A nutritionist warned that sugar-free soft drinks might not be as healthy as we think(Image: Getty)

Nutritionist's warning to anyone who consumes sugar-free drinks

These drinks might not be as healthy as we think, she advised.

by · The Mirror

An expert has issued a warning over sugar-free drinks claiming they may be causing more harm than good. When it comes to picking a beverage it is common to opt for sugar-free or “zero” options in a bid to reduce your calorie intake.

While this will help prevent weight gain and the associated risks that can come with being overweight or obese this could bring with it some hidden health risks. Spanish nutritionist Sandra Moñino urged people to take care when choosing their drinks.

On her podcast “Con Jengibre y Limón” (With Ginger and Lemon) the health expert and influencer spoke with her co-host María Pérez Espín about the dangers of certain drinks. They raised their concerns about the number of children consuming super-sugary drinks.

As reported by Cope Radio, Sandra said: "A carbonated drink can contain up to 40 grams of sugar. It's crazy.” The World Health Organisation (WHO) sets the healthy sugar limit per day at 25 grams.

Sandra was particularly concerned about the number of children who drink fizzy drinks( Image: Getty)

María added: "At any restaurant you go to, all the children have a carbonated drink on the table, whether it's orange, lemon, or cola.” For Sandra, one of the big problems is that the consumption of these sodas is not publicly discouraged or prohibited for children leaving them exposed to excessive sugar consumption.

She continued: “So we normalise that children can drink this type of beverage. And I even see that many times they say, well if not, the zero version.” However, this was where she issued her warning.

Sandra explained that the amounts of sweeteners in zero drinks are excessive and even a zero drink can be sweeter than a regular one. She said: "Zero drinks contain excessive amounts of sweeteners. They include sweeteners that are even banned in other countries, such as acesulfame-K, aspartame, and cyclamate, which are artificial sweeteners that sweeten up to 400 or 600 times more than sugar.

"Imagine a spoonful of sugar and how sweet it is; now imagine something 600 times sweeter than that spoonful of sugar—that's how sweet the sweetener is.” Acesulfame-K, aspartame, and cyclamate are all used in products sold in the UK.

Sweeteners such as aspartame could come with some health risks( Image: Getty)

According to the NHS, they are considered “safe and acceptable”. The health body says: “All sweeteners in Great Britain undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink. All approved sweeteners are considered a safe and acceptable alternative to using sugar. The law determines how much sweetener can be used and in which products.

“As part of the evaluation process, the government sets an acceptable daily intake (ADI), which is the maximum amount considered safe to consume each day over the course of your lifetime.

“You do not need to keep track of how much sweetener you consume each day, as our eating habits are factored in when specifying where, and in what quantity, sweeteners can be used.”

However, the World Health Organisation has warned that aspartame is a “possible carcinogenic” in humans, meaning it could raise your risk of cancer. An acceptable daily intake of aspartame is calculated to be 40 mg per every kilogram of your body weight.