dramatic surge of sugar levels in your body. This could eventually lead to insulin resistance – the culprit behind Type 2 Diabetes. So, on that score, alcohol is less damaging than soft drinks. However, cocktails – which are sugary alcoholic drinks, have the same effect on your body as soft drinks.
AHA Sugar Recommendation
Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day. For women, the number is lower: 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day. Consider that one 12-ounce can of soda contains 8 teaspoons (32 grams) of added sugar!
Drinks that fall in the red category should be drunk infrequently and sparingly, if at all. These beverages have much more than 12 grams of sugar in a 12 ounce serving, and some have upwards of 40 grams of sugar—equivalent to about 10 teaspoons of sugar—and 200 or more calories in a 12-ounce serving.
The result: a quick spike in blood sugar. If you have type 2 diabetes, this means taking sugary drinks — such as regular soda, sweet tea, and even juice — off the table and replacing them with low-sugar and sugar-free options, including water.
Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys flush out excess sugar. One study found that people who drink more water lower their risk for developing high blood sugar levels. And remember, water is the best.
Alcohol isn't a healthy choice in general, but some alcohol is better for you than others. Red wine, whiskey, tequila, and hard kombucha are healthier options than beer and sugary drinks. The CDC recommends you limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day if you're male and 1 if you're female.
Pure forms of alcohol like whiskey, gin, tequila, rum and vodka are all completely sugar-free whereas wines and light beer like Sapporo or Budvar have a minimal carb content.