Sugar consumption is an immense health threat, leading to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and tooth decay. Although no recommendations exist regarding what amount of naturally occurring sugar is healthy for consumption, it is best to limit as much sugar consumption as possible – cutting back on sweetened coffee may seem like an easy way to cut back but many coffee-related products contain hidden amounts of added sugar that could contribute to weight gain or other adverse outcomes.

Granola sold at grocery stores typically contains high amounts of sugar; one serving size can contain as much as 10 teaspoons. Sugar substitutes like honey, maple syrup or turbinado sugar also often contain added sugar; these might seem healthier options but it is essential to read labels and select products with less added sugar, or consider making your own homemade granola at home.

Flavored coffees and beverages contain hidden sources of sugar in many diets. A large flavored drink from some coffeehouse chains may contain up to 45 grams of added sugar, more than the recommended daily allowance. Action on Sugar recently conducted an analysis on 131 hot flavoured drinks sold in the UK that were found to contain dangerously high levels of added sugar.

Black coffee is low in both sugar and calories, and can help provide sufficient fluid intake (although nutritionists disagree about whether or not it hydrates). But adding creamer, whipped cream, flavoring syrups or iced coffee can easily increase its sugar and caloric intake; mocha or other flavored coffee varieties often have 100 to 200 calories and 20-40 grams of sugar – more than what’s found in one chocolate frosted donut!

Researchers conducted an in-depth analysis of data from the Copenhagen Male Study to discover how adding sugar to tea or coffee affected participants’ mortality. After taking into account lifestyle and health factors, moderate consumption of sugar-sweetened coffee or tea was associated with an equal reduction in risk of death as unsweetened beverages. Results were the same regardless of whether deaths were separated into cancer and cardiovascular causes, or taking into account use of sugar substitutes as alternatives to sugar. Researchers acknowledge that their results apply only to Danish men, and may not necessarily hold true across other nations. Additional studies must be undertaken in order to confirm these results and examine if similar results occur in other populations. Their findings were recently published in Annals of Internal Medicine journal.