- Dirty sodas can contain 55 to 70 grams of sugar per serving, more than double the daily limit.
- The trend originated in Utah as a coffee alternative for those avoiding caffeine and alcohol.
- Major chains like McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo have added dirty soda options to their menus.
- Doctors warn the drinks cause blood sugar spikes, addiction, and increased risk of chronic disease.
- Health experts recommend treating dirty sodas as occasional desserts, not regular beverages.
The latest beverage trend sweeping America looks innocent enough. It arrives in a tall cup filled with pebble ice, topped with cream, and often garnished with fruit. But what’s inside that glossy cup is anything but clean. Known as the “dirty soda,” this concoction combines traditional soft drinks with flavored syrups, creamers, fruit juices and other garnishes. The result is a sweet beverage that blends elements of a soda, mocktail and dessert. And doctors across the country are sounding alarms.
What’s really inside that cup
A single dirty soda can deliver between 250 and 400 calories and 55 to 70 grams of sugar per serving. That amount of sugar more than doubles the American Heart Association’s daily added sugar limit, according to Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian. She told Fox News Digital that the drink “is more like a dessert beverage than a soft drink, even if people use diet soda as the base.” The warning extends beyond sugar content. The combination of rapidly absorbed sugar plus cream can cause sharp blood sugar spikes and crashes, driving hunger, fatigue and higher insulin demands.
The danger is greatest for those with insulin resistance, prediabetes or diabetes. The body simply cannot process such a sudden flood of sugar and saturated fat without consequences.
From Utah to the nation
The trend originated in Utah years ago at Swig, a specialty soda shop founded in 2010. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who traditionally abstain from alcohol and coffee, embraced the customizable drinks as an alternative. Kelly O’Rourke, marketing director for FiiZ Drinks, a Utah-based soda chain founded in 2014, told Fox News Digital that for many, “It’s their version of a coffee ritual.” The drinks have since exploded in popularity, fueled by social media and the reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Swig now operates more than 150 locations across 16 states. FiiZ has over 65 locations in more than 10 states, with plans to expand into Connecticut and along the East Coast. Coca-Cola has launched its Coca-Cola Cherry Float, designed to mimic the soda-and-cream experience. PepsiCo now offers Dirty Mountain Dew Cream Soda. McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Sonic and Dunkin have all added dirty soda options to their menus. Crumbl recently launched a version that includes multiple sweet ingredients on top of an already sugary soda base.
A metabolic disaster in plain sight
Dr. Mark Hyman wrote in a recent social media post that Crumbl’s dirty soda contains 186 grams of sugar, “the equivalent of eating 19 Krispy Kreme donuts.” He called it “a metabolic disaster” that “should be illegal.” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital the drinks are “very unhealthy,” loaded with processed sugar, empty calories and saturated fats. He warned they are “highly addictive, especially because of the high sugar content.”
Over time, regular consumption trains the brain to seek repeated dopamine and endorphin releases, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, dementia and other chronic illnesses.
Better choices exist
Dr. Kenneth J. Perry, an emergency physician in Charleston, South Carolina, noted that these drinks represent a continuation of the trend toward highly sugary beverages. Their effects are short-lived, prompting individuals to consume excessive amounts. Each additional sugary beverage consumed daily increases the risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease.
For those seeking a fun non-alcoholic drink, consider using using plain seltzer water as a base. Even with the same add-ins, the result will contain considerably less sugar. Palinski-Wade advises that dirty sodas belong in the same category as cake or a milkshake: occasional treats consumed in small portions.
Americans have lost perspective on what qualifies as a healthy beverage. What began as a cultural workaround for coffee and alcohol has morphed into a national obsession with drinks that pack more sugar than dessert. The marketing is clever, the colors are bright, and the customization is fun. But the body doesn’t care about trends. It processes sugar the same way whether it arrives in a slice of cake or a cup of soda with cream. The dirty soda is the Western diet in a cup: remove one obvious danger, add another, and call it innovation. Consumers deserve better than metabolic disaster dressed up in pebble ice.
Sources for this article include:
Please contact us for more information.