The age of iced coffee
When did we start drinking dessert for breakfast?
What started as a simple drink for energy has grown into an out-of-control lifestyle.
Iced coffee has taken the world by storm. When you drive up to your local drive-thru, you will see 10 advertisements for the newest banana bread coffee. Every few scrolls on TikTok shows you an alluring recipe for a teddy bear graham cracker iced latte with a whipped honey and brown sugar cold foam.
I know—what a mouthful—but that exact recipe is almost certainly infiltrating the internet as we speak.
We have become consumed by outrageous details of what our coffees “should” look like. Is it the correct colour? Does it contain enough pumps of artificial apple-flavoured syrup to give it that crispy Macintosh taste? It is rare to hear someone ordering a coffee with some milk and sugar anymore. The one thing nobody seems to question is the effects of how much coffee we are drinking on average now, and even worse, what we are putting in it.
A cup of black coffee on its own is perfectly fine. It contains naturally occurring compounds that are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. It is the added ingredients like sugars, syrups and highly processed creamers that contribute to long-term health issues.
According to the World Health Organization, the recommended daily intake of added sugars is 10 per cent or less. This equals 12 teaspoons or 48 grams for the average cisgender woman, and 15 teaspoons or 60 grams for the average cisgender man. Starbucks’ newest seasonal pumpkin cream chai latte has a whopping 41 grams of sugar, and that is just for a small size.
We instantly link excessive sugar to tooth decay, but cavities only cover a fraction of the broader health issues. Too much sugar in our coffee raises blood pressure and inflammation, leading to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. And while these empty calories are killing your heart, they can also contribute to weight gain.
As we obsess over the taste of our perfectly curated iced coffees, we seem to have lost sight of an important reality: caffeine is not only a stimulant, but extremely addictive. According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, caffeine is the world’s most popular drug.
Imagine waking up and saying you need a swig of liquor to start your day. Most people would recognize this as a warning sign of addiction.
It may sound extreme, but saying you need an iced coffee to function has become completely normalized and overlooked, even though withdrawal can cause some nasty side effects. If you quit caffeine cold turkey, withdrawal can manifest in the form of headaches, irritability and extreme fatigue.
Although you may think having one or two buttery pecan breve coffees a day may seem harmless, they can contribute to ongoing caffeine dependence. Eventually, drinking these iced coffees like water can feel less of a choice and more of a necessity throughout your day.
It does not help that every other post on our social media is glorifying this habit. Influencers tell you to run to Target to buy the newest cookie dough coffee creamer, praising it like “the best thing since sliced bread!” Other businesses claim their brown sugar macchiato recipe, that includes cream paired with sugary syrups and more cream frothed on top, will “change your life.”
According to legend, coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi, who noticed his goats were restless after eating coffee berries. His knowledge spread rapidly across continents, where people began brewing the coffee berries merely because they needed the fuel. Centuries later, this simple pursuit of energy has evolved into an elaborate competition over who can create a better coffee recipe.
As all of these additives overshadow our morning cups of brew, we are forced to ask ourselves a simple question: are we even drinking coffee anymore?
The next time you see an influencer insisting you run to your local Starbucks and try the newest limited-edition vanilla birthday cake latte with extra sprinkles on top, save the post for a rainy day and just enjoy a regular cup of joe. Your body will thank you in the long run.
This article originally appeared in Volume 47, Issue 3, published October 6, 2026.
