We previously reported that soda drinks are full of calories that can lead to much more serious issu...

Santé – toast to your health

By Ed Towner 29.05.12

Many drinks actually don't do much for our health, but in contrast, some are very good for you. Check out this short guide to some drinks which your body will really thank you for.

We previously reported that soda drinks are full of calories that can lead to much more serious issues than just gaining weight. However, this doesn't mean you can only drink water from now on. There are beverages out there that not only taste nice but do you and your body some good too.

Fruit juices

For many people on a health drive, fruit juice is the first port of call but surprisingly this isn't always the greatest place to start as most juice drinks are packed with sugars that can be worse than eating a chocolate bar. For instance, Tropicana is a criminal offender when it comes to filling your stomachs with liquid sugar. The 100% Pure and Natural Orange Juice range contains 22g of sugar per 240ml - this is more than a Wispa bar (21.1g) and a Kit Kat bar (21g). Not much more can be said for the Tropicana Tropical Punch drink which packs a whopping 29g of sugar in one glass - that's more than a Snickers bar and it's not the kind of health drink I'm looking for!

However, if you choose the right fruit juice you can still be helping your health. Although cranberry juice contains a lot of sugar, it is still a big winner when it comes to boosting your health. By drinking the red stuff you are helping pretty much everything in your body to function at a greater efficiency, from your bowels to your breath!
Pomegranate juice can be leaning on the expensive side but the fruit has long been admired for its health benefits. A recent trial by Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh revealed that drinking only 250ml of pomegranate juice every day for two weeks can help reduce blood pressure in 60% of people.

And grapefruit juice can provide you with your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C in just one glass.

Green, black or white tea?

Green, black and white teas are in fashion at the moment and there is no reason why people shouldn't take a slurp of these options. The longer a tea bag is brewed the more antioxidants seep into the mug (only up to a maximum of seven minutes brewing time).

The longer a tea bag is brewed the more antioxidants seep into the mug

One of the tastiest ways to start a day is with a hot chocolate topped with cream and marshmallows. But by treating yourself this early in the morning you are already consuming 40% of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of sugar, so unless you are going to eat celery for the next 24 hours you'll be putting the pounds on. So stick to the tea instead – it only contains two calories per mug (without milk) and no sugar (providing you don't add any).

Plain water is best

Water bottle manufacturers have realised the plain stuff is fairly boring. So in an attempt to reach out to the masses, fruit flavoured water has been invented. However, they can also be filled with flavoured sugar and some of these brands really need to be avoided. The real stuff is the best option as H20 hydrates your skin, keeping your complexion smooth and looking fresh – in one study* women who drank six or more glasses of water a day had a 45% lower risk of contracting colon cancer than those who had less than two a day.

Alcohol....healthy?

This next offering isn't a chore by any means; enjoyed in proportion, red wine has been suggested by many experts to be good for the heart. Two small glasses a day is said to do you and your social life wonders - just remember a little exercise would help too!

Some experts have even suggested that a pint of Guinness or lager can actually be good for you. Enjoying a glass of the black Irish brew each day is said to reduce the risk of heart attacks caused by blood clots. Three pints of lager a week is also thought to reduce the risk of the drinker suffering from asthma. But to be honest, if you really want to be healthy, I would stick to drinking water on rather than alcoholic drinks; it seems a mystery to me how all those calories can actually be good for you.

So if there's one thing to remember - when buying your next drink, check the sugar content as not everything is as it seems in the world of healthy drinking.

*By the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre.
 

1. Quick tips

2. If you want to be healthy, stick with water.
3. Alcohol can be healthy if enjoyed in the correct way.
4. Tea contains antioxidants which can only be a good thing for your body.

The recommended daily allowance for water is at least six glasses per day