We are all well aware that Starbucks has taken the world by storm. There are Starbucks’ in the airport, on every street corner, and even in our favorite grocery stores. Most people cannot start their day without having their morning cup of joe, and the trend is continuing to grow among teenagers. Many of us come to school with our favorite mocha or latte from Starbucks, but there are more than a handful of calories in our coffee. Just how many calories are we consuming and how much Starbucks is too much Starbucks?

After a little bit of research (just kidding, it took me like five minutes), I found that just one of the very popular White Chocolate Peppermint Mochas, contains 520 calories. That is almost the equivalent to eating a large serving of French fries. That’s way more than you expected, isn’t it? And according to Coach Hugill, those are “empty calories.” They are not beneficial for you in any way, and that’s why athletes in particular are encouraged to stay away from their morning Starbucks. (And their afternoon Starbucks…and their evening Starbucks.)

Although calories seem like the biggest issue, the amount of caffeine within your Starbucks is outrageous. A normal, 12 ounce, black coffee contains more than 250 milligrams of caffeine. It takes up to six hours for half of that caffeine to leave your body! This means that if you drink more than one Starbucks a day, you could have a large amount of caffeine constantly running through your body. So not only can our adored Starbucks play a role in weight gain, it can also take a serious toll on your sleep pattern.
Even though studies constantly bounce between saying “coffee could kill you” and “coffee could actually save your life,” there are some hot, steaming facts about Starbucks coffee. There are an insane amount of calories in Starbucks. There is also so much caffeine in your Starbucks that you can literally lose sleep over coffee. Whether you drink coffee for “the taste” like Brittany Franklin, a junior here at Coronado, or you truly do live on coffee, there are some definite factors to consider. My advice to all of the Starbucks drinkers is to think about what you are drinking before you drink three large Starbucks coffees a day. I’m not telling you not to drink coffee because that would be very hypocritical considering I have coffee every morning before I come to school. However, my advice is to use moderation when it comes to Starbucks. Use moderation and be you, but better.