Is Sprite Good For You?
King of the lemon-lime sodas, Sprite is a caffeine-free beverage that comes in a variety of fruity flavors (via Sprite). Made with natural flavors, and offering alternative products such as Sprite Zero Sugar, Sprite sounds like a pretty healthy bet when it comes to sodas. Sodas that are darker in color, such as Coke, are known to contain chemical ingredients that can negatively impact our health (via Livestrong). So if Sprite is virtually transparent in color, does that mean it may actually be good for us?
Sprite can be beneficial to us when dealing with illness. In order to keep dehydration at bay during a nasty bout of cold or flu symptoms, medical experts advise sticking with clear liquids to ease an uneasy stomach and replenish fluids lost from diarrhea or vomiting — Sprite being among them (via Youngstown State University). Experts at Montana State University also give the thumbs up when it comes to drinking Sprite to combat the flu, along with 7UP or ginger ale. They advise that 2 liters or more of these sorts of liquids should be consumed daily while sick.
What could possibly be better than a soda that's not only tasty but can also relieve stomach discomfort?
Be mindful of this ingredient in Sprite
The good news is that Sprite is free of artificial coloring, which does make it healthier in comparison to beverages that have it (via Lupilon). Some research suggests that artificial coloring may pose a health risk when consumed in large amounts. Sprite reduces this risk by omitting these chemicals from its formula altogether.
However, what it lacks in artificial coloring, it unfortunately makes up for in sugar. According to Eat This, Not That!, drinking one 20 fluid ounce bottle of Sprite is the sugar equivalent of snacking on more than 13 Oreos. Containing 64 grams of sugar, one bottle of Sprite far surpasses the American Heart Association's recommended daily sugar limitations of 36 grams for men and 25 grams for women (via Healthline).
So while Sprite can be helpful during cold and flu season, being mindful when it comes to consumption will help prevent any negative health effects related to overconsumption of sugar.