Key Messages
DRINK LOTS OF CLEAN, SAFE WATER!
Water constitutes the major portion of the human body (50-70% or about two-thirds) and is essential for life. One of the main functions of water in the body is to regulate the body temperature. Many nutrients, including certain vitamins and minerals, are dissolved in water in the body. We need to drink or consume water to enable the body to absorb nutrients from food and transport them around in the body. Water also removes waste products from the body through the kidneys when we urinate.
More benefits of choosing water:
- Drinking water helps you maintain a healthy weight
- Water has no sugar or kilojoules!
- Drinking water keeps you hydrated
- Water may help to prevent headaches, fatigue and irritability
- Water may help with digestion and prevent constipation
- Tap water is much cheaper than any other drink!
TAKE CARE - SUGARY DRINKS CAN AFFECT YOUR HEALTH!
Sugary drinks are drinks that are sweetened with various forms of added sugars like brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, and sucrose. Examples include fizzy drinks, teas or coffees, flavoured waters, flavoured milk, drinking yoghurt and sport and energy drinks. Fruit juices have a similar energy and sugar content as beverages that have added sugar and are therefore regarded as sugary drinks.
Drinking too many sugary drinks is associated with weight gain and obesity; the development of other chronic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease; fragile bones and other bone diseases like osteoporosis as well as tooth decay and cavities.
HOW MUCH SUGAR IS IN YOUR DRINK? – READ THE LABEL!
The food label on foods or drinks contains information on the ingredients that were used to manufacture the food or drink as well as a nutritional information table that gives the nutritional value of that food or drink.
On average, commercially produced sugary drinks contain the following amounts of sugar per 500 ml serving (two average-sized cups/glasses):
