Enjoying a cup of coffee with your favorite ingredients every morning is a beloved ritual for many, but unfortunately, many of those tasty ingredients can take a toll on your health—especially if you’re trying to manage your blood sugar or lose weight. While a simple black coffee is naturally low in calories and carbs (potentially even helping burn fat!), it’s easy to unintentionally turn your drink into a sugar-laden indulgence by mixing in certain popular ingredients. Health experts warn that some of the most common coffee additions can spike blood sugar levels and contribute to long-term weight gain.
To highlight some of the worst options for your blood sugar and waistline, we spoke to Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, senior dietitian at UCLA medical center and author of Recipe for Survival; Joanna Wen, certified health coach and founder of Spices & Greens; Rachel Scott, Co-Founder and Medical Practitioner at National TASC; and registered dietitian and nutritionist Krutika Nanavati, medical advisor at ClinicSpots. They told us that sugar, syrups, creamers, and whipped cream should be avoided for your health. Learn more about the risks of each below.
1. Sugar
This may be a no-brainer, but it's important to remember that sweetening your coffee with refined sugar on a daily basis can do serious damage to your health, especially if you're trying to lose weight. Sugar is linked to all sorts of problems like weight gain and diabetes. Not only is sugar bad for your general health, but sugar-heavy diets have been linked to inflamed breakouts and premature wrinkles.
Sugar is highly inflammatory to the body and thus increases the cholesterol level in the blood. "The bad thing about refined sugar is that the body is able to metabolize and break them down rapidly so it causes a spike in blood sugar levels," Scott explains, "In turn, there is an overproduction of insulin. If this continues, your body will have insulin resistance which can lead to diabetes and other heart diseases. This can also cause you to have a hard time losing weight." All in all, refined sugars should be avoided as much as possible; not only are these ingredients high in calories, but they're empty calories so they have no nutritional value.
2. Syrups and Flavored Sauces
We love a flavored latte as much as the next guy—vanilla, caramel, chocolate sauce, you name it—but the sad truth is that the flavored syrups and sauces in your favorite specialty drink are likely to impact your waistline and your metabolism if you make a habit out of ordering them. That's because they're loaded with the refined sugars we warned about above. "These ingredients contain high amounts of refined sugars, which can lead to insulin resistance," Nanavati says. "Insulin resistance impairs the body's ability to regulate sugar, slows down metabolism, and increases the risk of diabetes."
Instead of sugar-laden syrups, Nanavati recommends enhancing coffee flavor with a dash of cinnamon or a few drops of vanilla extract. "These options add depth to your coffee without the extra calories, promoting better blood sugar control," she says.
3. Whipped cream
If you're the kind of person that loves Starbucks' frappuccinos with all that whipped cream on top, you should know that this topping is actually detrimental to your metabolism. Since whipped cream is made primarily from cream, it's just as bad as heavy cream and creamer. Whipped cream contains around eight calories, a gram of fat, and nearly half a gram of sugar per tablespoon. Yikes!
Hunnes says sugary ingredients like whipped cream not only spike your blood sugar, but also "halt weight loss because they tend to be high in calories and can make some coffee beverages contain upwards of 300-500 calories (depending on size and ingredients), which is as much as a meal but does not satiate us." So, not only are these ingredients riddled with empty calories, but they don't even satisfy our hunger so we end up overeating later in the day.
4. Sugary creamer
Similar to whipped cream, popular coffee creamers often contain added sugars, artificial flavors, and trans fats, contributing to an increase in calorie content. As weight loss relies on maintaining a calorie deficit, the consumption of flavored creamers can inadvertently tip the scales in the opposite direction. The added sugars may spike insulin levels, promoting fat storage, while the trans fats can be detrimental to heart health.
"Flavored creamers are another common addition to coffee that can negatively impact weight loss efforts. While they may offer a convenient way to add flavor and creaminess to your drink, many flavored creamers are high in sugar and unhealthy fats. These products often contain artificial flavors, preservatives, and hydrogenated oils, which can have negative effects on overall health when consumed regularly," warns Wen. She suggests we replace them with more healthier additions such as unsweetened almond milk or oat milk and adding spices for enhanced flavor.
