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If you hate black coffee, you might be tempted to dress up your morning brew with sweeteners and creamers. However, if you’re using these add-ins regularly, you could be hurting your longterm health and weight loss plans.
With that in mind, when adding a sweetener to your coffee, it’s important to consider what ingredients you are consuming–and how they might impact your body.
Artificial sweeteners are an appealing option for those trying to lose weight since they are an easy low calorie option. However, they might be doing more harm than good.
Artificial sweeteners contain chemicals that can make you bloated, and even cause headaches, muscle aches, swelling, and dizziness.
Speaking to Well + Good, Dr. Frank Lipman explained how artificial sweeteners can impact your appetite and weight: "The taste of sweet—be it artificial or actual sugar—appears to play a significant role in increasing appetite"
He continued, "In fact, multiple large-scale studies over the last 30 years have repeatedly found that artificial sweetener users gained more weight or had higher BMIs than those who didn’t use them."
Instead, opting for a natural sweetener--like honey, molasses, and maple syrup--could be a better option--especially if you are trying to avoid artificial flavoring.
Although they are definitely a better option, you should still be careful of how much you're adding.
According to Mayo Clinic, "Natural sweeteners are generally safe. But there's no health advantage to consuming any particular type of added sugar."
The article continues, "Consuming too much added sugar, even natural sweeteners, can lead to health problems, such as tooth decay, weight gain, poor nutrition and increased triglycerides."
