What Drinks Have the Most Sugar?

The common belief is sugar causes cavities. In theory that is correct. An acidic environment is the true factor that induces cavities to grow and worsen, but sugar is a catalyst for cavities. The more frequently sugar coats teeth the more susceptible to cavities they are.

So what drinks contain the most sugar? Do sodas have the most sugar than any drink? What beverages are the best to drink?

In 1981 the average American consumed 4 tsp/sugar a day. Today the average man, woman, AND child consumes 17 tsp of sugar a day! The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends at most 9 tsp of sugar per day for men and 6 tsp for women and children.

To compare apples-to-apples, the quantity of sugar in each drink was calculated as if each beverage were distributed the size of a regular soda can--12oz. Sugar is listed as how many sugar cubes (1tsp) are in each beverage.

---

KEY

9+ tsp Sugar Exceeds AHA Guidelines for Daily Sugar Consumption

6.1-9 tsp Sugar AHA Guideline for Men (Max 9 tsp/day)

0-6 tsp Sugar AHA Guideline for Women and Children (Max 6 tsp/day)

---

SPECIALTY DRINKS

Specialty drinks are beverages that are made to order. This is usually coffee, tea, smoothies, etc. We chose popular stores that are often frequented for their drinks. Below are the three MOST sugary drinks on the market that we could find based on the 12 oz scale.

---

COFFEE

TSP Coffee

9.8 Starbucks Frappuccino Coffee

9.7 Starbucks Frappuccino Coffee Caramel

9.7 Starbucks Frappuccino White Chocolate Mocha

9.3 Starbucks Frappuccino Coffee Vanilla

6.8 Starbucks Iced Espresso Caramel Macchiato Premium

5.5 Starbucks Doubleshot Energy Mocha (Original or Vanilla)

2.2 Starbucks Espresso and Cream Light

0.2 Starbucks Cold Brew Premium Coffee Black Unsweetened

0.0 Starbucks Iced Coffee Premium Unsweetened Blonde Roast

---

ENERGY DRINKS

TSP Energy Drink

12.9 No Fear Regular

12.0 Rockstar Boom Whipped Strawberry

11.4 Rockstar Boom - Whipped Orange

11.3 Rockstar Energy Drink

11.2 Rockstar OG

11.2 Rockstar Original

11.0 Rockstar Fruit Punched Energy Drink

10.7 Amp energy Elevate

10.5 180 Blue Orange Citrus Blast

10.4 Full Throttle Blue Agave

10.4 Full Throttle Citrus

10.4 Amp energy Overdrive

10.4 Amp energy regular

10.0 Crunk Energy Drink Pomegranate

10.0 Crunk Grape Acai energy drink

10.0 Crunk Sour Apple

9.6 Monster Energy (Original)

9.5 NOS grape

9.3 Rhinos Energy Drink

9.2 Drank Classic Extreme Relaxation

9.1 NOS high performance energy drink

9.1 Nitrous Monster Super Dry

9.0 Nitrous Monster Anti-gravity

9.0 Redbull regular

8.9 Monster Assault

8.9 Monster Energy Nitro

7.6 Monster MIXXD

6.6 Monster Khaos

6.3 Monster Java

6.2 Bodyarmor Edge (All Flavors)

1.1 Monster low carb

0.4 Rockstar Lemonade Recovery Energy

0.0 5-Hour energy Berry

0.0 5-Hour energy extra strength

0.0 Amp energy sugar free

0.0 Bucked Up Energy Drink Mango Tango

0.0 C4 Super Human Performance Energy

0.0 G Fuel Blue Ice Blue Raspberry

0.0 G Fuel Peach Rings

0.0 Hydrive (All Flavors)

0.0 Meltdown Energy Peach Mango

0.0 Monstser Energy Ultra Fiesta Mango

0.0 Redbull sugar free

0.0 Redline (All Flavors)

0.0 Rhinos Sugar Free Energy Drink

0.0 Rockstar Energy Drink Sugar Free

0.0 Rockstar Juiced Mango Guava Pure Zero Energy

0.0 Rockstar Pure Zero

0.0 Zoa Energy Drink

TSP Energy Drink

---

JUICE

TSP Juice

14.4 Minute Maid Cranberry Cocktail

13.4 Tropicana Grape Juice

12.7 Welch's 100% Grape Juice Red Grape

12.7 Welch's 100% Grape Juice White Grape

12.3 Welch's Concord Grape 100% Juice

12.0 Welch's 100% Juice Black Cherry Concord Grape

11.4 Minute Maid Cranberry Grape

11.4 Welch's Cranberry

11.3 Welch's 100% Juice White Grape Peach

10.7 Minute Maid Cranberry Apple Rasberry

10.6 Welch's Watermelon Lemonade

10.6 Welch's 100% Juice White Grape Cherry

10.5 Dole Pineapple Juice

10.4 Welch's Mango Passion

10.3 Langers Apple Grape 100% Juice

10.3 Naked Blue Machine

10.3 Welch's Passion Fruit

10.2 Minute Maid Fruit Punch

10.2 Nantucket Nectars Big Cranberry Cocktail

10.2 Welch's Orange Pineapple

10.1 Tropicana Twister Blue Rasberry Rush

10.1 Tropicana Twister Cherry Berry Blast

10.1 Tropicana Twister Orange Strawberry Banana Burst

10.1 Tropicana Twister Strawberry Kiwi Cyclone

10.0 Minute Maid Orangeade

10.0 Minute Maid Pink lemonade

10.0 Simply Lemonade

9.9 Simply Apple

9.9 Motts 100% Apple Juice

9.9 Ocean Spray Cranberry Elderberry 100% Juice

9.8 Tropicana Cranberry Cocktail

9.7 Jumex Peach

9.7 Juicy Juice 100% Apple

9.7 Juicy Juice 100% Berry

9.7 Minute Maid Mixed Berry

9.6 Naked Orange Mango

9.5 Capri Sun 100% Apple Juice

9.5 Capri Sun 100% Fruit Punch Juice

9.5 Minute Maid Lemonade

9.5 Minute Maid Pineapple Orange

9.5 Tree Top 100% Pure Pressed 3 Apple Blend 100% Juice

9.5 Welch's Apple Juice

9.5 Juicy Juice 100% Organic Apple

9.5 Ocean Spray Orange Juice

9.5 Welch's Grape

9.5 Welch's Mango Pineapple

9.4 Naked Protein Zone

9.3 Juicy Juice Apple

9.3 Minute Maid Apple Juice

9.3 Jumex Strawberry Banana

9.2 Tropicana Juice Beverage Cranberry

9.2 Ocean Spray Cran-Grape

9.2 Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry

9.2 Ocean Spray Cranberry Raspberry 100% Juice

9.2 Ocean SprayCran-Pomegranate

9.2 Welch's Guava Pineapple

9.2 Welch's Mango Twist

9.0 Kool Aid Tropical Punch

9.0 Sobe Fuji Offshore Breeze Cranberry

9.0 Sobe Citrus Energy

8.9 Sobe Liz Blizz Pina Colada

8.9 Sobe Morning Patrol Strawberry Banana

8.8 Minute Maid Peach Mango

8.8 Tropicana 100% Juice-Apple Juice

8.8 Tropicana Apple Orchard Style Juice

8.8 Ocean Spray Ruby Red Grapefruit

8.8 Welch's Berry Pineapple Passion Fruit

8.8 Sesame Street Elmo's Punch

8.6 Good to Grow 100% Apple juice

8.6 Minute Maid Orange Juice

8.6 Tropicana Lemonade

8.6 Jumex Mango

8.4 Snapple Fruit Punch

8.2 Welch's Fruit Punch

8.2 Simply Orange

8.1 Ocean Spray Cranberry 100% Juice (No Sugar Added)

8.1 Snapple Kiwi Strawberry

8.1 Snapple Mango Madness

8.1 Welch's Orange Pineapple Apple

8.1 Welch's Peach Medley

8.1 Tropicana 100% Juice-Orange Juice

8.1 Jumex Guava

8.0 Welch's Orange Juice 100% (No Sugar Added)

7.9 Tropicana Orange Juice (with Calcium)

7.9 V8Fusion Pomegranate Blueberry

7.7 Welch's Strawberry Kiwi

7.6 Tang

7.4 V8 Fusion Cranberry Blackberry

7.1 Fuze Banana Colada

6.7 Bug Juice (All Flavors)

6.3 V8 Fusion Strawberry Banana

6.2 Capri Sun Pacific Cooler Juice Drink

6.1 Starbucks Pink Drink Strawberry Acai

6.0 Minute Maid Tropical Blend

5.9 Starbucks Paradise Pineapple

5.7 Country Time Lemonade

5.7 Minute Maid Orange Juice (Original)

5.2 HiC Flashin' Fruit Punch Drink

4.9 Fuze Blueberry Lemonade

4.9 Fuze Pineapple Mango

4.9 Fuze Strawberry Peach

4.8 Sunny D Tangy Original

4.2 Sunny D Smooth

3.9 Welch's Concord Grape Light

3.8 Ocean Spray Cranberry, Strawberry & Kiwi Growing Goodness

3.7 TumE Yummies Edgy Orange Burst

3.7 TumE Yummies Fruitabulous Punch

3.7 TumE Yummies Rad Rasberry Zing

3.7 TumE Yummies Very Berry Blue

3.6 V8 Energy Black Cherry

3.6 V8 Energy Orange Pineapple

3.2 V8 Splash Strawberry Kiwi

3.2 V8 Splash Tropical Blend

2.5 V8 Vegetable Juice low sodium

2.5 V8 Vegetable Juice Spicy Hot

2.5 V8 Vegetable Juice

2.4 Kool Aid Bursts Jammers Cherry

2.1 Campbell's Tomato Juice

2.1 V8 Splash Berry Blend

2.1 Kool Aid Bursts Tropical Punch

0.7 Little Hug Grape

0.7 Little Hug Orange

0.4 Welch's Diet Cranberry Grape

0.4 Welch's Concord Grape Diet

0.0 Capri Sun Splash Cooler Mixed Fruit

0.0 Crystal Lite Fruit Punch

0.0 Crystal Lite Rasberry Ice

0.0 Kool Aid Pink Lemonade Packet

0.0 Sun Fresh Lemonade

Tsp Juice

---

MILK

Tsp Milk

9.9 Chocolate Milk Great Value 1% Low Fat

9.5 Chocolate Milk Umpqua Dairy Dutch Style

8.8 Chocolate Milk Yoohoo

4.2 Chocolate Milk Fairlife 2% Reduced Fat Ultra-filtered

4.2 Milk Great Value 2% Reduced Fat

---

SODA

Tsp Soda

11.7 Boylan's Grape

11.7 Tahitian Treat Fruit Punch

11.4 Fanta Pineapple

11.3 Welch's grape soda

11.0 Mountain Dew

11.0 Mountain Dew Code Red

11.0 Mountain Dew Voltage

11.0 Jones Root Beer

10.9 Mello Yello

10.9 Martinelli's Sparkling Cider

10.9 Sunkist Peach

10.7 A&W Cream Soda

10.7 A&W Rootbeer

10.7 Sunkist Strawberry

10.5 Barq's Rootbeer

10.5 Boylan's Black Cherry

10.5 Boylan's Orange Cream

10.5 Boylan's Orange Soda

10.5 Fanta Grape

10.5 Fanta Strawberry

10.5 Hansen's Cane Soda-Mandarin Lime

10.4 Sunkist Orange

10.3 Crush Orange

10.3 Fanta Orange

10.2 Boylan's Rootbeer

10.2 Crush Grape

10.2 RC Cola

10.0 Coca-Cola Cherry

10.0 Henry Weinhard's Root Beer Gourmet Soda

10.0 Mug Root Beer

10.0 Pepsi Wild Cherry

9.8 Boylan's Sugar Cane Cola

9.8 Dr. Pepper Cherry

9.8 Hansen's Cane Soda-Cherry Vanilla Crème

9.8 Natural Brew Draft Root Beer

9.8 Pepsi

9.7 Pepsi Vanilla

9.6 Fanta Peach

9.5 Boylan's Crème Soda

9.5 Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale

9.5 Fanta Berry

9.5 IBC Root Beer

9.5 Maine Root Beer

9.5 Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice Cocktail

9.3 Cactus Cooler

9.3 Coca-Cola Caffeine Free

9.3 Coca-Cola Classic

9.3 Dr. Pepper

9.3 Shasta Tiki Punch  

9.0 7up

9.0 7up Cherry

9.0 Sprite

9.0 Mr. Pibb xtra

9.0 Squirt

8.8 Sierra Mist

8.7 Fanta Piña Colada

8.3 Jones Cola

8.3 Jones Lemon Lime

8.3 Grapico

8.1 Hansen's Cane Soda-Kiwi Strawberry

8.1 Hansen's Cane Soda-Pomegranate

8.1 Jones Cream Soda

7.9 Jones Berry Lemonade

7.9 Jones Orange & Cream Soda

7.9 Jones Blue Bubblegum

7.9 Jones Green Apple Soda

7.9 Jones Strawberry Lime

7.6 Boylan's Original Birch Beer

7.6 Schweppes Tonic Water

7.6 Canada Dry Ginger Ale

7.6 New York Seltzer (Grape Only)

7.1 Ale 8-One

7.1 Jones Watermelon

7.1 New York Seltzer (Orange, Strawb, Cola/Berry)

6.6 New York Seltzer (All Other Flavors)

5.1 Izze Sparkling Clementine

5.1 Izze Sparkling Pomegranate

4.8 Izze Sparkling Blackberry

3.9 Hawaiian Punch (fruit Juicy Red)

0.2 Mountain Dew Diet

0.0 7up Zero

0.0 A&W Rootbeer-Diet

0.0 Boylan's Diet Black Cherry

0.0 Boylan's Diet Rootbeer

0.0 Bubly (All Flavors)

0.0 Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale Diet

0.0 Canada Dry Club Soda

0.0 Coca-Cola (All Zero and Diet Flavors)

0.0 Dr Pepper Cherry Zero

0.0 Dr. Pepper Diet

0.0 Fresca (all flavors)

0.0 Grapico Diet

0.0 Hansen's Cane Soda-Black Cherry Diet

0.0 Hansen's Cane Soda-Creamy Rootbeer Diet

0.0 Jones Diet Cola

0.0 LaCroix (all Flavors)

0.0 Pepsi Diet

0.0 Sierra Mist Diet

0.0 Soleil Black Cherry Sparking Water

0.0 Sparkling ICE Classic (All Flavors)

0.0 Sprite zero

Tsp Soda

**Soda is considered anything carbonated, sparking, or a seltzer

---

SPORTS DRINK

Tsp Sports Drink

6.9 Bodyarmor Cherry Lime

5.0 Bodyarmor (All Flavors except Cherry Lime)

5.0 Gatorade Thirst Quencher (All Flavors)

5.0 Powerade (All Flavors)

4.3 Gatorade Blueberry Pomegranate Low Calorie

1.7 Gatorade G2 Lower Sugar (All Flavors)

0.2 Gatorade Fit Healthy Real Hydration Tropical Mango

0.2 Bodyarmor Lyte (All Flavors)

0.0 Powerade Zero (All Flavors)

---

TEA

Tsp Tea

10.0 Pure Leaf Extra Sweet Real Brewed Iced Tea

8.3 AriZona Sun Brewed Style Iced Tea Lemon Flavor

7.9 AriZona Southern Style Real Blend Sweet Tea

7.6 Gold Peak Real Brewed Tea Cane Sugar Black

7.3 SoBe Green Tea

7.0 Great Value Sweet Brewed Iced Tea

6.8 Snapple Iced Tea

6.1 Milo's Famous Sweet. Tea, 100% Natural

6.0 Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey

5.2 Fuse Lemon Sweet Tea

5.0 Fuze Green Tea-Honey and Ginseng

4.2 Lipton Iced Green Tea, Citrus Bottle Tea

4.2 Lipton Peach Iced Tea

0.0 Crystal Lite Green Tea Rasberry Mix

0.0 Gold Peak Real Brewed Tea Zero Sugar

0.0 Great Value Iced Tea Bags

0.0 Great Value Unsweet Brewed Iced Tea

0.0 Lipton Black Tea

0.0 Milo's Famous Sugar Free, Zero Calories Sweet Tea

---

WATER

**Assume all non-flavored or non-carbonated water has zero sugar

Tsp Water

3.9 Vitamin Water Energy Tropical Citrus

3.9 Vitamin Water Essential orange orange

3.9 Vitamin Water Power C Dragonfruit

3.7 Vitamin Water Focus Kiwi Strawberry

3.7 Vitamin Water XXX Acai Blueberry Pomegranate

0.5 Active Water Focus Dragonfruit

---

OBSERVATIONS

• Any drink labeled "Lite" or "Zero" has no sugar in the beverages. "Diet" has a miniscule amount of 1/2 tsp or less in a 12oz drink.

• Soda is not the most sugary drink! Many juices are just as acidic AND sugary as soda.

• Every sugary soda measured except for Hawaiian Punch and Izzy's has more than 6 tsps of sugar, which exceeds the maximum daily sugar amount for women and children.

• Specialty drinks are DEFINITELY more sugary than most store-bought bottled drinks.

• All drinks if flavored, carbonated, or even tailored for "diet" are acidic--usually cavity inducing--except water, some black tea, or regular milk (future article pending on acid beverages).

---

FINAL THOUGHT

Sugar has a neutral pH but when consumed it creates lactic acid and this aggressive acidity is a catalyst to getting cavities. When the mouth's pH falls below 5.5 pH, the anaerobic bacteria that cause cavities start eroding teeth and it can take 30 minutes to 2 hours before your mouth can start regenerating to fight against cavities. If you are constantly eating or sipping on drinks then your teeth do not have enough time to protect themselves from cavity-causing bacteria regardless if you brush your teeth twice a day. Drink wisely my friends.