Drinks to Avoid with Insulin Resistance

Regular soda, sweetened fruit drinks and large servings of 100% fruit juice are among the main drinks to avoid or limit with insulin resistance. Other sweetened drinks can also contribute substantial carbohydrates without being particularly filling. Avoiding them does not by itself treat insulin resistance, and an occasional serving is different from a daily habit.

For alternatives, see the best drinks for insulin resistance.

Which 7 drinks should you avoid or limit with insulin resistance?

These drinks differ in their ingredients and effects, but many have one feature in common: sugar that is easy to consume quickly. The amount, frequency and your overall eating pattern matter. A clinician or registered dietitian can help you make a plan that fits your health needs.

1. Regular soda

Regular soda supplies added sugar in liquid form. Its carbohydrates can raise blood glucose, and drinking it routinely can add a substantial amount of sugar without the fiber found in whole foods.

Check the label for total carbohydrate and added sugars, and limit how often you have regular soda. If you have diabetes and use insulin or another medication that can cause low blood sugar, a sugary drink may have a role in treating a low; follow your care plan rather than avoiding it in that situation.

Evidence strength: moderate for certain sugar-sweetened beverages; limited for soda specifically. A 2021 randomized trial found increased liver fat synthesis after healthy men consumed fructose- or sucrose-sweetened beverages. It did not establish that avoiding soda reverses insulin resistance.

2. Sweetened fruit drinks and cocktails

Fruit drinks, punches and cocktails can contain added sugars as well as fruit juice. Their carbohydrate can raise blood glucose, even when the packaging features fruit or describes the drink as made with juice.

Look beyond the front label: check the ingredient list and the amounts of total carbohydrate and added sugars. Limit sweetened fruit drinks, especially when they have become a regular part of meals or snacks. A fruit-flavored drink is not necessarily nutritionally equivalent to whole fruit.

Evidence strength: moderate for certain sugar-sweetened beverages; limited for specific fruit drinks. The randomized trial provides relevant evidence about beverages sweetened with fructose or sucrose, but it did not test every fruit-drink formulation. It measured liver fat synthesis rather than demonstrating a treatment effect on insulin resistance.

3. Large servings of 100% fruit juice

Even without added sugar, 100% fruit juice contains natural sugars that contribute carbohydrate and can raise blood glucose. Juice can provide nutrients, but it generally has less fiber than whole fruit and is easier to drink quickly.

You do not necessarily have to eliminate 100% fruit juice. If you drink it, pay attention to the serving size and total carbohydrate on the label, and discuss a suitable amount with your care team if you monitor carbohydrate intake. Whole fruit may be a useful choice when you want fruit with more fiber.

Evidence strength: limited for 100% fruit juice. The listed randomized trial tested sugar-sweetened beverages, not 100% fruit juice. We found no juice-specific trial showing that limiting juice treats insulin resistance.

4. Sweetened coffee drinks

Coffee drinks made with flavored syrups, sweetened sauces or other sugary additions can contain considerable added sugar. That sugar contributes carbohydrate that can raise blood glucose; the amount depends on the recipe and serving size, not simply on the fact that the drink contains coffee.

Check the nutrition information for the specific drink, including any flavorings you add. Request less syrup or choose a smaller serving if sweetened coffee is a frequent habit. Plain coffee and a heavily sweetened coffee drink should not be treated as nutritionally identical.

Evidence strength: limited and indirect for sweetened coffee drinks. The listed trial supports caution about regular consumption of fructose- and sucrose-sweetened beverages, but it did not test sweetened coffee drinks. It cannot establish a specific effect of coffee drinks on insulin resistance.

5. Sweetened tea and lemonade

Bottled sweet tea, sweetened iced tea and lemonade can contain added sugar, although recipes vary. The sugar adds carbohydrate to the drink and can raise blood glucose; a tea, lemon or fruit image on the container does not tell you how much sugar it contains.

Read the nutrition label and limit versions with substantial added sugar, especially if you drink them often. For a prepared drink without a label, ask how it is sweetened and consider requesting less sugar. Unsweetened tea and sweetened tea are not the same product.

Evidence strength: limited and indirect for sweetened tea and lemonade. The listed randomized trial studied sweetened beverages, not these specific drinks. Its findings do not show that avoiding sweetened tea or lemonade alone will improve insulin resistance.

6. Sugar-containing sports and energy drinks

Some sports and energy drinks contain added sugar that can raise blood glucose. Energy drinks may also contain caffeine and other stimulants, so their effects and suitability cannot be judged by sugar content alone.

Check the label rather than assuming a product marketed for exercise or energy is necessary for an ordinary day. Limit sugar-containing versions as routine drinks; if you have a medical or athletic reason to use one, ask a qualified professional what fits your circumstances. Formulations vary, and not every product in these categories contains sugar.

Evidence strength: limited and indirect for sports and energy drinks. The listed trial did not test these drinks or their stimulant ingredients. It offers relevant evidence about certain added sugars in beverages, but not a direct measure of these products' effects on insulin resistance.

7. Sugary alcoholic mixed drinks

Cocktails made with sweetened mixers, syrups or juice can add carbohydrates that raise blood glucose. Alcohol adds a separate concern: it can contribute to low blood sugar, particularly for people who use insulin or certain diabetes medications and drink without food.

Limit sugary mixers if you choose to drink alcohol, and ask your clinician how alcohol fits with your conditions and medications. An alcoholic drink with little sugar is not automatically risk-free. Do not start drinking alcohol for a health benefit, and avoid alcohol during pregnancy.

Evidence strength: limited for alcoholic mixed drinks. The listed randomized trial did not study alcohol or mixed drinks. Its findings about sweetened beverages do not establish how alcoholic drinks affect insulin resistance.

What should you limit when reading a drink label?

Look first at total carbohydrate and added sugars, then check the serving size. Total carbohydrate includes sugars already present in ingredients as well as added sugars; the added-sugars line helps distinguish sweetened products from those containing only naturally occurring sugars.

A label's serving size is a basis for the listed nutrition information, not a personal recommendation. If a container holds more than the listed serving and you drink all of it, account for the amount in the whole container. Compare products using the same serving amount, since package sizes can differ.

Sweeteners such as honey, syrup and sugar added to a drink still contribute added sugars, even when they sound more natural. If you have diabetes or have been given a carbohydrate target, use your individualized plan rather than relying on a product's marketing claims.

For drinks prepared at a café or restaurant, the amount of syrup, juice or other sweetener can make a difference. Ask for the nutrition information when available, or ask how the drink is prepared. A smaller serving or less added sweetener may be a practical way to reduce the sugar in a drink you have regularly.

Who should be careful, and when should you see a doctor?

If you have diabetes, are pregnant or have gestational diabetes, ask your clinician or registered dietitian for an individualized eating and drinking plan. Parents and caregivers should get advice from a child's healthcare professional rather than imposing an adult plan. Do not stop or change prescribed medication on your own.

If you take insulin or a medication that can cause low blood sugar, carry the fast-acting carbohydrate recommended in your care plan. For an adult with blood glucose below 70 mg/dL, CDC guidance is to take 15 g of fast-acting carbohydrate, wait 15 minutes and check again; repeat if it is still low, unless your care team has given you different instructions. Contact your care team about repeated lows.

If someone is unconscious, having a seizure or unable to swallow, do not give food or drink. Use prescribed glucagon if available and you know how, and call emergency services. Seek emergency care for symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, deep or rapid breathing, confusion or marked drowsiness, which can accompany a serious blood-glucose emergency.