Chronic inflammation is a common condition that can wreak havoc on your body. It can cause everything from uncomfortable health issues, such as joint pain or stiffness, abdominal pain, and fatigue, to more serious, life-threatening chronic diseases.
“Chronic inflammation has been linked to diseases like cancer, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even depression,” says Amber Pankonin, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and owner of food blog the Stirlist.
If you’re looking to reduce inflammation, there are a number of things you can do, including exercising and making dietary changes; for example, you can give up foods that contribute to inflammation and increase your intake of anti-inflammatory foods. Pankonin notes that there are several studies that point to how certain nutrients like heart-healthy oils, polyphenols, and antioxidants may help reduce inflammation in the body.
Besides being mindful of your food intake, it’s important to know that what you drink can also contribute to reducing or worsening your inflammation. And there’s one drink, in particular, that may be the worst culprit of causing inflammation: sugary cocktails.
Some of the worst sugary cocktail offenders
You may not realize how much sugar you’re consuming when you have these popular alcoholic beverages:
Alcoholic malt beverage, like Smirnoff Ice or Mike’s Hard lemonade (1 can or bottle, 12 ounces): 245 calories and 35.2 grams of sugar
Rum cooler, like Bacardi Breezer (1 can or bottle, 12 ounces): 257 calories and 36.9 grams of sugar
Frozen margarita (1 cup): 274 calories and 36.2 grams of sugar
Pina colada (1 cup): 340 calories and 39.6 grams of sugar
Frozen Daiquiri, like Master of Mixes Mango Daiquiri Mix (4 ounces): 200 calories and 45 grams of sugar
For context, the American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6 percent of calories each day, which is the equivalent of 25 grams of sugar per day for women or 38 grams of sugar for men. With that in mind, having just one of the above cocktails will cause you to hit your limit of added sugar per day.
Written by Emily Shiffer for Eat This Not That©
Source: The #1 Worst Drink for Inflammation (msn.com)