Why your Christmas coffee could be less than merry for your teeth
Everyone loves a warm, festive drink to get us in the Christmas spirit But what happens when those inviting speciality hot drinks become a regular habit over the Christmas season?
A recent video from Denplan, the UK’s leading dental payment plan provider, has revealed the incredibly high sugar content of festive drinks found in many high street coffee chains, including a hot chocolate which contains up to 24 teaspoons of sugar. If accompanied by cakes or other sweet treats, the amount of sugar consumed can double.
Henry Clover, deputy chief dental officer at Denplan, said that “While most people will probably be aware that their festive drink contains some levels of sugar, they might not be aware of the sheer quantity.”
“Many of the festive coffees, lattes and hot chocolates that we looked at across a range of high street coffee chains contained, on average, around 12 to 18 teaspoons of sugar in their largest portion sizes. One caramel fudge hot chocolate from a popular coffee chain even contained a shocking 24 teaspoons of sugar – that’s the equivalent to around two and a half cans of cola.
The amounts of sugar found in high street coffee chain beverages is especially concerning in light of guidelines from the World Health Organisation published earlier this year, which suggests that adults should consume no more than 12 teaspoons of sugars which are added to foods and drinks, as well as things like honey and fruit juices a day, but should really be aiming for six.
In addition, research conducted earlier this year by YouGov on Denplan’s behalf shows that consumers would like to know more about the levels of sugar found in their food and drinks, and would even like to see an overall reduction in sugar content. The survey revealed that 35% of UK adults think that retailers and food companies do enough to inform them of how much sugar is in food and drinks. Of those who disagreed that retailers and food companies do enough, 73% said retailers and food companies should reduce the overall sugar content in food and drinks.
Henry Clover also stated that “If you do decide to sample a speciality coffee during the festive period, make sure you’re aware of the sugar content before you order, and try to drink this as part of a balanced meal.”
