# Shocking info about sugar in pop



## nxnw (Dec 22, 2002)

I can't believe I never looked this up before, but guess how much sugar there is in a can of pop? You see it in grams, but I never went to the trouble of converting to teaspoons. For a can of sprite, the answer is concealed below - just select the next couple of lines to see but guess first, OK?

9.5 tsp​
Other beverages are comparable, and many are higher.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

Gee I guessed three :| I don't have pop that often anymore though. Fruit juices also have quite a bit of sugar in it, just drink water, and drink juice, milk, and pop in moderation. Mmmm, soy beverage.


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

It's crazy bad, but it's teaspoons not tablespoons. One way to look at it is to imagine buying an unsweetened can and then having to add that amount of sugar by spoon!! It's amazing it even dissolves!


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## nxnw (Dec 22, 2002)

Whoops - I've corrected to teaspoons. It sheds a whole new light on the expression, "sugar water".


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## Fink-Nottle (Feb 25, 2001)

Wow! And my family try to make me feel bad about putting just 2 teaspoons of sugar in my tea.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

My son did a science experiement for a science fair by suspending one of his teeth that he lost and saved into some Sprite. He made note of the changes in size and color over a period of time. By the time he graduated, grade 6, there was no tooth left on the wire, and the wire was starting to badly corrode.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/tooth.asp



> Claim: A tooth left in a glass of Coca-Cola will dissolve overnight.


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## RevMatt (Sep 10, 2005)

He said by the time his son graduated. That hardly suggests overnight....


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

RevMatt said:


> He said by the time his son graduated. That hardly suggests overnight....


Um, wasn't suggesting it was.

btw, did the tooth experiment above have a "control" comparison, say, another tooth suspended in distilled water?


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

Pop is acidic, so of course it will erode a tooth. So will orange juice. It has nothing to do with the sugar.


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## Chris (Feb 8, 2001)

When I went for a physical in March, I had gained some weight over the winter. I was up to 246, dressed. My doc suggested just watching what I eat, and cutting out the soft drinks. At my follow-up, 7 weeks later, I was down to 239. I'm down to 225 now, and the main item I cut out was soft drinks. And I only had one, or two, at the most any given day!

I can't believe how big an effect just eliminating that one food source has.


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## MaxPower (Jan 30, 2003)

dona83 said:


> Gee I guessed three :| I don't have pop that often anymore though. Fruit juices also have quite a bit of sugar in it, just drink water, and drink juice, milk, and pop in moderation. Mmmm, soy beverage.


Fruit Juices have quite a bit of sugar in them (depending on the brand and type of beverage it is) because fruit has naturally occurring sugar in it. If you buy 100% - say Tropicanna - fruit juice it will have more fructose in it than sugar. If you buy a lesser brand the sugar ratio goes up.

Also beware of brands that you may think of as juice. For example a lot of brands will be labeled as "beverage" or "cocktail". These are just plain garbage and is no better than pop.

Always read the label.


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## da_jonesy (Jun 26, 2003)

I have to say in regards to the acidity of pop... it is nothing compared to the acidity of your gastric juices in your stomach.


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## da_jonesy (Jun 26, 2003)

Chris said:


> When I went for a physical in March, I had gained some weight over the winter. I was up to 246, dressed. My doc suggested just watching what I eat, and cutting out the soft drinks. At my follow-up, 7 weeks later, I was down to 239. I'm down to 225 now, and the main item I cut out was soft drinks. And I only had one, or two, at the most any given day!
> 
> I can't believe how big an effect just eliminating that one food source has.


Yeah I completely switched from regular pop to diet pop... it does make a huge difference weight wise.


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## SoyMac (Apr 16, 2005)

Anyone seen *"Supersize Me"*?
I know a lot about nutrition, but I was shocked at the amount of sugar that is hidden in fast food. In the documentary, Morgan Spurlock holds up bags of sugar, representing the amount of sugar in his McDonald's meals. And I'm not talking about just the soft drinks - only seven items on McDonald's entire menu contain no sugar.
McDonald's fries, for example, are briefly dipped in a sugar solution, which gives them their golden-brown color. http://www.gladwell.com/2001/2001_03_05_a_fries.htm
McDonald's burger buns have a 13 per cent sugar content. Normal white buns have only 3 per cent and even this is unhealthy. The sugar is included because it browns the bun quickly, melts and forms a butter substitute and sugar is highly addictive.

Be careful out there.


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## SoyMac (Apr 16, 2005)

da_jonesy said:


> I have to say in regards to the acidity of pop... it is nothing compared to the acidity of your gastric juices in your stomach.


And is a trifling piffle compared to the body fluid of the creatures in *ALIEN*!!


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## overkill (May 15, 2005)

I also knocked off the amount of pop that I use to consume. I usually will have a can every few days and it did make a difference in my weight. Now if I can slowly cut down on coffee.


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## Kosh (May 27, 2002)

Another thing missing from the "tooth" experiment is spit or saliva. Our saliva actually protects our teeth. Also, we tend to swallow everything we eat. so between swallowing what we eat and saliva, our teeth don't sit or soak in what we eat. Besides, as da-jonesy says, there are far more acidic things in our own bodies than pop.

Of course the amount of sugar in pop is a concern, though, I'm not saying it isn't. Just wanted to address the acidic issue. Heck, even bread turns into sugar, starches are turned into sugars by our body, if I remember my biological sciences.


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## JAGflyer (Jan 10, 2005)

I try not to drink a lot of pop. Maybe the equivilant of 1 can or less a day. I don't like the fizzy feeling either so that keeps me from drinking a lot of pop. I prefer juices or iced tea. I'm very big on Iced Tea. Nestea only. No Brisk or Tetley crap. Nestea makes a Green Tea iced tea too which is really nice. Too bad I cannot find a 12 pack in stores. I guess I'll stick to the 36 Nestea Lemon Iced Tea can pallets at Costco. 

For the record I'm 17 years old, 0 cavities.


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

There have been several studies done on tooth decay in babies fed with high sugar juices (e.g. Ribena). There's a clear link between tooth decay and sugar in drinks. Less so in food as its not released/digested in the mouth. The bigger threat, however, is obesity caused by excess calories and the impact of soft drinks in developing countries where they are seen to be cool and "Western" and where they effectively distract people from buying nutrious products. 

As Steve Jobs said to John Sculley (then VP of US sales at Pepsi), "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?".


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

used to be jwoodget said:


> and the impact of soft drinks in developing countries where they are seen to be cool and "Western" and where they effectively distract people from buying nutrious products.



Admittedly I haven't travelled all that much in developing countries, but I think you'll find that in any sugar-cane region there are traditional drinks with plenty of sugar, especially fresh-pressed cane juice. 

It's delicious stuff and probably better for you than drinking refined syrups, but it's loaded with sugar and not much else. Then there are the local brands of sweet fizzy drinks that may or may not resemble Coke, Pepsi and the like. In other words, "Western" drinks may be a problem, but I think there's a case to be made that they're mainly competing with local unhealthy fare, not just introducing bad habits. 

I have occasionally bought canned cane juice (it's packaged in Asia, can't remember where), and it's hugely caloric, though I don't remember the exact numbers. I will try to remember to check next time I see it.


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## da_jonesy (Jun 26, 2003)

iMatt said:


> Admittedly I haven't travelled all that much in developing countries, but I think you'll find that in any sugar-cane region there are traditional drinks with plenty of sugar, especially fresh-pressed cane juice.
> 
> It's delicious stuff and probably better for you than drinking refined syrups, but it's loaded with sugar and not much else. Then there are the local brands of sweet fizzy drinks that may or may not resemble Coke, Pepsi and the like. In other words, "Western" drinks may be a problem, but I think there's a case to be made that they're mainly competing with local unhealthy fare, not just introducing bad habits.
> 
> I have occasionally bought canned cane juice (it's packaged in Asia, can't remember where), and it's hugely caloric, though I don't remember the exact numbers. I will try to remember to check next time I see it.


Just to further your point, Yes in Asia (Thailand and Singapore) sugar cane juice bars abound (better when it is flavoured with lemons, although mint was interesting). Also the grocery stores are primarily stocked with Coke and Pepsi prodcuts. There are some local brands, but the shelves all feature Coke and/or Pepsi.


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## BerlinerCa (Nov 22, 2005)

*Does sugar rot teeth?*



> It was the ancient Greeks who first noticed that sweet foods had a bad effect on teeth. One Greek book called Problems asks “Why do figs, which are soft and sweet, destroy the teeth?”
> 
> Today we know that the real problem isn’t so much sugar, but the streptococcus bacteria in our mouths that like to feed on it. When they feed on the sweet treats lodged in your teeth, they excrete acids that eat away at your tooth enamel.
> 
> As it happens, the amount of sugar you eat doesn’t matter as much as the amount of time it is allowed to remain in contact with the plaque on your teeth (that’s where the bacteria hang out.) So go ahead and eat that pound of caramels—just brush your teeth afterward.


source:http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/toothdecay-story.html


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## LaurieR (Feb 9, 2006)

It may help your weight but it may be hurting you too - look up the ill effects of aspartame. I don't think anything has actually been proven but there are many studies being done linking aspartame with such things as M.S.

I'd rather have the sugar than the aspartame!



da_jonesy said:


> Yeah I completely switched from regular pop to diet pop... it does make a huge difference weight wise.


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

Thanks to science, we may soon be rid of tooth decay. Of course, we still have to deal with the potential fallouts of genetically modified organisms.

http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=996272006



> "You have about 700 different types of bacteria in your mouth. We are just replacing a particular organism that causes tooth decay with one that doesn't... You'll still need to brush your teeth, you don't want gum disease or bad breath."


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## da_jonesy (Jun 26, 2003)

LaurieR said:


> It may help your weight but it may be hurting you too - look up the ill effects of aspartame. I don't think anything has actually been proven but there are many studies being done linking aspartame with such things as M.S.
> 
> I'd rather have the sugar than the aspartame!


Yeah, I'd rather have the sugar too... But I think the health effects from being overweight far outweigh the risks from aspartame. Besides there are some diet pops that use Splenda.


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## Loafer (Jan 7, 2004)

uurrrgggghhh, pop is probably one of the worst things you can drink, sugar or sugar free versions. It amazes me that people even now are surprised how much sugar is in a can, hasn't this kind of information been known for years and that the stuff is really really bad for you ?

Guys, it's chemicals.....nothing more, nothing less
there is not one natural ingredient in this stuff.....it's industrially manufactured garbage that's peddled to the young and stupid.

As for aspartame being healthier than sugar.....I wouldn't be so sure. There are studies around that show when aspartame is at body temperature it breaks down into it's component compounds......one of them being methanol which in itself is not a big deal but it then reacts with enzymes in the body that turn it into formaldehyde which is a known carcniogen.

I'm not saying a sugar version is better for you than a non-sugared version, there just isn't any conclusive proof to say aspatame isn't a problem and because it's a multi-billion dollar industry the powers that be will try and blur the lines as much as possible (see big tobacco). 

Be warned, apartame is not a miracle sweetener from the gods!
it's an industrially manufactured chemical that hasn't been properly researched over a long period of time to see what the long term affects of sustained exposure can be.


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

I really really need to stop drinking coke!

I normally drink 4-6 cans of coke per day! Ugh!


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## nxnw (Dec 22, 2002)

6 cans of coke = 1.3 cups of sugar.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 12, 2003)

.


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

Jason H said:


> I really really need to stop drinking coke!
> 
> I normally drink 4-6 cans of coke per day! Ugh!


Yuck. I agree, you should stop. Honestly, I think you should also have your doctor check for medical conditions that might make you crave sugar.

Anyway, good luck and I suggest not going cold turkey -- you'll probably get a massive caffeine-withdrawal headache. I suggest switching to coffee with way less sugar and tapering off the caffeine from there. I find that two teaspoons of sugar make coffee taste almost as sweet as Coke, for some reason.

(Sorry if this sounds like lecturing, I don't know how to avoid it in this case...)


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

iMatt said:


> Yuck. I agree, you should stop. Honestly, I think you should also have your doctor check for medical conditions that might make you crave sugar.
> 
> Anyway, good luck and I suggest not going cold turkey -- you'll probably get a massive caffeine-withdrawal headache. I suggest switching to coffee with way less sugar and tapering off the caffeine from there. I find that two teaspoons of sugar make coffee taste almost as sweet as Coke, for some reason.
> 
> (Sorry if this sounds like lecturing, I don't know how to avoid it in this case...)


I usually switch back and forth between diet caffeine free coke and regular coke. Usually about 1 week of diet and then 3 weeks of regular. :lmao: 

I cant stand coffee at all!


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## gnatsum (Apr 10, 2005)

Jason H said:


> I usually switch back and forth between diet caffeine free coke and regular coke. Usually about 1 week of diet and then 3 weeks of regular. :lmao:
> 
> I cant stand coffee at all!


just a couple of thoughts, 

the difference between the loads of sugar in Juice vs. Pop, (correct me if i'm wrong) Juice sugars are natural and much easier to break down with hydrolysis. whereas Pop might have much more complex sugars which require a lot more water to break down into the monosaccharides you can actually use. so it's a lot more strain on your body. 


also the note about aspartame. yes you hear a lot about it in bio and chem classes. it causes cancer and all kinds of thing once the aspartame is heated to a certain temperature and all that. i think the only problem is that none of these have real life proof though. i just say aspartame tastes nasty, so there's no benefit in taking that risk! 


but yes, going back to the thread's original topic. i was told when i was in grade 4 i think. that a can of pop has 11 teaspoons of sugar? then i turned to my friend who used to drink 2 pepsi's a day! i get a stomach ache if i have pop. it's just a can of chemicals and put me off for the rest of the day. drink beer.


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## RevMatt (Sep 10, 2005)

gnatsum said:


> i get a stomach ache if i have pop. it's just a can of chemicals and put me off for the rest of the day. drink beer.


Wisest comment yet. Arguably in the whole history of ehmac


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## zoziw (Jul 7, 2006)

I dropped pop a couple of years ago and lost 25 pounds without actually trying...of course, I used to drink quite a bit of coke.  

Each day I usually have 1 cup of coffee, 1 glass of apple juice and then drink just water the rest of the time.

I've lost my taste for fizzy drinks in general now.


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

zoziw said:


> I dropped pop a couple of years ago and lost 25 pounds without actually trying...of course, I used to drink quite a bit of coke.
> 
> Each day I usually have 1 cup of coffee, 1 glass of apple juice and then drink just water the rest of the time.
> 
> I've lost my taste for fizzy drinks in general now.


Any hints you want to share?

This fall I'm leaving my job and going to school, switching my car for a TTC metropass and a bike. I'm thinking I'm going to stop buying coke at the time I move. 

I'm also going to costco when I move and picking up a bunch of cases of water while I still have the car to move them with!


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