The fact that sugar is bad for you isn’t news. It has calories, causes obesity and diabetes, and turns your angel of a toddler into a screaming demon in under six seconds.

Yet sales in super-sugary drinks haven’t declined all that much in South Africa, since we found out that not everything is better with Coke. Sodas and fizzy drinks are particularly popular because they give you that extra kick of caffeine and sugar – but it’s short-lived and the effects are long-term.

So which drinks and popular brands are the biggest culprits when it comes to guzzling sugar? News24 compiled a graph of the frontrunners for the drinks with the most sugar in SA, so that’s definitely worth a look.

It ain’t pretty:

How about flavoured water having about six spoons of sugar in an average serving?

Here’s a fun fact – did you know that the acidity in fizzy sugary products draws on your body’s calcium phosphate stores, which eventually leeches the minerals from your bones? Drink the stuff long-term, and you’re at a higher risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Great, now you’re messing with your skeleton.

There are numerous sugar-free options out there, but some sugar alternatives like aspartame, have been linked to cancer and other health issues, so you need to exercise caution there.

Where does this leave those who want to sip on something tasty, without feeling guilty about their sugar intake? Thankfully, some local companies are leading the charge, using fresh ingredients and refined brewing processes to offer healthier alternatives.

Take Sir Fruit and their new range of real brewed, real bold, real low sugar Ice Tea.

Their range boasts one of the lowest sugar levels on the market, thanks to their traditional brewing process, using only freshly sourced tea leaves and flavours.

The great thing about this ice tea is that it’s made in a similar way to how you’d brew a cuppa at home. Loose leaves are gathered and sealed in a monumental teabag, and then brewed to perfection.

The result: a real tea experience, sealed and shipped across South Africa.

Here’s Sir Fruit’s Brand Manager, Taryn van Zyl:

We’ve done our best to add as little as possible to our ice tea. The result is a natural taste with one of the lowest sugar levels on the market today. It retains that home-brewed feel but with a refreshing crispness that can only come from a premier juice brand.

There are now four flavours on the market – Apple and Mint, Cranberry, Lemon and Lime and my personal favourite, that old faithful, Peach.

The Peach is a blend of natural goodness from locally gathered rooibos, honeybush, and hibiscus – as well as imported Assam and Chinese Green Tea.

While you’re sipping on that goodness, rest easy knowing that their bottles are made from 50% recycled plastic, which is good news for the environment.

Healthy and environmentally conscious – look at you go.

Maybe it’s time to ditch the sugar-heavy soft drinks we grew up sipping on, because they’re not doing us any good, and found a healthier alternative.

[source:new24]