Do you enjoy cream and sugar with your coffee? How about honey, milk or anything else for that matter? Are you curious about how such flavors affect the caffeine in coffee or counteract caffeine you consume?
That being said, let’s explain how your coffee will be different from plain black coffee when you add sugar, milk, and so forth. Let’s answer the question you have: Does cream or sugar impact the amount of caffeine in your coffee?
What impact does Cream or Sugar have on Caffeine?
The short answer is yes. The caffeine won’t be as effective because the caffeine has to burn through them. Although it won’t be as effective, the caffeine count will remain the same. You just negate the effects of caffeine but not how much caffeine you consume in your cup of coffee. The same amount of coffee in a cup will lead to the same amount of caffeine intake.
There are several ways on how to negate the effects of caffeine in your coffee, but you can’t actually add them to your coffee. The good news is you can amp up the effects of caffeine by adding different things to it.
What is Caffeine? Where does it come from?
Caffeine is found in coffee beans from the very beginning. Up to 97% of it can be removed, and this is how you get decaf coffee. However, there are always trace amounts in the beans.
In its true form, caffeine is solid. If it were removed from the coffee beans and placed on the ground or anywhere, then it would be odorless, dry powder, and bitter. Caffeine is what gives beans their flavor, for the most part.
How much caffeine is in a coffee depends on the type of beans. Different kinds of beans have different levels of how much caffeine is in them.
Robusta bean coffee contains a lot of caffeine. This is because the caffeine content is 2.7%, which is quite a bit. Not only that, but the beans are rich in taste, which results in great tasting coffee. You may find that the high caffeine content results in harsher tasting coffee, but we think you’ll still be a fan of it.
Arabica beans tend to be known for their aroma and flavor. The beans are very delicate. However, they only contain around 1.5% of caffeine, so there isn’t as much caffeine in them as the previously mentioned beans.
In most cases, you’ll end up with a mixture of Arabica and Robusta beans. If you want to compare the two beans, then do a bit of research. There is a lot to learn about them both.
Caffeine will still work if you add cream and sugar to your coffee. However, the caffeine will kick in slower and it won’t be as effective. The effects of caffeine can be changed by adding spices to your coffee.
The bottom line is caffeine is in coffee, no matter what. You can add all the cream, sugar, milk or honey you want, but caffeine will still be present. However, the amount of it will be modified and its overall effect will be impacted.
It’s worth pointing out that caffeine doesn’t evaporate or disappear. It doesn’t matter what you do, it will not just go away. The caffeine will always be there and it will still work to some extent.
If you want to negate most of the general effects of caffeine, then you can only do certain things once you drank the coffee. For example, you can drink a lot of water to flush out the caffeine or you can work out. Consuming fruits can help too. Getting enough sleep and eating a warm meal work well too.
What can you use in your Coffee to reduce Caffeine?
Adding spices to your drink can make coffee even stronger. Some of the top spices you can try include ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg to name a few. Coffee and such spices go well together (Check out what you need to know about cinnamon in coffee!). Plus, such spices are packed with antioxidants, which offer an array of health benefits. However, using such spices will not impact how much caffeine is in your cup! Your caffeine intake will be the same.
You have to be aware of how much spice you put in your coffee. Spice can amp up the hotness of the coffee. If you add cream or milk, then the taste of the spices will become dull.
Is Coffee with Milk and Sugar Fattening?
Well, the answer is that nobody wants to hear: it depends. If you drink one cup of coffee a day then adding a spoonful of sugar and a tablespoon of milk won’t have a big impact.
A tablespoon of sugar adds 12 calories to your coffee. In addition, a tablespoon of half and half adds 20 calories. So, if you use both then you’re adding 32 calories to a cup of coffee – Using Soy Milk in Coffee – Does it add less calories?
A single cup of coffee is not a problem for most people. However, if you drink 5 cups a day then you’ll end up adding 160 calories per day. Eventually, this will catch up with you and there’s a good chance that you add weight due to the added sugar and milk to your coffee.
Your Blood Sugar Can Be Affected By Sugars
The taste of your coffee will change when you add fats and sugars to it. Generally speaking, the more cream you add, the tastier the coffee will be. However, the content of the fat will be very high.
We all want to avoid fatty drinks and foods, but if the only thing you add to your black coffee (Comparing Black Coffee vs White Coffee), then you’re fine for the most part. You can also use coconut oil. This is kind of doing the whole Keto thing.
However, your blood sugar will increase if you add honey, sugar, agave syrup or any kind of sugary substance. You’ll be fine if your insulin is okay. However, if you have diabetes, then you will want to avoid adding any kind of sugar to your coffee.
Earlier we’ve mentioned a number of spices. Feel free to add one of them to your coffee. They’re all a great substitute for sugar.
Exercise is a great way to counteract the effects of sugar. How much sugar people put in their coffee does vary from person to person. However, most people should be alright if they add a single lump of sugar.
There are people who cringe at the thought of adding a lump because there’s too much for them to handle. Some are perfectly fine with that amount. The truth is coffee can be a bit bitter and milk or cream can help with that.
This is because cream and milk contains fats. When milk or cream is added to coffee, then it makes it less bitter and more palatable. We think you should add as little sugar as possible to your coffee because of the many adverse effects sugar can have on the body.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is sugar and cream make caffeine less effective. This is regardless of how you drink your coffee. The effects caffeine will have on you will also be reduced, and some of these effects include boosting your energy levels and increasing your ability to focus. If you are sensitive to caffeine and for example have an increase in blood pressure after a cup of coffee then be aware that these conditions can and will still persist when you get caffeine into your system!
Personally, we do use both milk and sugar in our coffees. Sometimes we use coconut milk. Almond milk is a good alternative to coconut milk, so some of us use that instead.
Coconut milk and almond milk, as well as sugar and milk, do make coffee easier to drink, which is why a lot of people turn to them when they have their cups of coffee. When it comes down to it, it’s all about personal preference, so drink your coffee however you like. The choice is completely up to you, but just make sure you’re aware of how caffeine is affected by what you put in your coffee.
It won’t really be possible that you get a caffeine overdose from drinking a couple of cups of coffee a day. Yet, it’s good to know how much caffeine you consume and how you can counteract caffeine.
