On Saturday morning I visited my local Starbucks for my weekly “Starbuck Saturday” cup of black coffee (no sugar).  It’s my day to grab the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal and catch up on “real news”.

One of the front-page articles pertained to a recent comment from Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK, Jr.) that was directed at coffee superstores Dunkin’ and Starbucks.  In essence Kennedy questioned the amount of sugar in iced coffee drinks.  While the Wall Street Journal article made this comment, “At Dunkin’, a basic coffee – hot or iced – contains little to no sugar, and most of Dunkin’s advertised drinks fall well below the 115 grams of sugar cited by Kennedy.  But a near-endless number of possible customizations means that customers can bring their sugar intake far higher by adding pumps of syrup, cold foam, sweetener of other toppings.”

And, the article further explained, “about two dozen beverage selections advertised by Dunkin’ exceed 115 grams of sugar, according to an analysis of Dunkins’ nutrition guide.”

So, with that information I wanted to see if I could find any scientific evidence about “Sugar and Death Rates”.  From the National Institute of Health (NIH) I did find this 2021 study which seems to indicate that there is some direct evidence for that theory.

And, from a search of Gemini Artificial Intelligence I found this information:

High sugar consumption, particularly from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), is strongly linked to increased all-cause mortality, with roughly 180,000 to 340,000 annual global deaths attributed to sugary drinks.

Key Findings on Sugar Consumption and Mortality

• Global Impact: An estimated 184,000 to 340,000 deaths annually are attributed to sugary drinks, largely due to diabetes (133,000), cardiovascular diseases (45,000), and cancers (6,450).
• Heart Disease Risk: A diet where over 25% of calories come from added sugar is associated with a 2.75 times higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality compared to a diet with <10%.
• Dosage Effect: The relationship between sugar and mortality is often non-linear; lowest risk is found at 7.5%–10% of energy intake, while >20% intake increases mortality risk by 30%.
• Sugar Sources: Sugar-sweetened beverages (sodas, energy drinks) are strongly linked to higher mortality, while the relationship with solid treats is less consistent.
• Demographic Differences: While high in the US, 78% of deaths related to sugary drinks occur in low- and middle-income countries.
• Long-Term Impact: Even among individuals who are not overweight, high added sugar intake is linked to higher risk of fatal heart disease. 

Health Mechanisms
High intake of added sugars leads to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and hypertension, which subsequently increase premature death rates.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  One of the thoughts that made me look into this situation was the “obesity” issue.  Fifteen years ago when I was still very active in our funeral home operations I would suggest (using anecdotal evidence only) that we used an oversize, dignity, comfort, casket in about one in 40 traditional burials.  And, I’m also guessing that in today’s world our funeral home uses that type of casket in about 1 in 20 traditional burials. . . .so the percentage has doubled. . . . . Does that have anything to do with American’s and their sugar intake?

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