If you’re interested in learning more about SunSip and the possibility of using it as a soda swap, odds are you’re already aware of some of the downsides of traditional soda. Before we discuss these downsides, know that I’m not here to demonize sugar or make you feel bad for enjoying it. There are times when you may choose to enjoy a sugar-sweetened beverage and that’s okay! But if you’re trying to be mindful of your added sugar intake because of a chronic health condition, you don’t like how it makes you feel, or any other reason, SunSip by Health-Ade has your back.

Sugar: What’s the Big Deal?

Sugar is quite a hot topic right now in health and nutrition spaces. Many of these conversations, though, end up creating more fear around sugar instead of offering honest education on the different types of sugar, how they’re broken down by the body, and the impacts they can have on your health. Let’s break down a few of these topics!

Naturally Occurring Sugar vs. Added Sugar

At the end of the day, sugar is sugar whether it comes from a piece of fruit or a piece of candy. However, there are some key differences between foods and beverages containing naturally occurring sugars versus those with added sugars.
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate that occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy products. What do all of these foods have in common? They’re all nutrient-dense foods! This means that when you eat them, you’re consuming the naturally occurring sugars alongside a variety of antioxidants, minerals, fiber, fat, and sometimes protein. Fats, protein, and fiber take longer for your body to break down than carbohydrates alone, so these sources of naturally occurring sugar will give you longer lasting energy and help you avoid sudden spikes in your blood sugar.

The sugar found in sodas, candy, and baked goods, on the other hand, is added sugar. It’s often added to foods and beverages to enhance flavors or extend the shelf life of certain products. This kind of simple sugar offers your body a quick and easily digestible source of energy, but it won’t leave you feeling full or satiated for long. Plus, since many foods containing added sugars are not great sources of protein, fat, or fiber, they can contribute to a quick rise and fall in blood sugar (which may be particularly concerning for those living with diabetes, PCOS, or any other insulin resistant health condition).

Added Sugar: What’s Recommended?

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar daily for women and no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams) daily for men. To put this into perspective, a 12-ounce can of regular soda contains, on average, about 10 teaspoons (40 grams) of sugar (1).

To determine if a food or beverage contains added sugars, look at the nutrition facts panel. There, you will see an “added sugars” line underneath the “total sugars” line. This makes it easy to determine how much sugar in a packaged product is added versus how much is coming from a natural source.

Consuming high levels of added sugar can increase chronic inflammation and contribute to increased blood pressure and blood sugar levels. All these things, over time, can raise your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease (2). It’s important to note that each of these conditions also has genetic links, so diet alone won’t cause them. However, it’s still a good idea to have a general awareness of your added sugar intake and explore simple, satisfying swaps to help you reduce it. Your organs (and your teeth) will thank you!

How Does SunSip Stack Up to Traditional Soda?

Let’s break this down by comparing the nutrition facts panel of a can of Traditional Cherry Cola to the nutrition facts panel of a can of SunSip Cherry Cola:

As you can see, SunSip has 8x less sugar per can than traditional sodas. Instead of 42 grams of added sugar coming from high fructose corn syrup, each can of SunSip contains 2 grams of cane sugar and 3 grams of naturally occurring sugar from fruit juice. SunSip gets the rest of its sweetness from monk fruit, a zero calorie, plant-derived sweetener that has no impact on blood sugar. Compared to diet sodas and other soda alternatives that often use aspartame, Sucralose, or stevia as sweeteners, we love monk fruit because of its potential gut-health benefits, and it has no funky aftertaste! If you’d like to read more about monk fruit and its use in SunSip, check out this blog post.

In addition to having 5g of total sugar, SunSip also has 2 grams of fiber per can and 10% of your recommended daily value of vitamins C, B6, B12, Zinc, and Selenium.

When we say SunSip is “soda with benefits”, we really mean it! Find your new favorite flavor today.

Sources:

1. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars
2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar

This blog post was written by Claire Chewning, RDN & Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor

Claire is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who's not on board with restrictive diets. She’s the owner and founder of Yours Chewly Nutrition, a virtual private practice where she helps individuals heal from chronic dieting and disordered eating so that they can discover peace and trust in their relationships with food + body. She’s also Health-Ade’s Registered Dietitian Advisor and loves educating employees and consumers about all things gut health from a non-diet perspective! She even writes a few blogs from time to time. Cheers!