Doctor issues major warning over 'healthy' drink that's as fattening as Coca-Cola
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A diabetes expert has issued a major warning over a supposedly healthy drink that can be as bad for you as Coca-Cola.
Dr David Cavan, consultant endocrinologist at University Hospitals Dorset, says many are in the dark about the shocking amount of sugar contained in popular fruit smoothies - even those made at home.
In fact, he says, some variants could have as much sugar as a can of soda - a whopping nine teaspoons, which can contibute to weight gain.
'Any fruit, when turned into a smoothie, becomes a very sweet drink, albeit with some fibre in it,' said Dr Cavan.
'In terms of sugar content, smoothies are on a par with Coke.
'It does not matter that the sugar is 'natural' (that is, it originally came from fruit) - it is still sugar, and will have a big impact on the level of glucose in your bloodstream.'
Diets high in sugar are well known to cause frequent hunger pangs, as well as the consumption of excess calories, increasing the risk of obesity and its associated diseases.
Dr Cavan, author of new book Managing Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide to Reducing Symptoms and Improving Your Health, wrote that a simple step to reducing your risk of diabetes is to cut out fruit smoothies.
According to diabetes expert Dr Cavan, a simple step to reducing your risk of diabetes is to cut out fruit smoothies
Smoothies, he says, are packed with sugar and have less fibre than fresh fruit due to the juicing process
Juicing removes fibre and some of the nutrients that would be found in a fruit or vegetable.
When drunk in smoothie form, therefore, you get more of the sugar and less of the healthy fibre that helps you feel full.
The natural fruit sugars in smoothies can also add hundreds of extra calories to your daily intake.
A 2013 study found that people who ate whole fruit were less likely to get obesity-related type 2 diabetes, while those who drank fruit juice were at increased risk.
Swapping fruit juice for fruit three times a week appeared to cut the risk of type 2 diabetes by 7 per cent.
Diabetes is now a 'rapidly escalating crisis' in the UK, as the number of people with the condition is thought to have exceeded five million for the first time
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where the body fails to produce enough insulin - the hormone responsible for managing blood sugar levels.
Previously known as adult-onset diabetes, it is thought to be caused by an excess of fat around the internal organs that govern insulin's role in the body.
It can lead to a range of potentially deadly health conditions if not managed effectively.
These include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and blindness.
While there is no cure for the condition, it can be put into remission through lifestyle changes like losing weight, eating a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Sugary drinks like fruit smoothies, however, could jeopardise the health of diabetics in remission, says Dr Cavan.
'I would even say that I don't think it's possible to manage Type 2 diabetes if you continue to drink sugar in this way,' he writes.
For those who can't do without fizzy drinks like Coca-Cola, Fanta, Pepsi or Sprite, at least switch to the diet option, which contain artificial sweeteners in lieu of sugar.
'Sweeteners can also cause problems, but they are a much better option than sugar,' he added.
Around two in three adults in the UK are obese or overweight, according to figures from the NHS.
Rates of type 2 diabetes, meanwhile, have ballooned by a staggering 40 per cent among people under 40, a recent report from Diabetes UK revealed.
More than 4.6 million people in the UK live with diabetes diagnoses.
And experts believe a further 1.3 million could be living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.
Daily Mail
