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

At the end of the month, you may be among the millions who jumped on the Dry January bandwagon and congratulated themselves on a healthy dose of sobriety after the excesses of Christmas and New Year.

Maybe it wasn’t that hard for you. With more of us looking for low- or no-alcohol 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 bestsellers, meaning whether your usual order is a G&T, an iced bourbon, a glass of chardonnay or a lager, there’s a non-alcoholic version for your.

But if you’re tempted to continue your no/lo drinking, assuming it’s very healthy, read on. Because you may find that some of these so-called virtuoso substitutions actually contain more sugar than many of the originals.

“Alcohol is a very effective flavor carrier. When it’s removed, manufacturers are looking for alternative methods to “lift” the flavor, explains Lisa Godfrey, food scientist and founder of NonToxicated! (nontoxicated.co.uk), an app with over 1,000 non-alcoholic drinks.

“Increasing the sugar content is one way to do that. Sugar can cause a dopamine spike in the brain, so manufacturers include it to give the same pleasure boost as alcohol.”

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

Eating fewer calories sounds good, but it can be a problem when those calories contain more sugar. Sugar causes an insulin spike, which can encourage the body to hold on to the energy used as fat—not what you want as a health boost.

We did some digging and what we found might make you think twice before sipping on this soda…

All numbers are per 100 ml

BEER

Heineken original

• Energy: 42 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 3.2 g
• Of which sugar: 0g

Heineken zero

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

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

CLOCKS

A non-alcoholic cava might sound like something worth celebrating, but it still cuts your calories by around three-quarters

Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut

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

Freixenet 0.0% alcohol-free shower

• Energy: 19 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 4.3 g
• Of which sugar: 3.8 g

A non-alcoholic cava might sound like something worth celebrating, but while it cuts your 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, which tastes like sparkling grape juice.

GHOSTS

Most pure spirits are good choices when trying to cut carbs. Abstaining from alcohol cuts calories by nearly 94 percent, and there’s no added sugar

Gordon’s gin

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

Gordon’s non-alcoholic spirit

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

Most pure spirits are good choices when trying to cut carbs. Abstaining from alcohol cuts calories by nearly 94 percent, and there’s no added sugar. But when it comes to blenders, be careful not to ruin your good work, as many “diet” blenders contain sugar

WHITE WINE

Giving up alcohol with white wine cuts calories by three-quarters, but increases your sugar intake fivefold

Chardonnay

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

Iceberg non-alcoholic Chardonnay

• Energy: 22 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 5.2 g
• Of which sugar: 4.5 g

Giving up alcohol with white wine cuts calories by three-quarters, but increases your sugar intake fivefold. And you can taste it. It smells like dessert wine and tastes strangely synthetic. A poor substitute for reality.

RED WINE

As with the white, the alcohol-free red wine has significantly fewer calories, but almost four times the sugar

Shiraz

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

McGuigan Zero Shiraz

• Energy: 29 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 7g
• Of which sugar: 3.9 g

As with the white, the alcohol-free red wine has significantly fewer calories, but almost four times the sugar. However, it does not taste overwhelmingly sweet. It’s not bad, but it lacks the dry tannins of a real red wine.