It is the Christmas season, and it is time to indulge in sweet treats. Our favourite holiday tipple is not an exception.
Interested in the best and worst cocktails for our teeth, ExpressDentist.com discovered 20 of the most popular cocktails we enjoy over Christmas and then analysed the sugar content – and the results aren’t so sweet…
Researchers found the Mudslide is the worst drink for teeth due to its high sugar content. This creamy, coffee-flavoured beverage has 22 grams and over five teaspoons of sugar.
This represents almost 75% your daily recommended intake of 25g (for women) and 38g (for men).
ExpressDentist.com analyzed the sugar content of 20 popular Christmas cocktails and found the worst. The Mudslide is the most harmful cocktail to your teeth, with 22g of sugar.
It’s second on our list, a Grapefruit Gin Sour Mocktail that has more than 17g sugar per one-serving (left), and third is the Snowball with 16g sugar per one-serving (right).
| Rank | Cocktail | Sugar content (in grams) | One serving contains a % daily sugar intake |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mudslide | 22 | 73% |
| 2 | Grapefruit gin sour mocktail | 17 | 57% |
| 3 | Snowball | 16 | 53% |
| 4 | Christmas Punch | 16 | 53% |
| 5 | Espresso Shrub Martini | 14 | 47% |
| 6 | Mulled Wine | 13.6 | 45% |
| 7 | Poinsettia | 13 | 43% |
| 8 | Sloe Gin Fizz | 12 | 40% |
| 9 | Eggnog | 12 | 40% |
| 10 | Irish Cream | 12 | 40% |
| 11 | Mulled Gin | 12 | 40% |
| 12 | Pomegranate & vermouth mulled wine | 12 | 40% |
| 13 | Hot andtered Rum | 10 | 33% |
| 14 | Boulevardier | 10 | 33% |
| 15 | Buck’s Fizz | 9 | 30% |
| 16 | Toddy hot | 9 | 30% |
| 17 | Champagne Cocktail | 8 | 27% |
| 18 | Festive Negroni | 7 | 24% |
| 19 | Plum brandy | 5 | 17% |
| 20 | Christmas Pudding Vodka | 3 | 10% |
The second is the grapefruit gin and sour mocktail, which has over 17 grams sugar per one-serving.
This is more than 4 teaspoons sugar, which equals 60% of your daily intake. It should be consumed in moderation.
Third place goes to the traditional Snowball also known as Dutch Eggnog. The festive favorite has more sugar than 16g per serving. This is equivalent to 4 teaspoons sugar, and over 50% of the daily recommended intake. If consumed too often, this can cause serious dental problems.
Mulled wine is a favorite, and it ranks 6th with more than 13 grams (4 teaspoons) of sugar per serving. This means that you can consume almost half your daily recommended intake. With over three teaspoons of sugar per serving, the traditional Eggnog comes in at 9th.
A Christmas punch placed fourth with 16g of sugar content, making up 53% of your daily allowance
With 14g sugar, the Espresso Shrub Martini was fifth. Mulled wine is 6th with more than 13g sugar per serving (4 teaspoons).
At the other end, Christmas Pudding Vodka might be the best for your teeth.
This liquid dessert is just 3g of sugar. (Less than 1 teaspoon) It contains 10% of the daily recommended sugar intake.
Express Dentist spokesperson Craig Anderson said: “At Christmas we feel inclined to indulge into sugary treats or alcoholic drinks. It is okay to treat ourselves, but it should be done in moderation!”
Sugar intake can have a significant impact on your enamel and lead to more dental visits. Take care of your teeth.