Do you ever reach for a plastic cup when it’s time to enjoy your favorite drink? You may have heard that drinking out of plastic could be dangerous for your health, but did you know that certain drinks can do more damage than others if served in plastic containers? From obvious no-nos like harsh acids to unexpected suspects like alcoholic beverages and coffee, this post covers the top drinks you should never put in plastic—and some safe alternatives too! Keep reading to unlock all the details.
Water
Water is often the drink that people are most likely to put in plastic bottles, but it’s also one of the worst drinks to do so. The plastic’s chemicals seep into your water and change its chemical structure. This can lead to problems with digestion because your body will have a more challenging time absorbing nutrients when drinking water stored in plastic bottles.
It’s bad for other reasons, too. You’re polluting the environment whenever you buy bottled water because of how wasteful they are. Many people claim that bottled water tastes better than tap water. While this may be true, there are easy ways to ensure that tap water tastes excellent! You can try using a filtration pitcher or faucet aerator.
Sports Drinks
Some sports drinks are more harmful than others. For example, Gatorade has made great strides in its new bottle that is 25% plant-based plastic. However, Powerade bottles still contain BPA and may be harmful when consumed over a long time. The sugar found in some sports drinks like Gatorade can damage your teeth when stored in plastic for too long.
Fruit Juice
It may be tempting to put fruit juice in plastic bottles because they are recyclable, but studies have shown that drinking fruit juice out of these bottles causes you to absorb more sugar into your system than standard beverages, especially if it’s kept for too long. You should also avoid putting fresh juices in the refrigerator because the taste changes drastically when chilled. If you insist on drinking fruit juice out of plastic containers, make sure not to buy them often because the contents spoil very quickly. And remember, always drink homemade juices within 24 hours!
Coffee Drinks
Some coffee drinks are okay to put in plastic bottles if consumed immediately. For example, Starbucks has a drink called their Trenta Iced Coffee which is only meant to be consumed within 30 minutes of being made. However, other coffee drinks may lose their flavor when stored in plastic bottles for too long because your taste buds become accustomed to the flavor over time, so drinking it every day would cause the drink to lose its taste. You should also avoid putting flavored creamers or syrups into your coffee because they have nasty chemicals for your health even when they’re stored outside of plastics.
Tea
Some tea drinks, such as Starbucks’ Refreshers, are okay to put in plastic bottles because they have a short shelf-life. However, other tea drinks should be avoided if you avoid chemicals from the plastics seeping into your drink. This includes most herbal teas and green tea, which may lose their flavor when kept in plastic. You can often tell when the tea has gone wrong by its smell. It smells musty or stale. So try to buy strong-smelling teas!
Beer
Although some beer companies have begun selling their beers in aluminum cans, a lot of beer comes in glass bottles or pry-off metal cans containing BPA inside their lining. The sugar found in some beers can also cause tooth decay if they’re stored in plastic. So avoid putting beer in the refrigerator or pantry when storing it for more than a few days; instead, keep it at room temperature to preserve its taste. If you want to avoid buying beer altogether, consider making your own! You can find many recipes online, and home brewing is becoming very popular these days.
Soda
Some sodas are okay to drink from plastic bottles like Coke products because the high acid levels mean they cannot leech chemicals into the soda. However, other drinks that contain high fructose corn syrup (like Sprite) or artificial sweeteners (like Mountain Dew) should be avoided because these ingredients are very harmful to your health when stored in plastic. Drinking sodas from plastic bottles can also cause tooth decay, so avoid storing them for too long if you don’t want to lose your teeth.
Milk
Some people think it’s good to store milk in a plastic container because it can be recycled and the container is resealable, but this is a bad idea for two reasons: first off, milk spoils very quickly, sometimes within five days! So you shouldn’t keep open milk cartons for longer than one week. Secondly, dioxins from recycled plastics can cause cancer. So if you want to store milk in the fridge, make sure it’s not inside a plastic container!
Conclusion
Overall, drinking anything out of plastic is not the best idea. If possible, it is better to put all your drinks in glass or ceramic containers. If you must use a plastic one, ensure the drink has a short shelf-life and avoid putting syrups or creamers in your drinks because these contain harmful chemicals. Also, always remember to recycle your plastic bottles. If you do use them, they can be used again!
