Chances are, the answer is no. A new study from the University of Florida in Gainesville’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Science surveyed over 3,000 participants on their beverage consumption and tested their knowledge on the amount of sugars or sweeteners in well-known beverages.
The study showed that 96% participants correctly identified non-diet soft drinks as sugar, but only 75% knew that it was added sugar. Also, only 25% of participants identified diet drinks as sugar-free and 40% believed diet drinks were sugary. 60% of the participants also knew that fruit and sports drinks contain added sugar. About 30% of participants did not know that milk contained sugar (lactose).
While half the participants were concerned about the amount of sugar in their drinks, but 40% based those concerns only on the amount of added sugars.
The study demonstrates that consumers may not know the kind of sugars there are and even what kind of sugars are in these beverages. The author of the study suggests that greater education on the nutrition of sugary drinks and health effects sugary drinks have on the body so that we may make better-informed decisions for our health.