Flavoured water and juice drinks: how much sugar do they contain, and when do they make sense?

What are flavoured waters and juice drinks?

They are water-based drinks containing flavouring, a little fruit juice (often from concentrate), sugar, sweeteners or a combination of these. They are sold alongside water in very similar bottles, which can make them seem like water with something extra. In reality, products vary widely.

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight [2]. If sugar, glucose-fructose syrup, invert sugar or concentrated juice appears immediately after water, it is the main ingredient after water.

One detail is often confusing. The claim “no sweeteners” refers only to sweeteners such as sucralose or stevia; a drink with added sugar can still make that claim on its label.

How much sugar is in a 500 ml bottle?

Look for “sugars” in the nutrition table, which is given per 100 ml [2], and multiply that figure by five. It includes all sugars, both added sugars and those from juice [2]. Three examples:

• 2.5 g per 100 ml, the maximum allowed for a “low sugars” claim [3]. The bottle contains 12.5 g.
• 5 g per 100 ml. The bottle contains 25 g, about six teaspoons. Free sugars should provide less than 10% of daily energy intake; below 5% is desirable [1].
• 0.5 g or less per 100 ml, the maximum allowed for a “sugars-free” claim [3]. The bottle contains no more than 2.5 g.

Plain water provides no energy or sugars [4]. Sugary drinks are different. In 2022, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that added and free sugars should be as low as possible within a nutritionally adequate diet [5]. It also associated their consumption, particularly sugary drinks, with a higher risk of obesity [5].

Also, sugar dissolved in a drink is absorbed quickly because there is no fibre to slow it down. If you would like to know why, we explain it in our guide to the glycaemic index.

What should you check on the label of flavoured water?

• Sugars per 100 ml, multiplied by five for a 500 ml bottle [2].
• The first three ingredients. Sugar, syrups, honey or concentrated juice near the top of the list are free sugars [1].
• The percentage of juice, which must be shown when fruit is highlighted in the name or image [2]. A large piece of fruit on the label does not guarantee that there is much fruit in the bottle.
• Marketing claims. “No added sugars” does not mean sugar-free. If the drink contains sugars naturally present in its ingredients, the packaging must state that it contains naturally occurring sugars [3].
• Sweeteners in the ingredients list, if you want to know whether they are included.

Are drinks with sweeteners better?

Versions with non-calorie sweeteners contain very little sugar, so replacing a sugary soft drink with one reduces sugar intake on that occasion. However, in 2023 the World Health Organization issued a conditional recommendation against using these sweeteners for weight control [6]. In the long term, they were not associated with lower body fat [6]. This recommendation does not apply to people who already have diabetes [6].

Why is plain water the go-to drink?

Because it hydrates without providing energy or sugars [4]. The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition recommends water as the main drink, preferably tap water whenever possible [7].

If you want to lose weight, switching from sugary drinks to water is one of the easiest changes to maintain. It does not mean giving up any food, and it leaves room for foods that are filling. You can find the rest of the guidance in our weight-loss diet guide.

Do you need to drink two litres of water a day?

This is one of the questions we hear most often in consultations, and there is no fixed rule. The European Food Safety Authority sets an adequate amount of around 2 litres of total water a day for women and 2.5 litres for men, with moderate temperature and activity [8].

This figure includes water from food, which provides around one fifth [8]. Soup, fruit, vegetables and milk all count.

For a healthy adult, thirst is a good guide, together with urine colour. If it is pale, you are probably drinking enough; if it is dark, drink a little more. Older people feel less thirsty, so it can help to drink regularly throughout the day. Needs increase in hot weather, with exercise, during pregnancy or while breastfeeding [8].

How to flavour water at home

Fill a jug, add whatever you like, leave it in the fridge for an hour or two and drink it that day. The fruit stays in the jug, so the water takes on its flavour with very little sugar. Combinations that work well:

• Lemon, lime or orange slices, on their own or with a few mint leaves
• Thinly sliced cucumber and spearmint
• Halved strawberries and basil
• Fresh ginger slices and a piece of lemon peel
• Diced apple with a cinnamon stick

Wash the fruit and herbs well first. For a stronger flavour, lightly crush the mint or citrus with a spoon.

What common misconceptions do we hear in consultations?

When someone wants to give up soft drinks, there are three things we often hear in consultations.

• “I don’t drink soft drinks any more; now I drink flavoured water.” If the bottle contains 5 g of sugars per 100 ml, the sugar is still there even if the packaging has changed.
• “It contains juice, so it’s like eating fruit.” Juice in a bottle counts as free sugar [1] and does not contain the fibre found in whole fruit.
• “I can drink as much of the sweetened version as I like.” We use it as a stepping stone while the palate gets used to less sweet flavours. Water is still the everyday drink.

When does it make sense to have flavoured water?

Flavoured water with no or little sugar can be an intermediate step if you currently drink soft drinks every day. It can also be an occasional choice when you are away from home and nothing else is available. Drinks with as much sugar as a soft drink should be treated like soft drinks and consumed occasionally.

For children, water should be the usual drink. Replacing a soft drink with a sugary juice drink still adds sugar and gets the palate used to sweet flavours. If you exercise, your needs are different; we explain them in our guide to sports drinks.