October 8th, 2020
The Not-So-Sweet Truth About Sugar-Free Creamers
According to the National Coffee Association, 64% of Americans drink coffee but only 32% of them drink it black. So what are 68% of people putting in their coffee and is it healthy to consume everyday?
It’s human nature to not want to think about the long-term effects--my family and I didn't want to reveal the "truth" to ourselves either! But when we finally did the math on our creamer usage, the results were shocking and that's when we committed to starting Prymal (Read about my family's "Creamer Experiment" here.)
Numbers don't lie: Consuming an extra 250 calories once a day doesn't seem like a lot, but over a full year, it will lead to a net gain of 26 pounds. Traditional coffee creamers and specialty lattes at the coffee shop can be calorically dense and sugary.
The average person gulps down two cups of coffee a day, starting from age 18. With the average US life expectancy is 78.93 years, that adds up to 60 years, or 21,900 days, of coffee – and creamer - consumption. That's a total of 43,800 cups of coffee! This is why what we put in our coffee is more critical than we realize.
"Buzzwords are unfortunately no guarantee that a product is good for you."
Artificial Sweeteners
Many health-conscious coffee lovers turn to no sugar creamers with labels like "Sugar Free," "Low Carb," or "Keto." Still, these buzzwords are unfortunately no guarantee that a product is good for you.
Take a look at Coffee Mate’s Sugar Free French Vanilla creamer. It's made of the same corn syrup solids, hydrogenated oil, and titanium dioxide as the regular version except it uses sucralose, an artificial sweetener. There was a study that showed sucralose destroys the balance in your gut. Not only does it allow bad gut bacteria to survive and thrive, it kills over 50% of beneficial bacteria.
Plus, another study found that sucralose and carbohydrates create a deadly combination that spikes blood sugar and impairs insulin sensitivity, which is especially bad for those with diabetes.
Aspartame, another artificial sweetener used in many coffee creamers, is one of the biggest question marks in nutritional science due to its lack of long-term human clinical trials. There’s no way to know for sure that aspartame consumption has a severe negative impact on one’s health, but there’s also no reason to believe that it is safe. It only makes logical sense to proceed with caution and avoid aspartame as much as possible.
Natural Sweeteners
Unlike competing creamers, Prymal is proud to use all natural sweeteners, including stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, and chicory root extract.
Stevia is a fan favorite among those with a sweet tooth. Not only does it taste sweeter than refined sugar, it's lower in calories, leads to far fewer cavities, and keeps blood sugar levels at a healthy balance.
Monk fruit, like stevia, has a sweeter taste than sugar without the high calories or blood sugar spike. Other pros are that it's proven to inhibit cancer cell growth and may even reduce blood sugar.
Erythritol is a staple of any weight loss regimen. It's calorie-free and can increase feelings of fullness and satisfaction. It might also be good for your teeth.
Chicory root is linked to a host of health benefits, including the regulation of gut health and blood sugar, and contains high concentrations of antioxidants.
If you’re looking for a sugar free, dairy free, and low carb way to enhance the flavor of your coffee without any guesswork about what you’re putting into your body, it’s clear that Prymal is the healthier - and tastier - coffee creamer solution. Find your favorite flavor today!
