Margarita mix: a sweetened drink with a lime flavor

In randomized trials pooled in a meta-analysis, adding sugar-sweetened drinks to adults' diets raised body weight by 1.8 lb (95% CI 1 to 2.6; metric: 0.83 kg, 0.47 to 1.19). Cutting them in children slowed BMI gain by 0.21 kg/m2 (95% CI 0.40 to 0.01), an interval that almost reaches zero. We found no trial of margarita mix itself, and what the US dietary survey lists for it reads like a sweetened drink. Per 100 g, the nonalcoholic mix has 87 calories and 21.4 g of carbohydrate, all of it sugars, with 2.7 mg of vitamin C and 102 mg of sodium, from one recipe that does not say how much real juice it holds. A fluid ounce, 31 g, gives 27 calories and 6.6 g of sugars. The survey's unspecified serving of 7.9 oz (225 g) carries about 196 calories and 48 g of sugars, scaled from 100 g and more mix than a cocktail usually takes. WHO advises keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy, about 50 g at 2000 calories, so by our own arithmetic that serving nearly fills the limit.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Per 100 g, nonalcoholic margarita mix gives 87 calories and 21.4 g of carbohydrate, all of it sugars, with only 2.7 mg of vitamin C and 102 mg of sodium. — FNDDS food Margarita mix, nonalcoholic (food code 92512110, fdc 2710575) Evidence E source
  Energy 87 calories, carbohydrate 21.4 g, total sugars 21.4 g, vitamin C 2.7 mg, sodium 102 mg, potassium 28 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• The US dietary survey counts one fluid ounce of margarita mix as 31 g and a typical unspecified serving as 225 g, which carries about 196 calories and 48 g of sugars. — FNDDS portion weights for Margarita mix, nonalcoholic (fdc 2710575) Evidence E source
  1 fl oz 31 g = 27 calories, 6.6 g sugars; unspecified quantity 225 g = 195.8 calories, 48.1 g sugars

What your body absorbs

• In 36 iron-deficient Mexican women, 25 mg of vitamin C from limeade with each of 2 meals a day for 8 months did not improve hemoglobin or ferritin compared with a lime-flavored placebo. — two rural Mexican populations, each with 18 iron-deficient women, 8 months (n = 36) Evidence B source
  No final difference in hemoglobin, plasma ferritin or transferrin receptors; plasma vitamin C higher in limeade group (P < 0.01)

What it does to your health

• In 12 healthy men, drinking 20 fl oz (600 mL) of a commercial sugar-sweetened beverage cut microvascular endothelial response from 208% to 144% compared with water. — 12 healthy male participants, single-blind crossover, two visits (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Acetylcholine response 208.3 ± 24.3 vs 144.2 ± 15.7% (P < 0.01); flow-mediated dilation 0.019 vs 0.014 %/s (P < 0.01)
• Across 18 cohorts with 541,288 adults, each extra daily serving of sugar-sweetened beverage was linked to 25% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. — healthy adults in prospective cohorts, SSB: 18 cohorts (n = 541,288) (n = 541288) Evidence C source
  RR 1.25 (95% CI 1.17 to 1.35) per serving of SSB; fruit juice RR 1.05

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a randomized crossover study, grapefruit juice nearly doubled felodipine exposure (AUC 55 vs 29 nmol h/L), while quarter-strength lime juice left average levels unchanged but more than doubled them in 2 people. — volunteers taking felodipine with 8.5 fl oz (250 mL) of grapefruit juice, quarter-strength lime juice, red wine or water Evidence B source
  Grapefruit AUC 55 ± 9 vs 29 ± 6 nmol h/L (P < .05); lime juice no mean change, doubled AUC in 2 subjects

Who this works differently for

• WHO advises keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy, about 50 g for a 2000 calories diet, so one 7.9 oz (225 g) serving of margarita mix nearly fills that limit. — adults and children Evidence E source
  Free sugars limit under 10% of energy, about 50 g a day at 2000 calories; 5% or less may add benefit
• A meta-analysis found that adding sugar-sweetened drinks to adults' diets in randomized trials raised body weight by 1.8 lb (0.83 kg), and cutting them in children's trials slowed BMI gain by 0.21 kg/m2. — 48 studies in children and 37 in adults, including 16 RCTs in adults (n = 1343) and 8 in children (n = 2783) (n = 4126) Evidence A source
  Adults: +1.8 lb (0.83 kg) with added SSB (0.47 to 1.19), -1.1 lb (-0.49 kg) with SSB removal (-0.66 to -0.32); children: BMI -0.21 kg/m2 (-0.40 to -0.01) with reduction

The bottom line

The rest of the health evidence is about sugary drinks in general. Across 18 cohorts with 541,288 adults, each extra daily serving of sugar-sweetened beverage was linked to a 25% higher risk of type 2 diabetes (RR 1.25, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.35). That is an association of moderate certainty. In 12 healthy men, 20 fl oz (600 mL) of a commercial sugar-sweetened drink cut the small-vessel response to acetylcholine from 208% to 144% compared with water, a one-off effect measured on a single visit. Lime did not help iron in the one trial we have. In 36 iron-deficient Mexican women, limeade with 25 mg of vitamin C twice a day for 8 months left hemoglobin and ferritin no different from a lime-flavored placebo. That trial randomized two rural communities rather than individual women, on a high-phytate diet. Who should be careful. In a randomized crossover study with the drug felodipine, grapefruit juice nearly doubled drug exposure (AUC 55 vs 29 nmol h/L). Quarter-strength lime juice left the average unchanged and more than doubled it in 2 people. The abstract does not say how many took part, and we have no figure for the juice content of bottled mix. This page covers the nonalcoholic mix, and we have no card on the tequila that usually goes in with it, on pregnancy or on other drugs. Still unknown: how brands differ, how much real juice they hold, and whether storage changes anything, since we found no study of a bottled mixer.

Sources

1. mgmx-daily-r1-01 · USDA FNDDS, dataset
   Margarita mix, nonalcoholic (FNDDS 92512110, fdc_id 2710575) per 100 g: Energy 87 kcal; Carbohydrate, by difference 21.4 g; Total Sugars 21.4 g; Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 2.7 mg; Sodium, Na 102 mg; Potassium, K 28 mg
   USDA FNDDS, FoodData Central survey release 2024-10-31, FDC 2710575 · checked 2026-09-30
2. mgmx-daily-r1-02 · USDA FNDDS, dataset
   Margarita mix, nonalcoholic (fdc_id 2710575): 1 fl oz 31 g, 27.0 kcal, 6.6 g Total Sugars; Quantity not specified 225 g, 195.8 kcal, 48.1 g Total Sugars
   USDA FNDDS, FoodData Central survey release 2024-10-31, FDC 2710575 · checked 2026-09-30
3. mgmx-daily-r1-04 · randomized trial
   Two rural Mexican populations were randomly assigned to an AA or a placebo group, each with 18 iron-deficient women. The AA group was given 500 mL limeade containing 25 mg AA twice a day, 6 d/wk, for 8 mo. The placebo group was given a lime-flavored beverage free of AA or citric acid. ... There were no final differences between groups in hemoglobin, plasma ferritin, or transferrin receptor concentrations or in the ratio of transferrin receptors to plasma ferritin after control for initial concentrations.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2003 · checked 2026-09-30
4. mgmx-daily-r1-07 · randomized crossover trial
   In a randomized, single-blind, crossover trial, 12 healthy male participants consumed 600 mL (20 oz.) of water or a commercial SSB across 2 visits. ... Compared with water, SSB consumption impaired microvascular and macrovascular endothelial function as indicated by a decrease in the vascular response to acetylcholine iontophoresis (208.3±24.3 versus 144.2±15.7%, P<0.01) and reduced flow-mediated dilation (0.019±0.002 versus 0.014±0.002%/s, P<0.01), respectively.
   Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 2017 · checked 2026-09-30
5. mgmx-daily-r1-08 · meta-analysis of cohorts
   Of 10,384 studies, 29 cohorts were included: SSB: 18 (n = 541,288); fruit juice: 14 (n = 490,413); sucrose: 7 (n = 223,238); total sugar: 4 (n = 109,858); fructose: 5 (n = 158,136); and added sugar: 2 (n = 31,004). ... Each additional serving of SSB and fruit juice was associated with a higher risk of T2D (risk ratio [RR]: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.17, 1.35 and RR: 1.05; 95% CI: >1.00, 1.11, respectively; moderate certainty).
   Adv Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-30
6. mgmx-daily-r1-05 · randomized crossover trial
   The oral pharmacokinetics of felodipine and its primary metabolite (dehydrofelodipine) were determined with 250 mL of grapefruit juice, one quarter-strength lime juice, red wine, or water in a randomized crossover study. ... Grapefruit juice increased the mean felodipine area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) (mean +/- SE, 55 +/- 9 nmol. h/L versus 29 +/- 6 nmol. h/L; P <.05) and the plasma peak drug concentration (16 +/- 3 nmol/L versus 8 +/- 2 nmol/L, P <.05) and decreased the dehydrofelodipine/felodipine AUC ratio compared with those of water. One quarter-strength lime juice did not alter mean values. ... One quarter-strength lime juice more than doubled felodipine AUC and plasma peak drug concentration in 2 subjects.
   Clin Pharmacol Ther, 2003 · checked 2026-09-30
7. mgmx-daily-r1-03 · WHO fact sheet
   The consumption of free sugars should be limited to less than 10% of total daily energy intake, which is equivalent to 50 g (or about 12 level teaspoons) for a person of healthy body weight consuming about 2000 calories per day.
   WHO, Healthy diet fact sheet, 2026-01-26 · checked 2026-09-30
8. mgmx-daily-r1-06 · meta-analysis of RCTs and cohorts
   We identified 85 articles including 48 in children (40 cohorts, n = 91,713; 8 RCTs, n = 2783) and 37 in adults (21 cohorts, n = 448,661; 16 RCTs, n = 1343). ... RCTs in children indicated less BMI gain with SSB reduction interventions compared with control (MD: -0.21 kg/m2; 95% CI: -0.40 kg/m2, -0.01 kg/m2). In adults, randomization to addition of SSBs to the diet led to greater body weight gain (MD: 0.83 kg; 95% CI: 0.47 kg, 1.19 kg), and subtraction of SSBs led to weight loss (MD: -0.49 kg; 95% CI: -0.66 kg, -0.32 kg) compared with the control groups.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-30