SSB stands for sugar-sweetened beverage, a term used by health organizations to describe any drink with added sugar that contributes calories. The category includes sodas, fruit drinks, sweet teas, sports drinks, and energy drinks. It does not include diet drinks, artificially sweetened beverages, or 100% fruit juice. The distinction matters because SSBs are linked to a range of chronic health problems, from weight gain and type 2 diabetes to liver disease and tooth decay.
What Counts as an SSB
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans define SSBs as “liquids that are sweetened with various forms of sugars that add calories.” In practical terms, that covers regular soda or pop, sweetened fruit drinks like Kool-Aid and lemonade, sweet tea, sports drinks like Gatorade, and energy drinks like Red Bull. If you made a fruit drink at home and added sugar to it, that counts too.
A few categories are specifically excluded. Diet soda and other artificially sweetened drinks are not SSBs because they don’t add sugar calories. Pure 100% fruit juice is also kept in a separate category, even though it contains natural sugars at levels similar to soda. The key difference is that SSBs contain manufactured sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup, while 100% juice gets its sugar from the fruit itself. That said, portion size plays a role: the average soda is about 20 ounces, while a typical serving of juice is 8 ounces, so a daily soda habit delivers far more sugar overall.
How to Spot One on a Label
Not every SSB is obvious. A bottle labeled “cranberry juice cocktail” or “fruit punch” is an SSB, not a fruit juice. The ingredient list is the most reliable way to tell. Look for terms like cane sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, rice syrup, molasses, caramel, honey, or agave. Any ingredient ending in “-ose” (glucose, fructose, maltose, dextrose, sucrose) signals added sugar. Words like “glazed,” “candied,” or “frosted” can also indicate sugar was added during processing.
Sugar Content Across Common Drinks
A 12-ounce can of cola contains about 39 grams of sugar, roughly 10 teaspoons. A same-sized serving of a popular sports drink has about 21 grams. Energy drinks vary widely but often match or exceed soda in sugar per serving, especially in larger cans. Sweetened iced teas and fruit drinks tend to fall somewhere in between. Even drinks marketed as healthier options, like vitamin waters or flavored lemonades, frequently qualify as SSBs once you check the label.
Why Liquid Sugar Is Different
Your body handles sugar in liquid form differently than sugar in solid food. Research consistently shows that liquid carbohydrates produce less satiety than solid ones. In plain terms, a 200-calorie soda doesn’t make you feel full the way 200 calories of solid food would. You’re likely to eat the same amount of food afterward, effectively adding those liquid calories on top of your normal intake.
The fructose in SSBs creates a specific problem in the liver. When you drink a large amount of fructose quickly, more of it reaches the liver than the body can process through normal pathways. The liver converts that excess fructose into fat at a high rate, with no built-in feedback mechanism to slow the process down. Over time, this fat accumulates in liver tissue. Fructose is a more potent driver of this liver fat production than glucose, which is one reason SSBs are singled out as a risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Health Risks Linked to SSBs
Frequent SSB consumption is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, gout, and tooth decay. The weight gain connection is the most studied. A large review of 13 systematic reviews found that nine concluded there was a direct link between SSB intake and weight gain in children and adolescents. Each additional daily serving of SSBs was associated with a small but consistent increase in BMI over time. Reducing SSB intake showed the reverse effect, with intervention groups losing more weight than control groups.
The dental damage comes from a two-part process. Bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar from SSBs and produce acid as a byproduct. That acid erodes tooth enamel and creates cavities. Many SSBs are also acidic on their own, which compounds the damage. Compared to the sugar naturally found in milk, the sugars in SSBs cause a sharper drop in mouth pH, meaning more aggressive enamel breakdown.
How Much Is Too Much
The World Health Organization recommends limiting free sugars (which includes all added sugars, not just those in drinks) to less than 10% of your total daily energy intake, with additional benefits at less than 5%. For an adult eating about 2,000 calories a day, 10% works out to roughly 50 grams of added sugar total. A single 20-ounce bottle of soda can contain 65 grams or more, putting you over that threshold in one drink.
Because SSBs deliver sugar in liquid form without triggering fullness, they’re one of the easiest sources of added sugar to cut. Swapping a daily soda for water, unsweetened tea, or sparkling water removes a significant chunk of added sugar from your diet without changing anything else about how you eat.