How to Sweeten Coffee without Sugar
If you do not like drinking your morning joe strong and black, sugars and sweeteners come as a saving grace for those who cannot enjoy a cup of bitter black coffee.
We can unanimously agree that coffee is a great energizer, having the capability to brighten up anyone’s sluggish morning.
In fact, most people cannot resist drinking their precious brews for a jolt of energy and a rush of motivation to push through an exceptionally slow day.
While coffee on its own provides individuals with a myriad of benefits, adding sweeteners, coffee creamers, and refined sugars, among other additives to the mix can lead to severe health repercussions.
With more and more people jumping on diet plans to lose a couple of extra pounds, swapping sugary, oily, fatty foods with healthier plant-based alternatives is becoming a norm.
Furthermore, drinking multiple cups of your beloved freshly brewed coffee in conjunction with sugars and sweeteners can become detrimental for people with diabetes, and high cholesterol, and for people on a weight loss journey.
Whether you are someone living with diabetes or you are looking for efficient alternatives to sugar to sweeten your daily cup of joe, look no further.
If you are looking for substitutes and alternatives to add a touch of sweetness to your cup of joe, here is a complete guide to how to sweeten coffee without sugar.
Table of Contents
What is the difference between Refined Sugar and Natural Sugar?
First things first, before learning about the effects of sugar on your health, it is important to learn about two different types of sugar.
The sugar that is often added to your coffee to sweeten up the bitter taste, is not naturally occurring and is often a product of chemical processes.
This white, granulated form of sugar is not naturally present in your daily food substances, instead, it is made from cane sugar that has undergone the refining process.
While natural sugars are found in daily food items that make up your balanced diet such as vegetables, grains, fruits, and milk, refined sugar is present in processed products.
You can find refined sugar in coffee creamers or corn syrup as an additive, flavor enhancer, and preservative.
Why should you not use sugar in your coffee?
Coffee and sugar are two inseparable components for people who cannot stand the bitter taste of black coffee.
But, as sweet as your coffee may taste after adding a couple of spoonfuls of sugar, adding extra sugar to your morning cup of java can lead to some serious health problems, especially when you are looking for ways to lose weight.
Sugars on their own are not a required nutrient for the body. One cannot avoid consuming sugars, as they are naturally present in food items that make up a balanced diet.
While coffee on its own does not pose any harm to your health, adding copious amounts of sugar can cause serious diseases like obesity and diabetes, as this sweet component is rich in fructose.
To help you fully understand how bad abundant consumption of sugar in coffee can be for your health, here are some reasons why you should not consume refined sugar in coffee:
Weight Gain:
According to a study conducted by Havard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on a daily basis, an average individual in America consumes about 22 teaspoons of added sugar per day which equates to about 350 calories daily.
Elevates Blood Sugar Levels:
Have you ever experienced a sudden jolt of energy after consuming candies or an extremely sweet cup of coffee?
If yes then this is because sugar is able to absorb into your bloodstream almost immediately.
This immediate absorption of sugar into the bloodstream in turn spikes your blood sugar levels, and later gives a sensation of sugar crash as the levels of sugar in the bloodstream decrease.
While a normal individual will not face any serious repercussions upon consuming sugars, this sudden spike in blood sugar levels can become risky for people with diabetes.
Increased risk of heart disease:
Believe it or not, excess sugar consumption while on a nutritionally blanched or healthy diet plan can affect your heart health.
Consuming excess sugar with obesity can directly increase the risk of developing heart diseases, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
No Nutritional Value:
Adding sugar to coffee has almost no nutritional value, and provides no benefit to your health other than adding a touch of sweetness.
In fact, many food items that integrate often lack in terms of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.
Dental Problems:
While drinking coffee not only stains your teeth yellow but drinking coffee with sugar can cause tooth decay and cavities.
In fact, according to the WHO or the World Health Organization sugar and food items containing sugar are among the key causes of tooth decay and cavities around the globe.
A list of some of the best ways to Sweeten Coffee without Sugar:
Sugar, although a hard-to-miss ingredient for anyone’s daily cup of coffee, especially for people who cannot resist adding extra sweetness to their precious joe to brighten up their day.
But sugar on its own has no nutritional value and is not required by the body at all, instead, it causes more than good to your body.
Whether you have diabetes, are on a weight loss journey, or just looking for healthier substitutes to sweeten your cup of java, saying goodbye to refined sugars will always be the right answer.
If you are in search of some healthy sugar alternatives to add a touch of sweetness to your cup of joe, look no further, here is a perfectly brewed list of some of the best sugar alternatives to sweeten your coffee:
1. Agave:
Agave is a natural nectar that is extracted from cacti species native to the regions of the Americas and the Caribbean.
While Agave nectar does not contribute directly to health and contains high levels of fructose, it has a significantly low glycemic index when compared to table sugar.
This sweet nectar is the perfect additive for your morning joe as it has a sweet caramel taste that easily counterbalances the bitter taste of coffee.
2. Honey:
Honey, although not a very good substitute or alternative for individuals on a vegan diet, is a healthy way of adding a touch of sweetness to your daily cup of coffee.
In fact, honey is a superfood that provides the body with myriads of health benefits and has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial qualities.
3. Cinnamon:
If you love the taste of cinnamon spice or if fall is your favorite season, adding cinnamon to your cup of joe can be a perfect way of making homemade cinnamon spice lattes.
Other than adding a touch of spice and subtle sweetness, cinnamon is packed with health benefits.
Cinnamon in coffee can help reduce cholesterol levels, boost metabolism, regulate blood sugar levels, improve heart health, and enhance the immune system.
4. Stevia:
Stevia is a plant-based organic sweetener that has been used to sweeten beverages like tea, coffee, and smoothies.
This sweetener has been celebrated for not only being organically sourced but also for its extremely sweet flavor and being a great alternative to refined sugar.
Along with being more effective than your table sugar, Stevia is also non-fermentable, pH-stable, and even heat-stable.
5. Vanilla:
While vanilla extract doesn’t provide your coffee with the immense sweet taste and flavor like sugar, it definitely adds a touch of vanilla flavor making your coffee-drinking experience more pleasant.
6. Coconut Sugar:
Coconut Sugar is another delicious yet healthy refined sugar alternative that is extracted from the flower bud stem sap.
This alternative, although naturally sourced, is still high in fructose and is not meant for coffee fanatics who do not fancy the taste of coconut.
7. Maple Syrup:
If you are looking for a boost of calories along with a jolt of caffeine, then using maple syrup is an alternative for you.
Maple syrup, although having fewer benefits than table sugar, is rich in antioxidants.
8. Mint:
Mint extracts can be a great alternative to sugar to sweeten up your cup of coffee.
Yes, you read that right, mint extracts are a great way of adding a subtle sweetness along with a refreshing aftertaste.
9. Dates:
Adding dates to your daily cup of joe instead of sugar not only gives your coffee the desired sweetness but also provides extra magnesium, fiber, and Vitamin B5.
10. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder:
Who doesn’t love a touch of chocolate in their morning joe, especially during cold winter mornings?
Unsweetened cocoa powder in coffee may not add the desired sweetness you may like but it provides the coffee with a touch of chocolate to get you going.