Are non-alcoholic drinks really as healthy as you think?

As we come to the end of the month, you may be one of the millions who jumped on the dry January bandwagon and congratulate themselves on a decent stretch of abstinence after Christmas and New Year excesses.

You may not have even found it that difficult. After all, with more of us looking for low and non-alcoholic options year-round, the market for so-called No/Lo drinks is bigger than ever.

Some of the biggest brands offer non-alcoholic versions of their best sellers, which means that whether your usual order is a G&T, bourbon on the rocks, a glass of Chardonnay, or a beer, there’s a non-alcoholic version for you.

But if you’re tempted to stick with your No/Lo intake, assuming it’s super healthy, read on. Because it’s possible that some of these so-called virtuous replacements actually contain more sugar than many originals.

“Alcohol is a very effective flavor carrier, so when it’s removed, manufacturers look for alternative methods to ‘elevate’ flavor,” explains Lisa Godfrey, food scientist and founder of NonToxicated. (nontoxicated.co.uk), an app listing over 1,000 non-alcoholic drinks.

‘Increasing the sugar content is one way to do it. Sugar can trigger a surge of dopamine in the brain, so manufacturers include it to provide the same high of pleasure as alcohol.

What’s confusing is that their non-alcoholic versions are always seen as the healthy option. “That’s because alcohol has seven calories per gram, while sugar has four,” says Lisa. “So even with more sugar, soft drinks may still have fewer calories.”

Although eating fewer calories sounds good, if those calories have more sugar in them, it can be a problem. Sugar causes a spike in insulin which can encourage the body to retain expended energy as fat, which is not what you want in a health kick.

We’ve done some digging, and what we found might make you think twice about indulging in that non-alcoholic beverage…

All figures are per 100ml

BEER

Original Heineken

• Energy: 42kcal
• Carbs: 3.2g
• Of which sugars: 0g

heineken zero

• Energy: 21kcal
• Carbohydrates: 4.8g
• Of which sugars: 1.3g

Not surprisingly, non-alcoholic beer doesn’t taste as bitter and lacks depth of flavor, but it’s not a bad imitation. Although the non-alcoholic version is half the calories, you get more carbs and 1.3g of sugar.

BUBBLES

A non-alcoholic cava may seem worthy of celebration, but although it cuts calories by about three-quarters

Freixenet Brut Black Cord

• Energy: 82kcal
• Carbohydrates: 2.6 g
• Of which sugars: 1g

Freixenet 0.0% Alcohol-Free Sparkling

• Energy: 19kcal
• Carbs: 4.3g
• Of which sugars: 3.8g

A non-alcoholic cava might seem like it’s worth celebrating, but even though it cuts calories by about three-quarters, you get almost four times the sugar, about a teaspoon per glass. It also lacks the dryness of a Brut cava, flavored with bubbly grape juice.

SPIRIT

Most straight spirits are a great option if you’re trying to cut carbs. Eliminating alcohol cuts calories by nearly 94 percent and there’s no added sugar

Gordon’s Gin

• Energy: 213kcal
• Carbohydrates: 0g
• Of which sugars: 0g

Gordon’s Non-Alcoholic Liqueur

• Energy: 12kcal
• Carbohydrates: 0g
• Of which sugars: 0g

Most straight spirits are a great option if you’re trying to cut carbs. Quitting alcohol cuts calories by nearly 94 percent, and there’s no added sugar. But on the blender front, be careful not to ruin all your good work as many ‘diet’ blenders contain sugar.

WHITE WINE

Avoiding alcohol with white wine cuts calories by three-quarters, but increases sugar intake by a factor of five

chardonnay

• Energy: 82kcal
• Carbohydrates: 2.1g
• Of which sugars: 0.9g

Non-alcoholic Chardonnay Eisberg

• Energy: 22 calories
• Carbohydrates: 5.2g
• Of which sugars: 4.5g

Going non-alcoholic with white wine cuts calories by three-quarters, but increases sugar intake by a factor of five. And you can taste it. This smells like dessert wine and tastes weirdly synthetic. A poor substitute for the real thing.

RED WINE

Like white, non-alcoholic red wine has significantly fewer calories, but almost four times more sugar.

shiraz

• Energy: 85kcal
• Carbohydrates: 2.6 g
• Of which sugars: 0.9g

McGuigan Zero Shiraz

• Energy: 29kcal
• Carbohydrate: 7g
• Of which sugars: 3.9g

As with white, non-alcoholic red wine has significantly fewer calories, but nearly four times the sugar. However, it does not taste overwhelmingly sweet. It’s not bad but it lacks the tannic dryness of true red wine.