Dentists issue sugar warning, as autumnal drinks hit coffee shop menus
Dentists have once again issued a sugar warning after it was revealed that many popular autumnal drinks, which appear on menus at this time of year, contain more than the recommended daily sugar intake.
Researchers discovered that some drinks on offer at chains like Costa and Starbucks contain up to 13 teaspoons of sugar. This is far more than a can of pop, and almost double the recommended daily intake for an adult.
As Costa has recently released its Bonfire-Spiced range, reporters from Huff Post set out to explore the options, and discover how much sugar is added to the most popular seasonal orders. The Starbucks pumpkin spiced coffee frappuccino was the worst offender, with 13 teaspoons of sugar per serving. The maple coffee frappuccino wasn’t much better, with 9.5 teaspoons of sugar. Costa’s bonfire-spiced hot chocolate boasted a whopping 9 teaspoons, with 10g more sugar than its standard hot chocolate.
In response to the findings, Professor Damien Walmsley, scientific adviser to the British Dental Association, warned of the dangers of excessive sugar consumption. Dental problems are an issue, and a sugary diet can also increase the risk of weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Current government guidelines suggest a maximum daily sugar intake of 30g, which makes it incredibly worrying that a single drink from these popular coffee shop chains exceeds this figure.
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