Sales of non-alcoholic (NA) drinks are soaring as more people rethink their relationship with booze. But experts warn these alcohol-free alternatives may not be the right choice for everyone.

Moderate drinking was once thought to be good for your heart, but recent research shows that drinking less, or nothing at all, is a much healthier way to go. Alcohol has been linked to cancers, injuries, cardiovascular disease and a host of other problems.

So the low- or no- alcohol drinks are seen as an attractive alternative. They have less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. So that's compared to a standard beer, that would be about 5%, or a standard wine, that would be about 12%. But they do contain a lot of the alcohol-related cues, so the same taste, smell, sipping experience, sometimes even the same brand as alcoholic products, explains Molly Bowdring from Stanford University.

Retail sales of non-alcoholic wine, beer and spirits surged to $823 million last year. That's according to market research firm NielsenIQ, which says more than nine in 10 NA customers also buy alcohol.

Retiree Ann Kopp Mitchell, who recently tasted various NA beverages at Monday Morning Bottle Shop in San Diego, says they're a positive addition to her life. “If I want a glass of wine with my dinner, I don’t feel guilty. I can enjoy that glass of wine. And if I want to have a spirit because we’re celebrating someone’s birthday, or champagne, I will do that. But I’ll only have one, and then let it go, and then maybe go to a non-alcoholic, she says.

Still, health experts say non-alcoholic beverages aren’t for everyone, especially if they might trigger cravings for alcohol. These so-called NA drinks are meant to mimic alcohol in many ways, such as appearance, smell and taste.

Some drinks, like mocktails made with soda and sweet syrups, have high levels of sugar. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than about six teaspoons a day for women and nine teaspoons a day for men. A 12-ounce can of soda on its own contains 10 teaspoons.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.