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The latest beverage trend is far from clean – and it’s raising red flags with doctors.
Known as a “dirty soda,” it’s a soft drink that also includes a combination of added ingredients, such as flavored syrups, creamers, fruit juices and other garnishes. The result is a sweet beverage that’s a combination of a soda, mocktail and dessert.
Dirty sodas can easily deliver 250-400 calories and 55-70 grams of sugar in a single drink – which is often more than double the American Heart Association’s daily added sugar limit, according to Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian.
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“It’s more like a dessert beverage than a soft drink, even if people use diet soda as the base,” she told Fox News Digital.
The drinks are most dangerous for those with insulin resistance, prediabetes or diabetes, Palinski-Wade warned.
A dirty soda is a soft drink that also includes a combination of added ingredients, such as flavored syrups, creamers, fruit juices and other garnishes. (iStock)
“The combination of rapidly absorbed sugar plus cream can cause sharp blood sugar spikes and crashes, driving hunger, fatigue and higher insulin demands,” she cautioned.
The trend is said to have originated in Utah years ago at a specialty soda shop, Swig, reportedly due to people in the Mormon faith seeking an alternative to coffee. The drink was then popularized by social media and TV shows, such as “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” according to Eater.com.
The dirty soda trend is widely credited to Swig, a Utah-based soda shop founded in 2010. The concept reportedly gained popularity in Utah, where many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints abstain from coffee and alcohol, helping create demand for customizable, non-alcoholic drinks.
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“There are multiple soda shops in most suburbs here,” one Utah resident wrote on Reddit. “I have many coworkers who stop at one daily on their way to work [because] they don’t drink coffee, but will drink dirty sodas.”
Trend goes mainstream
Dirty sodas have recently grown in popularity, appearing on many restaurant menus and grocery store shelves. Coca-Cola has launched its Coca-Cola Cherry Float, which is designed to mimic the soda-and-cream experience, while PepsiCo offers a Dirty Mountain Dew Cream Soda.
McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Sonic and Dunkin are among the fast-food brands that include dirty soda options in their beverage line-ups.
Crumbl recently launched a dirty soda that includes multiple sweet ingredients on top of an already sugary soda base. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Perhaps taking the cake is Crumbl, which recently launched a dirty soda that includes multiple sweet ingredients on top of an already sugary soda base.
“Crumbl needs to be stopped,” Dr. Mark Hyman wrote in a recent social media post. “Their new ‘dirty soda’ contains 186 grams of sugar, the equivalent of eating 19 Krispy Kreme donuts. This is a metabolic disaster and should be illegal.”
Experts warn of health risks
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, echoed the warnings about dirty sodas being “very unhealthy.”
“They are loaded with processed sugar, empty calories and saturated fats,” he told Fox News Digital. “They are also highly addictive, especially because of the high sugar content, and are about 400 calories per serving.”
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Over time, regular consumption of these types of sugary beverages can train the brain to seek repeated dopamine and endorphin releases, Siegel warned. This can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, dementia and other chronic illnesses.
An employee prepares a dirty soda at Floso, a drink shop in Salem, Oregon, in July 2024. (Abigail Dollins/Statesman Journal)
Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, echoed that daily added sugars increase the risk of obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
“Additionally, the creamy mix-ins featured in dirty sodas are generally high in saturated fat, another nutrient that should be consumed in limited amounts,” Freirich told Fox News Digital.
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“If you’re looking for a mocktail or fun non-alcoholic beverage, consider using a base of plain seltzer water for a bubbly drink,” she recommended. “Even with the same add-ins, your end result will contain considerably less sugar, but still taste sweet.”
An orange dirty soda is displayed at the Ross County Fair in Ross County, Ohio. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Kenneth J. Perry, M.D., an emergency physician in Charleston, South Carolina, also noted that dirty sodas represent a continuation of the trend toward highly sugary beverages.
“Their effects are short-lived, prompting individuals to consume excessive amounts,” he warned. “This combination of low nutritional value, high sugar content and poor satiety can have significant health implications.”
Each additional highly sugary beverage consumed daily increases the risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, Perry cautioned.
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The World Health Organization recommends limiting free sugars – such as those found in beverages with added sugar – to less than 10% of total daily energy consumption, the doctor noted.
“Beverages with added sugar are one of the most easily modifiable risk factors for various downstream health issues,” Perry added.
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For those who do decide to try the dirty soda trend, Palinski-Wade recommends choosing a small size, using a diet soda base and limiting it to a rare treat.
“It really belongs in the same category as a cake or a milkshake – occasionally, and in smaller portions.”