This story has been updated since it was originally published on 1/12/2023 to include an additional item
On its own and in moderation, a daily cup of coffee typically isn’t anything to worry about when it comes to your health–in fact, it may even help aid weight loss and improve brain function, among other health benefits. However, the ingredients you add to your cup of joe are another story. In fact, loading your mug with the wrong sweeteners could do some serious damage to your health over time, especially when it comes to your gut health.
To discover some of the worst coffee ingredients that could be taking a toll on your digestive system, we spoke to health experts Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, Dr. Daryl Gioffre, celebrity nutritionist and founder of Alkamind, and Kelsey Mauro, Functional Medicine Gut Health Consultant. They told us that refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, and whole milk are three options you may want to consider cutting back on if you’re worried about your gut. Learn more below!
1. Refined sugar
We’re going to guess that you’re not shocked to hear that refined sugar can be damaging to your health. But although health experts may sound like a broken record when they warn about the effects of sugar, it’s important that you don’t forget the toll it can take on your body–especially if you’re starting your morning with sugar-loaded coffee every day.
In addition to the downsides you hear about the most, such as diabetes and weight gain, sugar can also be detrimental to your gut health. Richards explains that white refined sugar is “highly inflammatory as well as a food source for bad gut bacteria.” And when that bad bacteria starts to multiply, it typically causes an overgrowth and imbalance in your gut microbiome, which leads to “negative health effects in many areas of the body,” she says. For this reason, “synthetic or commercially made sugar should be avoided as much as possible,” especially if you struggle with gut issues, want to reset your digestive system, or are just trying to stay as healthy as possible all around.
2. Artificial sweeteners
Unfortunately, while white sugar is a definite no-no when it comes to gut health, artificial sweeteners don’t make much of a healthy alternative. Richards says these options, like sucralose and aspartame, “can irritate the gut and cause dysbiosis in the gut’s microbiome.” Dysbiosis refers to that imbalance in gut bacteria we were talking about earlier–and it can cause some serious damage to your overall health, including “gastrointestinal discomfort like gas, bloating, and worse." Yikes!
Sucralose is one of the worst offenders to stay away from. Dr. Gioffre points out that "One study found that [sucralose] can reduce your healthy gut bacteria by up to 50 percent.” The problem here, along with other artificial sweeteners, is that "it isn’t broken down during the digestion process, so it arrives in your large intestine fully intact; your gut bacteria feast on it and die. It also accumulates in your fat cells."
So, if you enjoy sweet coffee, what can you do to keep your gut and your taste buds happy at the same time? Your best option, of course, is always to skip the sweetener altogether–but if you really can’t handle an unsweetened cup of joe, choosing natural options like monk fruit and coconut sugar is a good idea.
3. Whole Milk
In addition to sweetener, many of us enjoy a splash of milk or creamer in our coffee. Unfortunately, though, dairy can be extremely irritating to the guts of certain people. While the same can be said for certain types of non-dairy milk, Mauro warns that whole cow's milk poses the greatest risk to your digestive health.
That's because, as she notes, dairy contains lactose, which some people have an especially difficult time digesting. And as far as the worst types of dairy for those with lactose intolerances, whole milk is somewhere at the top of the list due to its high lactose content. "Whole cow's milk contains the most amount of lactose (about 13 grams/1 cup serving) and it can be difficult for our guts to break down the lactose and cause gut symptoms," Mauro explains.
But that doesn't mean you have to take your coffee black; there are many dairy-free alternatives. Mauro and other experts recommend choosing for non-dairy, plant-based milks like almond milk or oat milk. This can even help with weight loss—and might even be more pleasing to your tastebuds.
