The Sugar Tax
For many years, campaigners have been working relentlessly to reduce the amount of sugar in soft drinks. It’s a move to prevent an obesity epidemic, with taxes for manufacturers who continue to produce what are considered to be ‘unhealthy’ products. However, on the flip side, these changes could have serious implications for diabetics, who have come to rely on drinks like Ribena and Lucozade to stave off a hypo.
The rules came into effect in April 2017, and so as manufacturers make changes to their formulas and introduce new stock, it’s vital to look at the labels. It’s perfectly feasible that a supermarket shelf may contain both old and new formula stock, so do be sure which one you’re picking up.
And once all the old stocks are gone, your choices are limited, so it’s important to understand how much of the new formula drinks you’ll need to consume in order to get the same effects as before.
For Lucozade – the sugar content is reducing by 65% to 4.5g. This means you’ll need to drink more than double the previous quantity.
For Ribena – the sugar content is reducing by 55% to 4.5g. Again, this means more than double consumption.
However – GlucoJuice is staying the same – so no need to worry there if you use this product.
An alternative to drinking double volumes of liquid is to look at supplementing the sugar intake with something like glucose tablets. But if you have any doubts or concerns, it’s always best to speak to your health professional.