Beverages By The Numbers: What We Drink and How Much

Beverages are an integral part of the diet. In order to evaluate current beverage intakes of Americans and measure associations between selected beverage categories and intakes of nutrients of public health concern, one day of 24-hour recall data from individuals (n=4,859) 2 y of age and older participating in WWEIA, NHANES 2007-2008 was analyzed. Beverages provided approximately one-fifth of total calories in the diets of Americans 2 y and older. Among adults, both men and women drank more plain water than any other beverage, followed by sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and coffee. For children and adolescents, the top beverage choices were water, SSB, and milk. Relative to older adults, younger adults consumed more SSB, plain water, and alcohol and less coffee. On any given day, about one-half of all young children (2-5 years) but only one-third of older children and adolescents drank milk. In contrast, about one-half of young children but over two-thirds of older children and adolescents drank SSB. On a weight basis, whites drank more total beverages than blacks. Individuals who reported milk on the intake day had higher intakes of several shortfall nutrients than did nonreporters. Consuming plain water was also associated with higher intakes of many nutrients, whereas consuming SSB was associated with lower intakes of most vitamins and minerals but higher intakes of calories and added sugars. Beverage choices have a significant impact on dietary quality. Presence of selected beverages (milk, water) and absence of others (SSB) is associated with a healthier overall dietary pattern.