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Is Adding Milk to Your Coffee Healthier Than Drinking it Black?
Coffee is an integral part of millions of morning routines worldwide, from those who prefer it black to those who add milk for added creaminess or creamy cappuccinos. But which form is healthier: milking it or drinking it straight up? Both provide important health benefits; what’s the optimal way for us all to take their daily cup?
Answer may surprise you: depending on which kind of milk you choose, either could be more beneficial than another. The key is choosing one that fits with your nutritional goals – for instance, choosing dairy milk alternative may help limit saturated fat consumption while milk may offer increased protein.
Milk can add natural sweetness and create a smooth, creamier texture for any beverage you make, not to mention provide calcium, vitamin D and other important vitamins and nutrients. Plus, adding it can help meet your protein requirements if you follow a high-protein diet!
However, you should be mindful that too much milk may cause your blood sugar levels to skyrocket, making it more difficult for your body to shed extra weight. For the sake of maintaining a balanced diet and for weight loss purposes, black or minimally sweetened coffee beverages would be best.
Both black and milk coffee contain caffeine, which can stimulate your central nervous system and increase energy. Drinking black coffee has also been shown to improve memory retention as you age while protecting against cognitive decline. But beware – too much caffeine could disrupt sleep patterns, cause anxiety or headaches and possibly be addictive!
Milk coffee contains both caffeine and carbohydrates in equal measure, and many coffeehouse favorites add ingredients that increase its carb count further, such as whipped cream containing 6 grams per tablespoon (2 teaspoons). To stay within a low-carb diet, you may need to reduce or skip adding toppings with added carbs such as whipped cream or sugary syrups that contain them.
New research shows that pairing milk proteins and polyphenols together in coffee can double its anti-inflammatory benefits, as polyphenols bind with cysteine in proteins to form CA-Cys and CGA-Cys adducts that are twice as effective at fighting inflammation than simply polyphenols alone.
Coffee with milk can not only be an early morning pleasure, but can be the key to better sleep at night as well. A cup of milk coffee may even serve as an effective replacement for tea when having difficulty falling asleep. If you enjoy morning jolts like my morning cup of java is, why not give sipping hot cup of coffee with splash of milk or dash of frothed almond milk before bed a try to see if that helps improve your rest? For personalized nutrition advice use ZOE’s advanced testing services which can identify which foods best suit your biology!
