Nutrition experts have finally identified added sugars as one of the main causes of the increasing obesity and diabetes rates in the U.S. Recently, researchers found out that the dangers of added sugars do not end in its role in increasing obesity and diabetes risks. In fact, added sugars have also been linked to death due to heart disease according to a Harvard study and excessive sugar intake was even linked to cancer in a Science Daily article.

Because of these recent findings highlighting the dangers of excessive sugar intake, most people have learned to steer clear from ultra-processed food items due to their high added sugar content. Of particular concern are sodas or soft drinks as they basically contain nothing more than sugar and it is very easy to over consume these sugary drinks.

However, not many people realize that there are worst drinks than soft drinks when it comes to sugar content. Any health benefits of tea, coffee and chocolate would have been negated by the alarming sugar content of these drinks, some are so much sugar that it would make the ordinary soda relatively healthier by comparison.

Chloe Pantazi's article in the Independent lists the top 10 drinks that contain more sugar than a can of Coke, a must read for coffee shop regulars:

10.Starbucks Chai Tea Latte (Venti)

Tea is supposed to be healthy but not this one according to Pantazi. This delicious concoction hides 13 teaspoons or 52 grams of sugar which is around 1.4 cans of Coke.

9.Costa Mocha (Massimo)

Costa's delicious mocha has 52.6 grams of sugar or 13 teaspoons of sugar, the same amount one gets by consuming  1.4 cans of Coke.

8.Costa Hot Chocolate (Massimo)

Chocolate's health benefits are effectively drowned by the excessive sugar content of this drink. Containing 54 grams of sugar, it is around 14 teaspoons and equivalent to the sugar content of 1.5 cans of Coke.

7.KFC Hot Chocolate with Cream

This KFC hot choco offering is slightly worse the Costa's with its 54.3 grams of sugar content which translates to approximately 1.5 cans of Coke.

6.Costa Coffee Mocha Latte (Massimo)

Another Costa item, this delicious coffee mocha latte, unfortunately, contains 14 teaspoons or 57.5 grams of sugar, the same amount one gets from drinking 1.5 cans of Coke.

5.Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate (Venti)

Not to be outdone, Starbucks has its own sugary hot choco offering which contains 15 teaspoons or 60 grams of sugar according to Pantazi. That is roughly the sugar content of 1.8 cans of Coke.

4.Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream (Venti)

And Starbucks' white choco mocha is even more sugary, with 18 teaspoons or 73.8 grams of sugar. Wow, that is already 2 cans of Coke.

3.Costa Chai Latte (Massimo)

This is Costa's most sugary drink. The delicious Chai Latte contains a worrisome 20 teaspoons or 79.7 grams of sugar, which makes the delicious drink rank third worst in the list. That is around 2.2 cans of Coke by the way.

2.Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit - Apple with Chai, Dried Apple, and Cinnamon (Venti)

One should not think that the tea, fruit and cinnamon combination makes this delicious drink healthy. This Starbucks tea offering has an alarming 22 teaspoons or 88 grams of sugar with it which is roughly 2.4 cans of Coke in sugar content.

1.Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit - Grape with Chai, Orange and Cinnamon (Venti) = 2.7 cans of Coke

And another Starbucks drink tops the worst list. This chai with grapes orange and cinnamon might look healthy but its 99 grams or 25 teaspoons of sugar content should prove otherwise. Man, that's around 2.7 cans of Coke.

By the way, how does one navigate the sugary world of coffee shops? There is still a way to enjoy the aroma of a cup of coffee or tea without the nasty sugar content. Tea or coffee must be ordered black or unsweetened then one can add sugar afterward. This way, one has the ultimate control of how much sugar goes into one's cup.