Description: Sugar sweetened beverages don't seem so sweet when you consider their harmful effects on health.
Subscribe to NutritionAction Current Issue Archives Search My Account / Renew Customer Service Store Search Toggle Mobile Menu Toggle Sugary drinks SHARE Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share with Email PRINT Updated: October 12, 2021
Consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages – fruit drinks, sports drinks, sweetened teas, and energy drinks – may be on the decline, but sugary drinks are still the number one source of calories and added sugars in the American diet. A typical 12-ounce can of regular cola contains 9 ½ teaspoons of added sugars; a 20-ounce bottle contains 16 teaspoons of sugar.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 recommends only 12 teaspoons of added sugar a day. 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.