The Dirty Truth About Starbucks

The allure of an early morning kick of caffeine can be very strong, and when you mix in a little sugar, it can be even more enticing.

Creeping along, watching consumers as their desires and habits take shape, Starbucks as a calculating sugar pusher continues to develop sweet drinks at the detriment of others, regardless of resulting serious health issues. Surprisingly, these sweet drinks can sometimes be worse for you than the drinks we typically associate with loads of sugar, masked by “transparency” that supposedly gives consumers full nutritional insight.

Serious Conditions and Addiction

Did you know that the average American consumes around 270 calories of added sugars each day, equating to about 17 teaspoons, when the recommended limit is 200 calories of added sugars, or 12 teaspoons?¹

This level of intake and on a consistent level can result in concerning health conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, a fatty liver, even cancer (as well as issues like acne, depression, weight gain, and aging).²

 What’s more, studies have shown that sugar may be as addictive as street drugs. An animal study published in the Journal of Nutritional Neuroscience utilized biotelemetry transmitters to determine the effects of intermittent sugar administration on rats. At the close of the study, it was found that the sugar had a significant connection to gaining weight, obesity and type 2 diabetes.³

 Even with a clear understanding of the tie between sugar and major health conditions, it’s disturbing that Starbucks continues down its path of consumer destruction, shamelessly and without a second thought.

A Dangerous Menu

According to Eat This, Not That!, many of Starbucks drinks ignore the recommended maximum daily sugar intake, often doubling – even tripling – it in a single order.⁴ The Frappuccino family is a huge culprit, with Mocha Cookie Crumble, White Chocolate Mocha, Caramel Ribbon Crunch, and Pumpkin Spice (a seemingly harmless seasonal favorite) leading the way. Hot Chocolate and White Hot Chocolate are also extremely problematic, in addition to various lattes, such as Iced Cinnamon Dolce and Pistachio.

Believe it or not, a 16 oz. can of Coca Cola has less sugar, at 52 grams, than various Starbucks drinks. Below is a quick comparison, all of which are 16 oz.⁵:

Coca Cola Coca Cola has taken the sugar wrap for many years. Do we have a new leader??	52 grams	Sugar Increase over Coca Cola
Java Chip Frappuccino	67 grams	28.8%
Iced White Chocolate Mocha	54 grams	3.8%
Green Tea Creme Frappuccino Blended Crème	65 grams	25.0%
White Chocolate Mocha	59 grams	13.5%

 But let’s not forget those crave-worthy pastries in the glass case near the register – intentional placement – with their siren song to purchase while individuals wait in line. These pastries are also laden with sugar, demonstrating Starbucks’ commitment to further pumping individuals with sugar and on a global scale. The Deal Meal lays out some of the most problematic items⁶:

• Chocolate Chip Cookie: This cookie contains 31 grams of sugar, which is more than the daily recommended amount of sugar for adult females, and nearly the entire amount for adult males.
• Pumpkin Scone: A seasonal favorite, this scone contains 46 grams of sugar. That’s far more than the amount of sugar a person should consume daily.
• Iced Lemon Loaf: This loaf, while quite popular, contains 40 grams of sugar, also more than the daily recommended intake. Don’t let “lemon” fool you into thinking there is nutritional value.
• Double Chocolate Brownie: This brownie has 37 grams of sugar and is incredibly rich, making it difficult for chocolate lovers to resist.
• Blueberry Muffin: The muffin contains 29 grams of sugar and is literally topped with large pieces of sugar.

Those trusted morning pick-me-ups, contained in smiling cups or in unassuming wrappers, are the products of a company that unabashedly doesn’t care about human health in the immediate or in the long term, and continues to perpetuate burgeoning sugar addictions.

Other Benefits to Kicking the Habit

Clearly cutting down sugar intake – especially if over the daily limit – has substantial health benefits in staving off various concerning conditions. There are also other notable benefits to cutting back on sugar, one of which is improving skin health. Various small studies have shown that embracing a low-glycemic diet can help individuals avoid acne.⁷

A reduction in sugar can also make a difference in health issues surrounding oxidative stress and inflammation. Oxidative stress is naturally reoccurring and designed to protect us against things like infection and disease. However, sugar can cause an imbalance between free radicals and oxidants, which can exacerbate oxidative stress to a degree that leads to health problems, as well as cell damage.

Similar to oxidative stress, and often tied to it, inflammation is naturally recurring and is part of the repair and protection processes of the body, such as fighting off viruses or in response to an injury. Unfortunately, sugar intake can put stress upon the liver, resulting in increased inflammation, which leads to more free radicals and ultimately health problems.

Reducing sugar has also been shown to assist with sleep, as too much sugar can cause blood sugar crashes, which can be very disruptive. Reducing sugar also assists with mood regulation, as sugar blocks the chemicals that handle emotions.

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Don’t let Starbucks fool you. They’re counting on your inability to separate fact from fiction in the purchase of their drinks, betting on your oversight of the true amount of sugar in what their baristas seem to carefully create. It’s up to consumers to take the time to really assess what they are ingesting, as well as the true nature of the brand they are supporting.

Stay tuned as we continue to expose the dirty secrets of what Starbucks serves to the huge health detriment of all Starbucks lovers.

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References

1. How Does Too Much Sugar Affect Your Body? WebMD website. https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/how-sugar-affects-your-body January 9, 2024.
2. 11 Reasons Why Too Much Sugar Is Bad for You. Healthline website. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/too-much-sugar September 26, 2022.
3. Sugar Addiction: More Serious Than You ThinkCenter of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies (CAS) website (Rutgers). https://alcoholstudies.rutgers.edu/sugar-addiction-more-serious-than-you-think/
4. Every Starbucks Coffee Drink—Ranked by Sugar Content. Eat This, Not That! website. https://www.eatthis.com/starbucks-drinks-ranked-by-sugar/ October 25, 2024.
5. Soda vs. Starbucks: Are Americans Really Having Less Sugar? Supermarket Guru website. https://www.supermarketguru.com/articles/soda-vs-starbucks-are-americans-really-having-less-sugar/ January 11, 2017
6. The Most Sugary Starbucks Pastries, Ranked. The Daily Meal website. https://www.thedailymeal.com/1132374/the-most-sugary-starbucks-pastries-ranked/ December 9, 2022.
7. Can the right diet get rid of acne? American Academy of Dermatology Association website. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/causes/diet