There’s been tons of back and forth among researchers about whether coffee is more healthy or harmful, but we have good news for coffee fanatics.
Coffee
Coffee won't harm your heart, and it may even help it
Research has found that not only is coffee not bad for your heart, it might actually be beneficial.
It contains lots of healthy plant chemicals as well as vitamins and minerals
Coffee doesn't look or taste anything like a salad, but it contains some of the same benefits.
Filtered coffee is better for you than unfiltered coffee
Bad news if you love your French press, or if you're a fan of Turkish or Scandinavian boiled coffee: Unfiltered brews contain a compound called cafestol that can raise your "bad" LDL cholesterol levels, says van Dam. Cafestol is also found in smaller but still noteworthy amounts in espresso, as well as in coffee made in a moka pot.
What you add to your coffee affects your health
While coffee can be a good-for-you option, that changes if you add the wrong things. There's a big difference between a cup of coffee served black and a fancy concoction that contains a liberal pour of sugary syrup or heavy cream, or copious amounts of sugar.
Coffee isn't associated with a higher risk of cancer
Research shows that coffee doesn't appear to raise your risk of developing or dying from cancer, and some studies suggest that coffee drinkers even have a slightly lower risk of certain types of cancer, such as cancer of the liver or the endometrium (the lining of the uterus).
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A taste test of 10 popular coffee creamer options, from half-and-half to hemp milk
Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk
This off-white almond milk had an appealing freshness that countered its somewhat chalky mouthfeel. It played well with coffee, taking off the bitter edge. $3.79 for 64 ounces.
So Delicious Original Coconut Milk Beverage
Although dairy-free, this beverage reminded me of skim milk in color. While skim milk can feel thin on the palate, this coconut milk had a very creamy feel. There are both coconut milk and sugar in this product, but you don't really taste them, either on its own or in coffee. This beverage took the edge off the coffee and gave it a creamy feel. $2.29 for 32 ounces.
Good Karma Unsweetened Flaxmilk
Pearly white with a definite chalky note, this product had a very neutral flavor profile on its own and in coffee. Indeed, it seemed to vanish into the coffee, adding neither flavor nor texture. $4.49 for 64 ounces (half-gallon).Â
Dean's Dairy Pure Half & Half
Very white in color with a creamy medium consistency. Had that slight "grassy" dairy flavor. The half-and-half muted the coffee's bitterness, but I still found myself adding sugar just as I do at home. This cup offered the comfort of the familiar. $3.29 for 32 ounces (quart).Â
Living Harvest Tempt Original Hempmilk
On its own, this product has a pronounced flavor: "Hemp-y" perhaps? This hemp milk, colored an antique white, has a thin consistency even when shaken, but there is a definite creamy chalkiness that reminded me of an antacid. Cane sugar is one of the ingredients, but this product is no sugar bomb. This hemp milk colors the coffee, but the flavor disappears into it. The coffee texture, to me, remains unchanged from black. $3.99 for 32 ounces.Â
Califia Farms Unsweetened Almondmilk Creamer
The label reads "Real Almond & Coconut Cream," and that's exactly what you taste. The sweet note of almond comes followed by the coconut. Consistency is thin but coats the mouth. This pearly white creamer gives a nutty, almost grassy note to the coffee, followed by a suggestion of coconut. It's not a bad pairing; just different for a traditional dairy half-and-half user like me. $4.99 for 25.4 ounces.
Silk Original Soymilk
The flavor of this off-white soy milk is at once bright and nondescript with a light sweet note. The texture is thin, smooth. This soy milk lightens the coffee and tones downs the bitterness, while allowing the coffee flavor to come through. Not bad. $2.59 for 32 ounces.Â
Rice Dream Classic Original Organic Rice Drink
This product had a dairy-like blandness with a touch of sweetness from brown rice. In coffee, it smoothed out the flavor but didn't leave any sense of added creaminess. $3.19 for 32 ounces.Â
Nestle Liquid Coffee-Mate Original Creamer
Very white in color, mild in flavor and with the tiniest note of sweetness on the finish, this nondairy creamer coats the mouth before quickly vanishing. Maybe it's because I use Coffee-Mate a lot at work, but I found it plays well with coffee, lightening up the brew but letting the flavor come through. $3.29 for 32 ounces.Â
Ripple Original Plant-based Half & Half
Made with water, sunflower oil and pea protein, this plant-based half-and-half is chalk-white in color and rather chalky in terms of flavor. It coats the mouth like dairy, but there's the slightest grainy quality to the texture. In coffee, the chalkiness goes away and is replaced with a creaminess that gives it a mouthfeel very close to coffee with dairy half-and-half. $3.99 for 16 ounces (pint).
