Healthy soft drinks: are carbonated, coconut and tonic water good for you? 

The NHS recommends drinking 6 to 8 glasses of fluids a day, but not all drinks are created equal.

Many soft drinks contain a lot of added sugars, which are bad for your teeth and can lead to weight gain.

The good news is that there are healthier ways to reach the recommended amount.

Here’s our list of 8 drinks to help you stay hydrated, ranked from best to worst based on their nutrient content.

1. Water: tap, still or sparkling

Tap water is cheap, environmentally friendly and sugar-free, making it the best option to sip throughout the day.

For some extra flavour without added sugar, try a slice of lemon, fresh mint or strips of cucumber.

If you’re a fan of fizzy drinks, sparkling water is another healthy sugar-free option.

However, sparkling (also known as carbonated) drinks are slightly acidic and may damage tooth enamel over time, so it’s best to enjoy them in moderation.

2. Lower-fat milk

Lower-fat milks are a good source of protein and calcium, and count towards your recommended fluid intake.

These include:

• semi-skimmed milk
• 1% fat milk
• skimmed milk
• unsweetened plant-based drinks, such as almond or oat milk.

If you’re cutting back on fat, the NHS recommends drinking these instead of whole milk, which contains higher levels of fat and saturated fat and could lead to weight gain and high cholesterol.

• Read more about full-fat milk and dairy.

3. Tea or coffee

Some people worry that drinking caffeinated drinks will affect their heart health, but up to 400mg of caffeine a day, or around 4 to 5 cups of tea or coffee, is considered safe for most people.

• Find out more about caffeine and how it can affect your heart.

If you are sensitive to caffeine, decaf tea or coffee can be a good alternative.

4. Sugar-free and no-added sugar drinks

Compared to sugary soft drinks, sugar-free or no-added-sugar drinks are better for your teeth and contain fewer calories.

Remember that even sugar-free fizzy drinks are acidic, and can damage your tooth enamel if you drink a lot of them.

This includes mixers added to alcoholic drinks. For example, tonic water is high in sugar and calories, so it’s best to choose a sugar-free version, whether you’re drinking it with alcohol or on its own.

Some sugar-free drinks contain artificial sweeteners. While artificially sweetened drinks are better than sugary drinks, they still have no nutritional value, so water, lower-fat milk, tea and coffee are all healthier choices.

5. Squash

Even a small amount of squash diluted with water can be high in sugar.

Instead, choose sugar-free squash or cordials and dilute them well with water.

6. Coconut water

Coconut water is the clear liquid inside young green coconuts. Unlike tinned coconut milk, which is very high in saturated fat, coconut water contains almost no fats.

It has natural electrolytes, such as potassium and magnesium, which support hydration. This has boosted its popularity as a healthy alternative to sugary sports drinks. But it’s no more hydrating than plain water for most people.

Although sometimes described as a juice, coconut water contains naturally occurring sugars, which have not been released by blending or processing, unlike the free sugars in fruit juice.

Even so, coconut water does have around 19kcal per 100ml. This compares to just 7kcal per 100ml of unsweetened tea with semi-skimmed milk.

7. Fruit juice: orange, cranberry and apple

Fruit juice or a smoothie might be advertised as a healthy option, but they’re high in sugar.

Whole fruit contains natural sugars, which come with extra nutrients like fibre.

But blending or juicing fruit releases these natural sugars, turning them into free sugars – the same sugars that are added to other soft drinks.

The NHS recommends limiting the amount of juice or smoothie you drink to 150ml a day.

Even if you drink more, it still counts as only 1 portion of your 5 a day due to the high sugar content.

• Discover 3 reasons why smoothies are not a shortcut to a healthy diet.

8. Energy drinks

Some people worry that energy drinks are bad for their hearts because they’re high in caffeine.

However, a standard energy drink only contains 80mg of caffeine per 250ml – less than a cup of coffee, which has around 100mg.

There are other reasons why you might want to avoid them. A lot of the energy in energy drinks actually comes from added sugar.

Instead, choose sugar-free energy drinks, or enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with lower-fat milk to help you feel more alert.

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