Starbucks frappuccinos loaded with more sugar than Krispy Kreme donuts

Sunday, August 07, 2016 by: Amy Goodrich
Tags: Starbucks, frappuccinos, sugary drinks

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(NaturalNews) Iced drinks served by fast food chains may be refreshing on a hot summer day, but they also contain a staggering amount of sugar. To give you an idea, one Starbucks Strawberries & Cream Frappuccino contains 13 teaspoons of sugar.

Helen Bond, State registered dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, told the Mail Online that if these treats remain an occasional indulgence, there is nothing to worry about.

However, if sugar-laden drinks become a regular part of one's diet, they represent a significant threat to long-term health. These sugar-laden drinks are loaded with empty calories and low in beneficial nutrients and fiber.

Sugar in a cup

The Cherry Berry Frozen Lemonade from Burger King is another good example. The word lemonade may conjure up a somewhat healthy image, but Burger King's version of the classic drink is anything but healthy.

The regular size serving has 86 grams, or 22 teaspoons, of sugar. This is more than twice the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended daily limit of 35 grams (9 teaspoons) a day for men, and even more so for women, who are advised to consume less than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of sugar a day.

As reported by Mail Online, that's about the same amount of sugar as nine Krispy Kreme doughnuts, 17 milk chocolate digestives or four Magnum ice lollies.

Another example is the Mango and Pineapple Iced Fruit Smoothie from McDonald's. At first glance, the mango and pineapple make it seem healthier than Burger King's lemonade, and it sort of is. It has about half the sugar of the Cherry Berry, but still more than what the WHO recommends should be consumed in a day.

If the high levels of sugar aren't bad enough already, iced sugary drinks from fast food chains are loaded with preservatives and other harmful chemicals. With his new book, Food Forensics, Mike Adams will help your family make better decisions to avoid these toxins from ending up in your bodies.

Sugar risks

Consuming too much sugar puts one at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity and tooth decay. Sugar raises blood sugar levels, which causes the body to produce insulin.

Insulin is a hormone which encourages extra calories to be stored as fat. Since sugary drinks are not filling and hold little nutritional value they are almost entirely extra calories. Drinking one will simply add to your caloric intake for the day, as you will still need to eat actual food.

For example, enjoying a Cherry Berry Frozen Lemonade will add 440 calories to your body, the vast majority of which will end up as new fat cells.

Therefore, consuming lots of sugary drinks makes one more likely to be obese, which in turn increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Both of these conditions are chronic and lifelong, and are among the leading causes of death in the U.S.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the pancreas stops producing sufficient amounts of insulin to maintain a healthy blood sugar level, or the body stops being able to use the insulin that is produced. Without insulin, sugar builds up in the bloodstream, which over time can cause a whole range of serious health problems, including nerve, eye or kidney damage.

Diabetes itself is considered the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S., but it is also the primary factor in developing heart disease, which is the number one cause of mortality.

Next time you crave a refreshing drink you might want to think again before grabbing one of those sugary frappuccinos.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

MayoClinic.org

MayoClinic.org

Diabetes.org

CDC.gov