Starbucks' widely popular fall season drink, the Pumpkin Spice Latte, has returned to the market and based on a statement from the company's director, Peter Dukes, the recipe has been tweaked to favor consumer requests. Among the changes include the removal of artificial ingredients and the adding of real pumpkin puree in the beverage.
But despite the changes, a 16-oz grande Pumpkin Spice Latte, which contains 380 calories, 14 grams of fat and 50 grams of sugar, remains unhealthy, according to Yahoo. The drink contains 12 teaspoons of sugar and the sugar rush that comes with it is equated to the rush a person experiences after taking heroin or cocaine, according to dietitian Jessica Hording.
Within minutes of drinking the latte, the body's pancreas start breaking down the sugar into glucose for energy. The extra glucose become fat. Insulin levels also spike with sugar rush, which leads the liver to absorb more and work double time. The blood's triglyceride level also rises, which can cause the building up of plaque in the arteries, according to Sonya Angelone of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The coffee latte, a trendy drink many millennials enjoy, also increases blood pressure and pulse, which can last up to three to four hours after downing a grande. A drink in the late afternoon or evening will cause sleep troubles. High sugar levels may also cause gastrointestinal discomfort, the experts added.
Sugar addiction is a real, global problem, according to Daily Mail. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has revised its guidelines for sugar intake in 2014 to address this concern. The recommended daily sugar intake is at five percent of a person's calorie intake, down from ten percent in 2002. A grande of Pumpkin Spice Latte delivers twenty percent of the daily sugar intake, according to Yahoo.
Below is an infographic of what exactly happens after drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte:
