Why You Should Never Add Powdered Creamer to Your Coffee

How many times have you grabbed a cup of coffee first thing in the morning? Or rolled through a drive-thru, and the barista already knew what your order would be and had it ready for you? Coffee is a fundamental part of many people’s morning routines. According to HuffPost, over 400 million cups of coffee are consumed just in the United States every day, and for 31 percent of coffee drinkers, brewing their cup is the very first thing they do each morning. But for such a universally beloved drink, people can be particular about the way they take their coffee. Some people take it just black, some people like it sweet, and some people like to add milk or creamer to their morning cup. However, there are many different kinds of creamer options, and they are not all created equal.

Powdered creamer is one popular and convenient coffee add-in. Many people use it as a non-dairy alternative to regular creamer, while others may find it a useful substitute for days when they open the fridge only to find out the regular milk has spoiled. Some people just prefer the taste of powdered creamer over regular dairy. However, despite their popularity, powdered creamers might be worse for your health than you think.

Powdered creamers may seem like a healthy alternative, but they still pack between 10 and 20 calories per serving, according to Everyday Health. While that may not seem like a lot, it’s very easy to overdo it. To make a creamy cup of coffee, many people put in more scoops of powder than the serving size suggests, and those calories can add up quickly. Calories aside, powdered creamers have also been known to contain questionable ingredients, like the additive sodium aluminosilicate (via Yahoo Style). It is commonly used in everything from food to laundry detergent as an anti-caking agent. Still, it has also been known to irritate eyes and skin, and it can even cause respiratory irritation, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. What’s more, powdered creamers also contain hydrogenated vegetable oil, whose saturated fat content may raise your risk of heart disease. So the next time you pour yourself a cup of coffee, think twice before reaching for the non-dairy creamer. It might be time to consider switching to black.