# Is it really any worse to drink soda than coffee in the morning? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261 "2007-10-10T20:42:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/1 "2007-10-10T20:42:40Z")
Pretty much what the question says. Lots of people say they drink a Pepsi or Coke first thing in the morning and I shudder, but then I wonder - is my cup of coffee really any better? We’re both getting caffeine. They both have coloring that can damage your teeth. Both have sugars. Coffee has cream or milk. And coffee has antioxidants. Is coffee better? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/2 "2007-10-10T21:15:07Z")
The average can of soda has 9 teaspoons of sugar in it. Assuming you don’t add that much sugar to your coffee, I’d say yes, coffee is better. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/3 "2007-10-10T21:19:17Z")
[QUOTE=Athena] The average can of soda has 9 teaspoons of sugar in it. Assuming you don’t add that much sugar to your coffee, I’d say yes, coffee is better. [/QUOTE] But not, of course, the average can of diet soda. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/4 "2007-10-10T21:25:30Z")
Coffee is icky. Coke is the true drink of the gods. It’s true. StG ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/5 "2007-10-10T21:28:35Z")
[QUOTE=Athena] The average can of soda has 9 teaspoons of sugar in it. Assuming you don’t add that much sugar to your coffee, I’d say yes, coffee is better. [/QUOTE] Oh my. I really didn’t know. And I thought taking my coffee “extra light extra sweet” might be bad but I have nowhere near that much sugar in it. I think coffee is the drink of the gods, btw. So where does that leave us? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/6 "2007-10-10T21:31:26Z")
[QUOTE=StGermain] Coffee is icky. Coke is the true drink of the gods. It’s true. StG [/QUOTE] You lie! It’s Ginger Ale. Okay, okay, I know ginger ale doesn’t have any caffeine in it. But still…it’s so yuuuummy. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/7 "2007-10-10T22:15:54Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] Oh my. I really didn’t know. And I thought taking my coffee “extra light extra sweet” might be bad but I have nowhere near that much sugar in it. I think coffee is the drink of the gods, btw. So where does that leave us? [/QUOTE] It leaves us with you being right and those heretical soda drinkers firmly in the wrong. Don’t let yourself be contaminated by their unwillingness to see the truth. ---
**Author:** ![Genaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Genaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genaro)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/8 "2007-10-10T22:43:55Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] Pretty much what the question says. Lots of people say they drink a Pepsi or Coke first thing in the morning and I shudder, but then I wonder - is my cup of coffee really any better? We’re both getting caffeine. They both have coloring that can damage your teeth. Both have sugars. Coffee has cream or milk. And coffee has antioxidants. Is coffee better? [/QUOTE] Didn’t Pepsi try to take the middle road a while ago with a coffee soda combination? I think I saw it in my market (I just grab my 12 pack wihtout looking), but it’s not there anymore. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/9 "2007-10-10T22:59:49Z")
[QUOTE=Genaro] Didn’t Pepsi try to take the middle road a while ago with a coffee soda combination? I think I saw it in my market (I just grab my 12 pack wihtout looking), but it’s not there anymore. [/QUOTE] Coke Blak. Tasted OK, but much more expensive than either of its ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/10 "2007-10-10T22:59:40Z")
[QUOTE=Genaro] Didn’t Pepsi try to take the middle road a while ago with a coffee soda combination? I think I saw it in my market (I just grab my 12 pack wihtout looking), but it’s not there anymore. [/QUOTE] Coke Blak. Tasted OK, but much more expensive than either of its ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/11 "2007-10-10T23:14:09Z")
[QUOTE=Athena] The average can of soda has 9 teaspoons of sugar in it. Assuming you don’t add that much sugar to your coffee, I’d say yes, coffee is better. [/QUOTE] Average, maybe, but Coke Classic and Pepsi have about 6 (16 cal/teaspoon of sugar, 97 and 100 calories per can, respectively, assuming all the calories come from sugar (or HFCS)). And again assuming non-diet pop. I’d have to add at least that much sugar to the water-someone-washed-beans-in to make it drinkable. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/12 "2007-10-10T23:43:58Z")
I have a Diet Coke every morning. I need something cold and refreshing, with caffeine, to wake me up. I don’t get people who act like there’s something wrong with that, or who “shudder” at the thought… ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/13 "2007-10-11T00:39:51Z")
[QUOTE=nyctea scandiaca] I have a Diet Coke every morning. I need something cold and refreshing, with caffeine, to wake me up. I don’t get people who act like there’s something wrong with that, or who “shudder” at the thought… [/QUOTE] I didn’t really say there’s anything wrong with that, but I do shudder at the thought. Why? Chiefly because I don’t like soda too much, and have about five sodas a _year_. Also because I really am well-trained to drink so-called “healthy” drinks in the morning, like grapefruit juice or milk, one of which I do drink every morning. My parents practically beat it into me - no soda before lunchtime! Even coffee comes after one of those two. But even more so because \*Diet \*soda to me is vile - I can’t stand the taste. But that’s me! I know lots of people hate coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/14 "2007-10-11T00:48:58Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] Oh my. I really didn’t know. And I thought taking my coffee “extra light extra sweet” might be bad but I have nowhere near that much sugar in it. I think coffee is the drink of the gods, btw. So where does that leave us? [/QUOTE] Coffee’s not even the best hot drink. That would be tea followed by the rarely drunken cocoa. Coffee comes in third, if that. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/15 "2007-10-11T00:51:46Z")
[QUOTE=Aesiron] Coffee’s not even the best hot drink. That would be tea followed by the rarely drunken cocoa. Coffee comes in third, if that. [/QUOTE] To _you_, maybe. Hot cocoa’s for little girls. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/16 "2007-10-11T01:04:27Z")
I doubt many little girls drink [xocolatl](http://www.shopnatural.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=21699&utm_source=froogle&utm_term=21699&utm_medium=Free&utm_campaign=FreeLists). ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/17 "2007-10-11T01:06:50Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] I think coffee is the drink of the gods, btw. So where does that leave us? [/QUOTE] JIHAD! And on what grounds do I call Jihad? Coffee grounds. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/18 "2007-10-11T01:12:10Z")
My morning energy drink (as opposed to soda) gives me a kick in the ass to get me going, along with 20% of my RDA of vitamin E, 40% of my vitamin B6 and niacin, and 20% of my vitamin B12. Much healthier than coffee! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/19 "2007-10-11T01:59:34Z")
[QUOTE=Aesiron] I doubt many little girls drink [xocolatl](http://www.shopnatural.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=21699&utm_source=froogle&utm_term=21699&utm_medium=Free&utm_campaign=FreeLists). [/QUOTE] Actually, I could have respect for that, and I admit I probably would not like it. Though I would absolutely try it once. **Lobohan** , that was an awful pun and I would chastise you severely if I hadn’t laughed like a fool. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261/20 "2007-10-11T02:08:58Z")
Coffee and tea usually have a larger amount of caffeine than most sodas do. Coffee has about 15mg of caffeine per ounce. Tea has about 6mg/oz. Coke and Pepsi have about 3mg/oz. Mountain Dew has 4.5mg/oz. Jolt has 6mg/oz. Red Bull has a little over 9mg/oz. “No Name” (the drink formerly marketed as “Cocaine”) has over 33mg/oz. You’ll want to figure out your total amount based on the size of your drink - most people drink a larger serving of soda than they would for coffee or tea. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-any-worse-to-drink-soda-than-coffee-in-the-morning/422261.md?page=2)