July 15, 2006
Healthy Beverage Guidelines:
You Are What You Drink
While many Americans are watching their plates, many often overlook the calories in their cups. We now consume 21 percent of our daily calories from beverages, up from 13-15 percent in the 1970's. "Many people forget or don't realize how many extra calories they consume in what they drink, yet beverages are a major contributor to the alarming increase in obesity," says Barry Popkin, PhD, director of the University of North Carolina's Interdisciplinary Obesity Center. The following is a listing of Healthy Beverage Guidelines developed by a panel of experts in the nutrition field. These guidelines will demonstrate to Americans the impact that liquid calories have on their overall diets, and help them make responsible beverage choices.
Healthy Beverage Guidelines
LEVEL 1: WATER
The Beverage Guidance panel notes that all beverage needs for adults can be met with water. For variety and individual preferences, however, healthful diets may include other beverages. Many Americans also need other beverages, such as 1 percent or nonfat milk, for essential nutrients).
RECOMMENDATION: 20-50 ounces per day.
LEVEL 2: UNSWEETENED TEA AND COFFEE
Tea provides a variety of flavonoids and antioxidants as well as a few micronutrients, and may have other health benefits. Current research suggests that moderate caffeine intake (up to 400 milligrams/day) is not associated with increased risk of heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis or high cholesterol.
RECOMMENDATION: 0-40 ounces of unsweetened tea and 0-32 ounces of unsweetened coffee per day. Caffeine is the limiting factor, with twice as much in coffee as tea. One 5oz cup of brewed coffee (drip) contains 106-164 mg of caffeine, one 5oz cup of black tea steeped for 3 minutes contains 35-46 mg of caffeine, and remember that chocolate and many sodas, energy drinks and sports drinks also contain caffeine.
LEVEL 3: LOW FAT (1.5 percent OR 1 percent) AND SKIM (Nonfat) MILK AND SOY BEVERAGES
Milk is an important source of calcium and the key dietary source of vitamin D. Fortified soymilk is a good alternative for individuals who prefer not to or are unable to consume cow's milk.
RECOMMENDATION: 0-16 ounces a day.
LEVEL 4: NON-CALORICALLY SWEETENED BEVERAGES
Diet sodas and other sugar-free drinks are preferable to sugar-sweetened beverages because they provide no calories. FDA-approved non-caloric sweeteners are considered safe.
RECOMMENDATION: 0-32 ounces per day.
LEVEL 5: CALORIC BEVERAGES WITH SOME NUTRIENTS
Fruit juices (100 percent juice) provide most of the nutrients of their natural source, but lack fiber and other beneficial non-nutrient compounds present in the whole fruit.
RECOMMENDATION: 0-8 ounces per day.
Vegetable juices (e.g., tomato and multi-vegetable juices) are a healthy alternative; the trade-off is sugar for sodium, as many of these drinks are moderately high in sodium.
RECOMMENDATION: 0-8 ounces per day.
Whole (full fat) milk contains calcium and protein, but adverse health effects of saturated fats have been well documented, especially risk of cardiovascular disease.
RECOMMENDATION: No whole milk.
Sports drinks do provide small amounts of sodium, chloride and potassium- replacing electrolytes lost during endurance activities- but that benefit is offset by the caloric content.
RECOMMENDATION: Consume sparingly except for endurance athletes, 0-16 ounces per day.
Alcoholic Beverages consumed in moderation have been shown to have some health benefits for adults, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and gallstones. On the downside, even moderate intake of alcoholic beverages is linked with increased risk of birth defects and breast cancer. Pregnant women should not drink alcoholic beverages.
RECOMMENDATION: 0-1 drink per day for women and 0-2 drinks per day for men (one drink is 12 ounces beer, 5 ounces wine, or 1.5 ounces distilled spirits).
LEVEL 6: CALORICALLY SWEETENED BEVERAGES WITHOUT NUTRIENTS
The beverages least recommended by the panel are calorically sweetened beverages with little to no nutritional value. These include soda pop, juice drinks and punch, tang, and kool-aid, usually sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup or sucrose.
RECOMMENDATION: 0-8 Ounces per day: No more than one 8-ounce serving per day.
Source: Tufts University Health and Nutrition Newsletter: June 2006
Note: The Healthy Beverage Guidelines provide a ranking system. Rankings range from plain water at Level One to Level Six-beverages that should be consumed in limited quantities. The guidelines are designed to help consumers choose a more healthful palette of beverages, based on sugar content, fat, caffeine, and caloric content.