What Drinks Have the Most Sugar?
Updated: Nov 17
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
11.2 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 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
9.5 NOS grape
9.2 Drank Classic Extreme Relaxation
9.1 NOS high performance energy drink
9.0 Nitrous Monster Anti-gravity
9.0 Redbull regular
8.9 Monster Assault
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 extra strength
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 Meltdown Energy Peach Mango
0.0 Monstser Energy Ultra Fiesta Mango
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 Zoa Energy Drink
TSP Energy Drink
JUICE
TSP Juice
14.4 Minute Maid Cranberry Cocktail
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
10.3 Langers Apple Grape 100% Juice
10.3 Naked Blue Machine
10.2 Nantucket Nectars Big Cranberry Cocktail
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 Pink lemonade
10.0 Simply Lemonade
9.9 Simply Apple
9.9 Ocean Spray Cranberry Elderberry 100% Juice
9.8 Tropicana Cranberry Cocktail
9.7 Jumex Peach
9.5 Capri Sun 100% Apple Juice
9.5 Capri Sun 100% Fruit Punch Juice
9.5 Minute Maid Pineapple Orange
9.5 Tree Top 100% Pure Pressed 3 Apple Blend 100% Juice
9.5 Juicy Juice 100% Organic Apple
9.5 Welch's Grape
9.2 Tropicana Juice Beverage Cranberry
9.2 Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry
9.2 Ocean Spray Cranberry Raspberry 100% Juice
9.2 Ocean SprayCran-Pomegranate
9.0 Sobe Fuji Offshore Breeze Cranberry
8.9 Sobe Liz Blizz Pina Colada
8.9 Sobe Morning Patrol Strawberry Banana
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 Jumex Mango
8.2 Simply Orange
8.1 Ocean Spray Cranberry 100% Juice (No Sugar Added)
8.1 Welch's Orange Pineapple Apple
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
7.6 Tang
7.4 V8 Fusion Cranberry Blackberry
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 Minute Maid Orange Juice (Original)
5.2 HiC Flashin' Fruit Punch Drink
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 Orange Pineapple
2.5 V8 Vegetable Juice low sodium
2.5 V8 Vegetable Juice Spicy Hot
2.4 Kool Aid Bursts Jammers Cherry
2.1 Kool Aid Bursts Tropical Punch
0.7 Little Hug Grape
0.4 Welch's Diet Cranberry Grape
0.4 Welch's Concord Grape Diet
0.0 Capri Sun Splash Cooler Mixed Fruit
0.0 Kool Aid Pink Lemonade Packet
Tsp Juice
MILK
Tsp Milk
9.9 Chocolate Milk Great Value 1% Low Fat
9.5 Chocolate Milk Umpqua Dairy Dutch Style
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 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 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 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 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 Dr. Pepper
9.0 7up
9.0 7up Cherry
9.0 Sprite
9.0 Mr. Pibb xtra
9.0 Squirt
8.8 Sierra Mist
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
7.6 Boylan's Original Birch Beer
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 Pomegranate
3.9 Hawaiian Punch (fruit Juicy Red)
0.0 7up Zero
0.0 Boylan's Diet Black Cherry
0.0 Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale Diet
0.0 Coca-Cola (All Zero and Diet Flavors)
0.0 Dr. Pepper Diet
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 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
5.0 Bodyarmor (All Flavors except Cherry Lime)
5.0 Gatorade Thirst Quencher (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
5.0 Fuze Green Tea-Honey and Ginseng
4.2 Lipton Iced Green Tea, Citrus Bottle Tea
0.0 Crystal Lite Green Tea Rasberry Mix
0.0 Gold Peak Real Brewed Tea Zero Sugar
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.