[PHNUTR-L] FW: soda facts

[Gunn-McQuillan, Jarrod]

A colleague passed this along and felt I should share, she found this
while browsing the website.....
 
Jarrod
Jarrod Gunn-McQuillan 
Community Nutritionist 
Child, Youth and Family Community Health 
Saanich Health Unit 
3995 Quadra Street, 2nd Floor 
Victoria, BC V8X 1J8 

(E) jarrod.gunnmcquillan at viha.ca 
(P) 250.519.5154 
(F) 250.744.1042 
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EDIBLE, adj. Good to eat, and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad,
a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a
worm.  --Ambrose Bierce

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Hi everyone,  I just thought I would send this out.  I was looking for
visuals and info on sugar and came upon the Canadian Cola website (
www.canadacola.ca <http://www.canadacola.ca/> )  and found this posted!
I couldn't believe it....  :
 
Crazy how deceptive they are.....
 
 
Can soft drinks be part of a healthy diet?
People have trusted and enjoyed soft drinks for more than 115 years, and
all of our beverages can be an enjoyable part of a healthy diet. The ADA
counsels that all foods and beverages can fit in a healthy diet. Good
health depends in part on a balance between calories consumed and what
we burn off through physical activity.

Soft drinks contribute to the diet in two ways. Because they are
predominantly water, they can help quench thirst and meet the body's
fluid requirement - about two quarts of liquid a day. In addition, soft
drinks sweetened with sugar provide carbohydrates, which are readily
available to the body for quick energy. 

As long as individuals balance their food choices, any food (including
soft drinks) can be part of a healthy, enjoyable diet. According to most
nutrition experts, the best way to ensure that you eat a good diet is to
eat a variety of foods in moderation.
 <http://www.canadacola.ca/html/faq_page.html#top> Back to top

Should I be concerned about the amount of sugar or calories in soft
drinks?
It may surprise you to know that the amount of sugar and calories in
soft drinks is about the same as many fruit juices. An 8-ounce (240 mL)
serving of Canadian Cola, for example, contains no more sugar and
calories than 8 ounces (240 mL) of orange juice, and less sugar and
fewer calories than 8 ounces (240 mL) of apple juice or grape juice.
And, the body can't tell the difference between the natural sugar you
get from fruit juice and that added to soft drinks.

Sugar and Caloric Content of Selected Foods

Products, 8 oz. (240 mL)        Sugar (grams)         Calories
Canadian Cola                         27                            97
orange juice                            27
112
apple juice                               28
111
grape juice                              32
128

According to the Food and Drug Administrations and Associations, sugar
is safe, except for the link to tooth decay. And with tooth decay, the
length of time sugar, or any carbohydrate (such as rice or potato),
remains in contact with the teeth is more important than the amount of
sugar. Soft drinks pass quickly through the mouth and do not stick to
the teeth.
 <http://www.canadacola.ca/html/faq_page.html#top> Back to top

Does sugar cause health illnesses?
Sugar does not cause heart disease, cancer, diabetes or obesity. People
gain weight when they consume more calories than they expend. Sugar does
provide calories (4 per gram), but other digestible carbohydrates (like
starch) and protein provide the same amount. And, you should know that
other caloric sources, namely fat and alcohol, provide many more
calories per gram than sugar does: alcohol provides 7 calories per gram,
and fat provides more than twice as many as sugar (9 calories per gram).
Sugar is the main source of calories in regular (non-diet) soft drinks.
 <http://www.canadacola.ca/html/faq_page.html#top> Back to top

Does sugar make children hyperactive?
Definitely not. Sugar does provide energy to the body; however, making
energy available by eating something sweet is not the same as causing
someone to be active and excited. The concern that eating sugar makes
children hyperactive originated in the mid-seventies and was based on
anecdotal observations by parents and teachers. A parent would see his
child eat cake and drink fruit punch at a party, for example, and then
notice an increase in activity. The natural tendency was to link the
hyperactive behavior to what the child consumed and to disregard other
factors that may have played a role. However, well-designed studies that
control for these other factors show no association between sugar
consumption and hyperactive behavior.
 <http://www.canadacola.ca/html/faq_page.html#top> Back to top

Are soft drinks bad for my teeth?
All common sugars, even those in fruits and starches, contribute to the
development of tooth decay. But the sugar in soft drinks has minimal
effect on teeth because it's in a liquid form. The sugar passes quickly
through the mouth rather than sticking to the teeth. It's gone before it
really can have an effect. Teeth in the mouth are constantly bathed by
saliva. This helps neutralize both the acid in soft drinks and that
which is produced when plaque bacteria digest sugar and other
carbohydrates.

It's worth noting that as soft drink consumption has increased over the
past decade, tooth decay has decreased dramatically. The widespread use
of fluoride in drinking water, toothpastes and mouthwashes has greatly
improved dental health, making teeth more resistant to acid attack from
plaque bacteria.
 <http://www.canadacola.ca/html/faq_page.html#top> Back to top  

Do soft drinks cause obesity?
No one food or beverage causes obesity. Obesity is a complex problem
that has no easy answers. People gain weight when they consume more
calories than their bodies use. We do know that a major factor in
obesity is our increasingly sedentary lifestyles.
 <http://www.canadacola.ca/html/faq_page.html#top> Back to top

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