What's a good drink that doesn't destroy teeth?

[The motor guy]

Besides water? I got off the coke kick and started drinking Powerade/Gatorade, but just apparently it's more acidic than coke is. I work outside in the heat all day and I get tired of water, which is why I'll have a couple gotorades or a coke during the day to give me a little extra energy to make it through. I think my gingivitis is coming back again, which is why I ask. I didn't realize the gatorades were just as bad as coca cola, so that's probably why it came back.

 

[Rolla07]

Anything can be acidic..how about drinking those things through a straw? Should lessen the amount of contact with your teeth at least..

 

[Doublehaul]

Lacroix water...love it in lime

 

[john_pifer]

NUUN

 

[AirgunSavant]

I drink unsweetened iced tea without lemon. Like you I quit soda about 12 years ago.
I still drink mostly water but it does get old. The tea is an acquired taste but you get used to it.

 

[wkcars]

I like coconut water once in a while.

 

[Nederlander75]

Beer

 

[BigBuck]

Seltzer water/club soda/sparkling water

 

[Digital2k2]

If you're in the heat all day you probably need something to help with electrolytes to a greater extent than water would. Soft drinks will dehydrate you, so that's no good. I'm not sure what a good alternative would be to gatorade even though that does help hydrate... They do make electrolyte infused water, but that's not going to have any taste.

Next time you drink something that has flavor to it, take a look at how many grams of sugar per serving and how many servings one bottle is. If you're really trying to watch sugar intake for numerous reasons, including your teeth, not exceeding 50 grams in a day from all sources of food and drink combined is the goal to shoot for.

Doing a quick search I came across this: "With 13x more potassium than Gatorade and twice the sodium of Gatorade, coconut water itself is a better natural alternative. When compared to Gatorade, coconut water was the clear winner between the two, being the natural alternative with less sugar, and more electrolytes for the win".

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: Digital2k2
If you're in the heat all day you probably need something to help with electrolytes to a greater extent than water would. Soft drinks will dehydrate you, so that's no good. I'm not sure what a good alternative would be to gatorade even though that does help hydrate... They do make electrolyte infused water, but that's not going to have any taste.

Next time you drink something that has flavor to it, take a look at how many grams of sugar per serving and how many servings one bottle is. If you're really trying to watch sugar intake for numerous reasons, including your teeth, not exceeding 50 grams in a day from all sources of food and drink combined is the goal to shoot for.

Doing a quick search I came across this: "With 13x more potassium than Gatorade and twice the sodium of Gatorade, coconut water itself is a better natural alternative. When compared to Gatorade, coconut water was the clear winner between the two, being the natural alternative with less sugar, and more electrolytes for the win".


Good alternative to Gatorade - NUUN. As I posted above. Google it.

 

[raytseng]

Another way is just be sure to rinse with water after drinking your drink of choice. and/or also chew (sugar-free) gum to increase saliva.

This is just to cancel out your drink; not to say your gingivitis is due to other cuases

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: john_pifer
NUUN


Giving that a try this week....

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: Nederlander75
Beer


BOOM.

/thread

 

[Merkava_4]

I drink Propel all the time. I even get the recharge packets. All you need is a container that's 16.9 ounces.

 

[Popsy]

Coconut water, green tea?

 

[AirgunSavant]

Dang, I was going to give it a try but the sodium was too high for me.
But looks interesting for others. Thanks.



Originally Posted By: john_pifer
NUUN

 

[turboseize]

Water. Just pure water. If you sewat a lot, have some salty snacks throughout the day.

Water making you tired could be your addiction to sugar - once blood sugar levels drop, you get tired. With soft drinks, you flood your body with sugar constantly, so you never notive the problem. That this is not very healthy needs not to be mentioned...

There was one commenter proposing beer. That should not be ridiculed. A bavarian white beer is a perfect match for any isotonic sports drink, nutrient-wise.
You would not want to get drunk at work, but some brewers make decent alcohol-free beers. Franziskaner and Neumarkter Lammsbräu in their "alkoholfrei" variants taste (to me) nearly indistinguishable to a "real" beer.

 

[weasley]

Remember, it is not just the acidity of the drink that will attack your teeth, it is also the sugar that is metabolised to acidic products by the bacteria in your mouth. If you drink and then leave a residue of the drink in your teeth, they will decay. The use of a straw has been mentioned above - this helps any drinks bypass your teeth. There is also the suggestion of rinsing with water or chewing gum.

My guess is though that if you have a liking for sweetened drinks, you are going to struggle to find something that satisfies your taste needs as well as hydration needs. Water is the ideal, but if you get bored you won't drink it. Flavoured waters start adding potential risk factors, unless they are sugar-free, in which case some sweetener substitutes are not great medically and (to me) don't taste great.

Maybe take a look at what some athletes drink? For example there are plenty of cycling drinks that are sugar-free, designed to replace fluids and salts without adding carbs or calories. That said, when I am cycling I drink only water.

 

[dlundblad]

Water is literally the best thing you can drink if working out in the heat. If I have a pop or sugary drink, I feel horrible and tired afterwards. The sugar gives me a headache too. I do my very best to stay away from the stuff and can't tell you the last time I had any. Pretty sure I had a diet 7up when I had my "day flu" a few months ago?

Lots of articles out there covering this. Pretty nasty IMO.
http://metro.co.uk/2015/07/29/this-is-what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-drink-coke-5317856/

Anyways, I'd stick with water or perhaps unsweetened ice tea. If you get tired of water, try those water flavor things you see in the water aisles at the grocery store.. I've never had any though.

 

[Drosselmier]

When I was a very young man I worked in a few hot environments. There were Salt Tablet dispensers available. I have not seen any of them in years. Maybe people got too much sodium and did more harm. When I played golf I would take a few of the fast food type packages of salt along with my water. It helped somewhat.