How Much Sugar is in Soda? Enough to Make Lollipops

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The public has been repeatedly warned of the negative effects of regularly consuming sugary beverages, especially sodas, due to its high sugar contents. Here's a fact: a standard U.S. sized can of regular Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of sugar. But how exactly can we visualize 39 grams of sugar? Food photographer and artist Henry Hargreaves set out to do exactly that.

Hargreaves told Mashable in an interview: "After recently hearing a health professional refer to soda as 'the cigarettes of our generation,' I decided to do an experiment to show what's in soft drinks after the water is boiled away—in other words, dehydrating the hydrator. Once boiled, I took each remaining substance and poured it into a lollipop mold. After all, I figure that's what you're essentially getting: candy in costume as a soft drink."

His process involved creating a mold out of the base of each drink's bottle by tracing it. He then boiled the drink until the water evaporated, thereby creating a syrupy kind of liquid. He poured the syrup into the mold and added a lollipop stick and proceeded to take photos to visually represent the amount of sugar in each drink.

Hargreaves' experiment included Vitamin Water, with 33 grams of sugar, Snapple with 46 grams, Mountain Dew with 77 grams, Jarritos with 29 grams and Coke with 39 grams of sugar.

Another disturbing health fact according to The Street is that HealthMine's recent survey revealed 83% of Americans do not know their blood sugar level. The American Diabetes Association also reports that ignorance is costly, as not knowing about diabetes adds up to as much as $322 billion every year.

Among 29 million Americans who have diabetes, eight million are not aware of their condition. Additionally, one out of three Americans have pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are above normal and when left untreated, become a risk for type 2 diabetes.

"When it comes to basic biometrics, in America, we are often ignorant, and knowledge equals money in your pocket. Knowing your blood sugar level is the first step to lowering your risk," CEO and President of HealthMine told The Street. "Eating healthy, being active and not smoking could prevent 80% of type 2 diabetes. Wellness programs can be the lighthouse to detect those who are at risk and steer them out of danger."

Prevention is indeed better than cure, which is why health experts are encouraging a healthier lifestyle through proper diet and exercise. According to The Street, "By following preventive health actions including diet modification, weight loss, and smoking cessation, many pre-diabetics can avoid an irreversible diabetes diagnosis."