Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Does Putting Milk in Coffee Destroy Its Health Benefits?



Some like it black, while others like it with lots of milk and sugar. Everyone has their own personal preference; but have you ever wondered if putting milk in coffee destroys some of its health benefits? Some studies have shown that when milk is added to tea it deactivates some of the healthy polyphenols that make tea such a healthy beverage. Coffee, too, is a source of antioxidants. In fact, most of the antioxidants Americans get in their daily diet comes from coffee. Does putting milk in coffee reduce these health benefits?

Coffee still contains a large amount of caffeine which can be a problem for people with heart disease, high blood pressure, insomnia, or anxiety; and it’s not clear whether drinking decaffeinated coffee has the same health benefits. Some people experience unpleasant reactions to drinking coffee due to the caffeine; and because it’s acidic it can cause heartburn and indigestion. It also reduces the absorption of iron by the intestines – so it isn’t a good choice of beverage for anyone with iron deficiency anemia.

If you like your coffee with a little cream or milk, you can stop worrying. A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition shows that putting milk in coffee doesn’t affect its antioxidant levels. Milk may be fine, but it’s best to avoid non-dairy creamers and sugar since this study showed that they reduced the time it took for caffeic, ferulic acid, and isoferulic acid – three antioxidants in coffee – to make their way into the blood stream.

1 comment:

Karan Peri said...

But how about the other way around? Does milk lose its benefits when added to coffee?
If I would like to increase my milk intake, would drinking coffee add to that or nullify the benefits of milk?
Would love to know.

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