Coffee’s health benefits vanish with sugar, cream

A daily cup of coffee might do more than just wake people up - it could help people live longer. But before pouring in the cream and sugar, new research from Tufts University warns: the real health boost comes from keeping it simple.

Researchers at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy found that moderate coffee consumption—particularly one to three cups a day—was associated with a reduced risk of death from various causes, especially heart disease. However, the health perks significantly declined when sugar and saturated fat were added, Caliber.Az reports via Earth.com.

“Coffee is rich in bioactive compounds like antioxidants,” said Professor Fang Fang Zhang, senior author of the study. “But adding creamers, syrups, and sugar changes its nutritional profile and may negate those benefits.”

The study analyzed nearly 20 years of data from 46,000 US adults, comparing their coffee habits and additive choices with mortality records. Participants who drank coffee black or with minimal additives had up to a 17 per cent lower risk of death. But when higher amounts of sugar and fat were present, the benefits disappeared.

A “low sugar” cup was defined as having less than 2.5 grams per serving—about half a teaspoon—while “low saturated fat” was under 1 gram, equivalent to a tablespoon of light cream.

Lead author Bingjie Zhou noted the study is one of the first to quantify how much sugar and fat people add to coffee and how that impacts health.

While decaf didn’t show similar benefits, possibly due to fewer respondents drinking it regularly, the message remains clear: for a longevity boost, keep coffee simple.

As the research shows, it’s not just about drinking coffee—it’s about how you drink it.

By Naila Huseynova