What is This Exactly?
Did you miss my post on Facebook last night? If you did…here it is.
And by the way – 52.5g of sugar is equal to 13 added teaspoons!!!
What I did not add to the post and on an even more important to note, the recommended daily allowance for added 
sugars are the following:
- men – 9 tsp
- women – 6 tsp
- kids (depending on their age) – 3-8 tsp
So if a child age 12 drinks this average sized bottle, he/she is consuming more than 2x the daily allowance for added sugar in ONE DRINK! Can you imagine how much added sugar that child has daily if he/she also consumes more than one of those drinks, cereal, snacks, cookies, etc.?
Let’s quickly touch on the ingredient list.
Obviously, we know that there is SUGAR in it; especially since sugar is listed as the 2nd ingredient on the list. (Ingredients are listed in descending order on a food label – the first 5 ingredients making up the majority of that food item).
Artificial flavor. We know that cannot be good for us because the word artificial itself means it was concocted in a lab. While artificial flavor may ensure that your food lasts longer and conserves its flavor, it is also linked to increased allergies and certain types of cancer.
Monopotassium phosphate. This is used for a source of potassium (which is an electrolyte), and as a preservative. The problem with phosphates is that they can cause an imbalance of phosphorus to calcium in the body. Too much phosphorus causes calcium to be drawn out of the blood and our bones. Long term effects can weaken our bones and increase the susceptibility of fractures.
Sucrose acetate. Another artificial additive in this drink used as a weighing agent and emulsifier. Basically so that the sugar water and pretty colors mix well together.
Red 40 and yellow 5. This could and will be an entire separate blog. Just to tip the scale on this topic, food dyes and colorings are:
- made in a lab with chemical derived from petroleum
- linked to common health problems and cancer
- cause hyperactivity in children
- contribute to the obesity epidemic
- MUST be labeled with a food warning in the UK!!!
The thing is, these foods CAN be made without all of the additives and cancer causing agents and ARE in other countries!! Check out the infographic below from The Food Babe . We have got to pay attention to what is in our food!!
The answer to the question…
Strawberry Lemonade Gatorade.