Five reasons to avoid sugar in our coffee

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"Plain, mediocre or sweet?" was and is a classic question that always accompanies the order of a coffee. Although today, those who choose not to add sugar to their coffee become more and more, sugar remains perhaps the most common coffee accompaniment. From the "heavy sweet" Greek coffee of our grandparents to the fancy and instagrammable drinks of the big coffee chains, no one can imagine coffee without sugar. Or can it?

The shift of the public to a lighter and healthier diet, but also the clearly better quality (compared to the past) coffee that is now available, have made the sugar a bit ... retro. But for those who are not yet convinced of the benefits of plain coffee, we have put together five reasons that will make even the most confectioner think again.



Five reasons to avoid sugar in our coffee

Disrupts blood sugar levels: Sugar is absorbed extremely quickly by the body, raising blood sugar levels, which results in an immediate burst of energy, which is extremely short-lived and is lost as soon as sugar falls back to normal. Although this "ups and downs" are not generally problematic for people without health problems, they are dangerous for diabetics or other related diseases.

Increases body weight: Sugar, especially processed sugar, is a calorie bomb, which is very difficult to perceive. As sugar is found in almost every processed food (from ready-made sauces to bread) it is not always easy to calculate the caloric load due to it, in order to reduce it. A spoonful of sugar has about 15 - 20 calories, to which we often do not pay due attention.

Improves oral health: As we were told when we were little, sugar is the number one enemy of our teeth, and of course this applies to the sugar we add to our coffee. Normally, after any food or drink that contains sugar, a good brushing of our teeth is imperative, as its absence can cause dental problems. Alternatively, we can reduce or even eliminate sugar from our daily coffee.

Increases the risk of heart disease: Sugar abuse is directly linked to obesity and a number of unpleasant diseases, such as high cholesterol and triglycerides, but also an increased risk of developing hypertension. Combined, all of these factors can cause heart disease, which is threatening not only to health but also to human life.

Reduces the perception of the taste of coffee: A side effect of sugar that has nothing to do with health, but with the very enjoyment of coffee. The addition of plenty of sugar to coffee is a remnant of an era when coffee was mostly of low quality, very roasted and extremely bitter. Nowadays, when coffee has been reduced to a culinary delight, sugar not only does not add anything to the taste of coffee, on the contrary it makes its organoleptic characteristics more difficult to perceive, reducing the overall experience.



What can we do if we prefer our coffee sweet?

If we belong to the category of people who prefer their coffee sweet, of course we do not need to give up coffee, nor to be disappointed. Doctors recommend that for a healthy adult (without problems with diabetes, obesity or heart disease) the daily intake of sugar should not exceed six tablespoons, but in this amount we must include the sugar we receive from other processed foods. we consume.

If the recommended amount of sugar remains small for our tastes, we can turn to sweeteners with less caloric weight and suitable even for diabetics, such as for example sweeteners with stevia. Finally, if we love the milk in our coffee, some plant-based milk substitutes, such as soy or coconut milk, have a sweet taste of natural sugars, which can help us reduce the amount of sugar in our cup.



Life is sweet on its own, and with a good coffee it becomes even sweeter ... who needs sugar?