Sugar in Soda Pop

Sugar is naturally in some healthy foods, such as fruits and dairy products, but it can also be added to less nutritious foods and beverages for added sweetness. While the occasional sweet treat is fine, added sugars might make up a large part of your daily calorie intake without your knowledge. Soda pop and sweetened beverages are the top source of added sugar in the American diet, according to a 2009 statement in the journal "Circulation."

Sugar Content

The average 12 oz. can of regular soda contains many teaspoons of sugar. Orange soda tops the list of sugary sodas with 11 tsp. of sugar, which equals about 170 calories. The same size cola generally contains about 10 tsp. of sugar, or 150 calories. To calculate the amount of sugar in your soda, look for "Sugars" on the nutrition label and calculate 1 tsp. for every 4.2 g of sugar.

Major Risks

The sugar in soda pop can contribute to various health problems if you habitually drink it. For example, it contributes to tooth decay because it allows bacteria to grow on your teeth, particularly if your oral hygiene isn't as good as it should be. Getting so many calories from sugary sodas can also cause you to eat more calories than you burn -- which contributes to weight gain -- because liquid calories don't fill you up as much as food calories do. Filling up on soda can also lead you to skip more nutritious drinks, such as low-fat milk, which may contribute to nutritional deficiencies, according to MayoClinic.com.

Significance

The average American drinks about 50 gallons of soda pop or other sugary beverages every year, according to "Obesity" journal. Furthermore, the average American consumes about 250 to 300 more calories per day than he did decades ago and nearly half of that increase reflects a higher intake of sugary beverages such as soda, according to a 2009 report in the "New England Journal of Medicine." Soda consumption is thought to be a primary cause of the obesity epidemic. A 2001 "Lancet" analysis found that a child's chances of being obese increase about 60 percent for every extra serving of soda per day and a 2005 California Health Interview Survey found that adults who drink at least one soda each day are 27 percent more likely to be overweight than adults who do not.

Recommendations

Soda pop may be high in sugar, but some seemingly healthy juice drinks and sweetened teas aren't any better. A 12 oz. serving of cranberry juice cocktail contains about 12 tsp. of sugar, the same amount of lemonade has about 10 tsp. of sugar and sweetened peach tea contains about 8 tsp. of sugar. The American Heart Association recommends women limit their intake to no more than 6 tsp. of added sugar a day and men cut back to about 9 tsp. of added sugar. Children shouldn't have more than about 3 to 4 tsp. of added sugar a day and teens shouldn't have more than about 5 to 8 tsp. per day. Drink water, tea, coffee and low-fat milk without added sweeteners to cut back on liquid sugar calories. For some extra fizz, mix a splash of 100 percent fruit juice into a glass of sparkling water.