What about light drinks?
Since the 1960s, the share of non-alcoholic drinks in the “drinks budget” of the French has exploded. Among which, waters , flavored drinks, sodas and fruit juices, which today cover 69.8% of non-alcoholic drinks consumed in France (1) . The French, more and more concerned about their line, tend to favor light drinks, thinking they are making a wise choice. However, is their choice really informed? Are diet drinks really good for your health?
What is a light drink?
First of all, it is important not to confuse a so-called “light” drink with a light drink. The difference is very subtle:
- A “light” drink implies that the manufacturer reduces the sugar content of this drink by at least 30%. We will tend to call them “drinks without added sugar” .
- A “light” sugar drink does not imply any particular quota. Thus it will be drinks which will have been reduced in sugar, but which will contain it nevertheless, in very variable quantities.
The light drink may contain real sugar, derived from its ingredients; for example a light fruit drink will contain fructose. However, and most of the time, a diet drink contains a sugar replacement, in order to maintain a sweet taste. Manufacturers therefore use sweeteners .
What is a sweetener?
A sweetener is a substance with a sweet taste , without having the caloric load of table sugar. There are different ones:
- Intense sweeteners , whose sweetening power is high. The best known are aspartame, sucralose, stevia or acesulfame potassium.
- Bulking sweeteners , whose sweetening power is relatively close to that of table sugar. The best known are the polyols (xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, etc.) derived from plants.
Commonly used by the food industry, they have the main advantage of replacing sugar in certain products, such as drinks. Thus it is possible for manufacturers to qualify their products as “light”, because their glycemic load is much lower (or even zero) than that of products in their “classic” version. In terms of beverages, the most commonly used sweetener is undoubtedly aspartame.
However, it is these same sweeteners that are controversial, and which generate reservations about light drinks from health professionals.
What are the pros and cons of diet drinks?
Advantages
Presented as the ideal alternative to sugary drinks, which are far too high in calories, light drinks are apparently “healthy”. Thereby :
- They are almost devoid of calories , so they can be eaten without worrying about its weight.
- One of the advantages of sweeteners used in the preparation of diet drinks is that they are not cariogenic. So there is no risk of developing cavities by drinking them.
- The consumption of light drinks does not cause any insulin spike conducive to storage (2) .
Disadvantages
However, despite these obvious advantages, light drinks made from sweeteners arouse enormous mistrust. Many studies have indeed demonstrated their certain misdeeds on the body and weight.
Although some studies have demonstrated the safety of sweeteners on blood sugar levels, it remains impossible to definitively state that sweeteners are not physiologically inert . It has in fact been demonstrated that the gastrointestinal system (3) and the pancreas (4) know how to detect “sweet tastes”, assimilating them to ingested sugars.
In the long term, certain sweeteners, like sucralose, could therefore actually disrupt the hormonal and glycemic responses of the body , which would react as if it were actually receiving sugar (5) . Thus, they could trigger insulin resistance , a pathway to type 2 diabetes . The intestinal microbiota would be deteriorated (5) , giving way to numerous inflammatory and immune pathologies .
In addition, regular consumption of diet drinks containing sweeteners has been shown to be positively correlated with a risk of obesity (7) , including in children . In fact, light drinks and their excessively sweet taste would develop the appetite for fatty and sweet products (deception of the brain on the real intake of sugar), while disrupting the secretion of leptin , the satiety hormone .
In addition, light drinks would be, like conventional sugary drinks, associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (8) , such as TIAs, strokes, myocardial infarctions, coronary syndromes and angioplasties.
Finally, it is important to remember that aspartame is regularly put on the spot: it is for example strongly discouraged for people suffering from phenylketonuria , a rare genetic disease that can cause mental retardation.
What are the alternatives to light drinks?
In view of the studies carried out on the consumption of light drinks, the finding seems clear: it is better to avoid consuming them regularly . Some health professionals go even further, advising to drink a sugary drink from time to time, rather than light drinks every day.
Be that as it may, the high consumption of sugar on a daily basis must be avoided, because it is the open door to the development of visceral fat , itself generating metabolic syndrome: diabetes, cholesterol , cardiovascular diseases, obesity and risk increased cancer.
It is nevertheless possible to have fun and opt for healthy alternatives to light drinks.
Homemade iced tea
Homemade iced tea , for example, is very easy to prepare. Just infuse a plain or flavored tea (peach, lemon, mint, etc.) in a large volume of water and place the drink in the fridge for a few hours to obtain a delicious beverage. If you like sweet tea, nothing prevents you from adding a dash of honey or agave syrup (reasonable quantity) to the drink.
homemade lemonade
If you are nostalgic for the lemonade of your childhood, nothing prevents you from preparing a homemade lemonade. It will delight young and old alike. Just mix 1 liter of sparkling water with the juice of 3 lemons , add 2 tablespoons of cane sugar syrup and mix. You can add thin slices of untreated lemon and a few mint leaves to accentuate the flavor of the drink.
Flavored waters
Flavored waters are very popular. Today they are available in all supermarkets, in the light drinks section. But it is better to prepare them yourself: this way you will be assured of a healthy composition! Simply throw pieces of the fruit of your choice (citrus, strawberries, cucumber , watermelon, pomegranate, etc.) into still or sparkling water and let the charm take effect!
kombucha
Finally, the most intrepid will opt for the preparation of homemade kombucha. It’s actually a drink that originated in Mongolia and is rich in probiotics . All you need is kombu, a slightly gelatinous seaweed that is very rich in bacteria. You must then immerse the piece of kombu in a jar of sweet tea and let it ferment. After fermentation, the tea turns into a slightly carbonated drink, extremely beneficial for the intestinal microbiota.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.