An original order of iced coffee, made with four shots of milk, 12 scoops of sugar and 17 scoops of pumpkin syrup, recently went viral on TikTok. Since being posted in September, this drink for “Destiny R.” has racked up nearly 20 million views. According to calculations by Levity, a weight loss company, this drink contains approximately 1,077 calories.
“It’s the sheer amount of sugar that is causing concern,” Dr. Ashwin Sharma, head of medical communications at Levity, said in a statement. “With the equivalent of approximately 12 donuts of sugar, this drink can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels and cause potential long-term health problems, especially if this customer regularly consumes drinks of this type. »
One comment, which received 280,000 likes, said: “Destiny is about to meet her destiny,” and another, with 330,000 likes, claimed: “It’s a sugar scrub.” »
The TikTok content creator who posted the video, @foodmake2022, is a Dunkin’ Donuts employee who regularly shares sweet orders from his customers.
Other TikTok accounts do the same for similar brands, such as Starbucks, highlighting drinks ordered by customers that are not on the menu and which often contain exorbitant amounts of syrups, sugars and sweeteners.
On the @foodmake2022 page, there is a French vanilla iced coffee, estimated at 1,381 calories. It contains five creams, six shots of blueberry flavor, 12 doses of French vanilla syrup and 21 spoons of sugar.
There’s also an order of marshmallow potion macchiato, with 18 shots of ube marshmallow spiral, two shots of vanilla flavor, four shots of hazelnut, four shots of blueberry, four shots of coconut, 12 spoons of sugar and skim milk . Levity estimated the drink to contain 1,687 calories.
Newsweek contacted Dunkin’ Donuts for comment via email.
Nutritional therapist Rakhi Lad of Healthology Hub called the drink order “outrageous.”
“This drink contains almost a daily amount of energy in just one cup,” she said. “Beyond the amount of calories, drinks like this can cause spikes in blood sugar, dips in energy, and in the long term, more serious health problems such as weight gain and insulin resistance. »
Lad described the custom drink’s ingredient list as “a cocktail of artificial additives, syrups and ultra-processed components, offering little to no nutritional value.” »
Sharma added that while the drink might satisfy a sugar craving, it was far from a healthy choice, containing the sugar equivalent of about 10 donuts.
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New videos continue to emerge.
On Wednesday, @foodmake2022 posted a custom order for Pete D. that has already attracted nearly 400,000 views: a large cold brew with 12 mint mocha spirals, four packets of sweetener, 18 scoops of sugar and skim milk .
On November 18, an order for Sabrina G.—now with 1.5 million views—included an iced coffee with 19 shots of caramel syrup, 18 spoons of sugar, a packet of sweetener and five servings of cream.
“These personalized drinks are harmful to your health because they are not only sugary, they are also filled with huge amounts of syrups, artificial flavors and colors, and other calorie-dense ingredients in a single serving,” said Mei Wan, dietitian, nutritionist and consultant for Levity.
“Consuming such a large amount of sugar at once will cause blood sugar levels to spike quickly, which can be harmful to your body, especially if you drink them regularly,” she added.
“Over time, this can increase the risk of developing metabolic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. »
Wan advised that these drinks should, at most, be considered “a rare indulgence rather than a regular habit” — but even then, she felt that such a one-time sugar intake is not healthy for anyone and would be “difficult” to incorporate into a healthy diet without compromising overall health.
Lad emphasized: “For those with a sweet tooth, treating yourself to something doesn’t have to mean overindulging. It’s entirely possible to enjoy a treat that satisfies without overloading your body with sugar, additives and empty calories. »
It is essential to prevent the harmful consequences of excessive consumption of sugars and additives in our daily food choices. Recent examples of drink orders on TikTok highlight a worrying trend that could make unhealthy eating habits commonplace. Through an educational approach, we could raise awareness about the impact of these choices on our long-term health, thus highlighting the importance of a balanced diet. As consumers, it is up to us to make informed choices to preserve our well-being.
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