Ingredients That You Should Not Add To Coffee

Coffee is a companion like few others. S and enjoys at work, with friends or on a cold morning  winter.

Just as you should not overdo it with the consumption of this concoction, it is not good to add certain ingredients to it.

Would you like to know which ones and why? In this article we will tell you about it.

Coffee, is it good or bad?

Science indicates that this drink is very beneficial to health, while other tests establish that it is an enemy.

For one thing, some studies seem to show that coffee has benefits such as:

• It has essential nutrients such as B Vitamins, Potassium, Magnesium, and Phosphorus.
• Stimulates brain function.
• Stimulates the metabolism.
• It can help prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
• Helps lower the risk of diabetes 2.

• It can help protect the liver.
• Lowers the risk of depression.

Other studies see the negative side of coffee:

• Causes anxiety.
• It makes sleep difficult.
• Can be addictive.

Neither one nor the other. It all depends on the amounts and the repetitions. Taking it in measure can bring its benefits and reduce its risks.

When is it good to drink coffee

What scientists have agreed on is the best and worst times to drink coffee.

At breakfast, as soon as you wake up, it can be bad for your health, since at that time we produce more cortisol, which is the hormone responsible for balancing stress and reducing blood glucose levels.

When the body receives caffeine very early, it does not produce the necessary amount of this hormone, in addition to becoming more and more tolerant to the components of the drink and replacing the natural impulses that cortisol provides.

On the other hand, if we drink it at night (a very common habit in winter) it can cause insomnia and nightmares.

Therefore, it is recommended to drink coffee between 10 in the morning and 12 noon and between 2 and 5 in the afternoon if we do not want to suffer the consequences.

What ingredients should not be added to the coffee

Two small cups of coffee a day might be a good thing to do. Even so, we must also consider the effect of the other ingredients that we usually add.

In order to enjoy the benefits of coffee we have to drink it completely alone. Without any addition.

The effects of coffee are seriously adulterated when we start to “mix” them with other elements.

We recommend that you do not add:

Sugar

It does not matter that it is just a small teaspoon to remove the bitterness from the coffee.

Why? Because you will be increasing its energy value and also adding all those “bad” components that sugar has.

The World Health Organization recommends that per day we should not exceed 25 grams of this sweetener, which is equivalent to 5% of the energy needed for 24 hours.

Do not worry about the taste of the coffee, you will get used to it and in a short time you will enjoy it even if it does not have sugar.

If you don’t get used to unsweetened coffee, try  brown or muscovado sugar. Or try a pinch of cinnamon and you will see how delicious it is

Milk

When milk is added, coffee loses its polyphenols that act as antioxidants. The culprits for this are saturated fat from dairy.

Studies by the Department of Chemistry of the University of Québec, in Canada, and the University of Zagreb, in Croatia, show that casein in milk blocks the antioxidant effects of coffee and tea.

Although other scientists consider that the evidence is not sufficient, it must also be considered that lactose raises sugar levels and causes intolerance in some people.

Nutritionists say that while the skimmed and semi-skimmed versions may improve the picture, that mix wouldn’t be good either.

Other alternatives to cow’s milk are plant-based milks such as soy and almond.

Milk powder

We have already talked about liquid whole milk, but one of the typical ingredients for coffee is powdered milk, because it is easier to transport and store in the office.

They are even worse than dairy in its natural state since,  to mimic the creamy texture of milk, non-dairy supplements such as corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are used.

This translates into empty calories, artificial fats that accumulate in the arteries and under the skin and are linked to diabetes, obesity, cholesterol, and heart disease.

Alcohol

To alleviate the cold (or a pain in the soul) some people add a splash of whiskey, brandy or rum to their coffee. Although the body temperature will rise immediately, that energy does not provide any interesting nutrients.

The WHO indicates that alcohol intake is associated with many health problems. The most serious are cirrhosis of the liver or cancer.

Additional flavors

The fashion of the 21st century is to go to a cafeteria and have a mixture of coffee prepared with other types of ingredients. Essence of vanilla, cream, caramel, chocolate … and hundreds of other things.

While these recipes are delicious, they are also unhealthy because not only is a lot of sugar added to the coffee, but also high-glucose artificial colors.