Former Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu recently opened up about her weight gain, attributing it to her love for indulgent café-style coffee. “I used to order a venti caramel frappuccino, extra drizzle, extra everything,” she shared in a recent chat on theOrigin Storypodcast.
Harnaaz also got real about how a sugary coffee routine became a bit of an addiction during her time in New York City. And it was not just an occasional treat. It had become part of her daily post-workout ritual. “I used to go to the gym, come back, and feel like I was looking the same. In the beginning, when you go to the gym, that first 1 month, you feel like you might be gaining more weight because you look more puffy or whatever,” she shared.
Her experience highlights a growing health concern: modern coffee drinks are often loaded with hidden calories.
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According to experts, coffee at its core is actually a healthy beverage. Plain coffee is rich in antioxidants and bioactive compounds that can improve brain function, boost metabolism, support liver health, and enhance insulin sensitivity.
“Coffee consumption today has become much more than just satisfying one’s craving for caffeine. In modern-day coffee culture, there are many different kinds of coffee, each being very diverse when it comes to the benefits to one’s health from consuming such a drink,” said Srimathy, Clinical Dietitian, VS Hospitals. However, the problem arises with high-calorie coffee beverages commonly sold in cafés like Starbucks. These drinks often contain sugar syrups, whipped cream, flavoured sauces, and full-fat dairy.
This transforms a simple cup of coffee into a high-calorie dessert-like drink, contributing to weight gain and metabolic issues. “Large-sized flavoured lattes such as mocha, caramel, and vanilla with syrup and cream additions are extremely rich with calories, as one cup contains several hundred calories and can cause obesity and diabetes,” said Srimathy.
A large caramel frappuccino or flavoured latte can contain hundreds of calories in a single serving. Regular consumption may lead to increased daily calorie intake, higher risk of obesity, elevated blood sugar levels, and increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Experts emphasize that it’s not coffee itself, but how it is prepared, that determines its health impact. “Ready-to-drink coffee drinks are very heavily processed with various coffees and sold in the form of cold drinks. These types of drinks can have huge quantities of caffeine, preservatives, and other harmful ingredients,” she added.
Coffee can be both healthy and unhealthy, depending on how it is consumed
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