5 Healthy alternatives to sugary drinks for better oral health

The problem with sugary drinks

It’s no secret that as dentists we’re not a fan of sugary drinks. They are not only incredibly corrosive to tooth enamel and linked to tooth decay, but they are highly inflammatory with no nutritional value. They place increased pressure on the liver, increase subcutaneous fat, can cause insulin resistance, type II diabetes, heart disease and have been linked to cancer.

If you think when we are talking about sugary drinks that we are just referring to soft drinks then think again. That Sugar Film have some fairly alarming infographics on how much sugar is really in some unsuspecting drinks, check it out below.


With the daily recommended amount of sugar being  6 tsps for women and 9 tsps for men a day, these seemingly harmless drinks gets you to that upper limit pretty quickly. So to help reduce your sugar intake we’ve come up with 5 healthy alternative to sugary drinks.

DIY flavoured water

This is one of the easiest way to add a little flavour to your drink AND reduce your sugar intake. You can add any fruit such as strawberries, melon, lemon or any herbs like mint and thyme to your water. This is also a great way to ensure you’re drinking adequate amounts of water each day and staying hydrated. If you like a little fizz then substitute plain water for sparkling.

Iced Teas

When we say iced teas we don’t mean the recipes where you add spoonful after spoonful of sugar. Instead choose your favourite herbal blend or a green tea, brew it as you usually would and then pop it into the fridge for an hour to chill. You can also add some lemon or orange slices to add a little zing to the tea.

Smoothies

Homemade smoothies are the best option as store bought can often be loaded with extra sugars. We’ve got a veggie packed smoothie recipe here and the team at I Quit Sugar have a load of smoothie recipes here.

Kombucha

This fermented drink is not only delicious but hugely beneficial for gut health and detoxifying the body. While it is made with sugar, by the end of the fermentation cycle only about 2-6gms remain. You will be able to buy Kombucha at your local health food store, but it’s popularity is growing so you should be able to find it in a whole range of places.

Coconut Water

Unflavoured and unsweetened coconut water is another simple and easy alternative. It is also rich in electrolytes and fairly easy to come by nowadays.