It’s almost Halloween, the leaves are fire-red, and the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks dominates the warm-drink season. Each year the staple drink of fall makes a reappearance to the delight of caffeinated customers everywhere. As spicy and delicious as it is, here are some health facts you never knew about your beloved PSL.
The standard grande (16 oz) Pumpkin Spice Latte with two percent milk and whipped cream has 150 mg of caffeine, or two shots of espresso. If you upgrade to a Venti, this number stays the same, according to the Starbucks website. The larger cup contains more milk and syrup with the same amount of coffee.
Within the same Grande latte are 14 grams of protein and 50 percent of your daily calcium from the milk. Although the drink tastes like fall, these may be the only benefits, along with Vitamin A and a bit of Vitamin C from other sources, in this sugar-laden drink.
Ordering two percent milk and whipped cream bring this drink to a massive 50 grams of sugar! Unfortunately, by removing the whipped cream, the sugar content decreases to only 48 grams, the lowest amount of sugar for this size available in the US. The American Heart Association advises limiting added sugars to 36 grams a day for men and 24 grams a day for women. Cutting back to a Tall (12 oz) PSL yields 37 grams of sugar, still more than the suggested daily amount.
The pumpkin spice latte has eight grams of saturated fat, or about 40 percent of the recommended daily amount. About half of this comes from the whipped cream, and half from the milk. The total fat content with both two percent milk and whipped cream comes to 14 grams, which represents around 126 calories. Livestrong.com lists 30 minutes of walking or 13 minutes of running, among others, as options to burn this much fat.
Although the pumpkin spice latte may never appear on a superfoods list, it is an enduring favorite throughout the season. Starbucks has changed its recipe this year to include real pumpkin and exclude caramel coloring, while retaining the original flavor. The PSL 2.0 is less artificial, so you can feel better about indulging in your favorite autumn treat. Next time you go to Starbucks, see what you think about the new PSL. Enjoy this sign of the season and fuel your obsession by following Pumpkin Spice Latte on Twitter (yes, really), at least until the red cups come out.
