Is Coffee Mate Healthy (Nutrition Pros and Cons)?
In this blog post, I’ll review whether Coffee Mate is healthy or not? Find out what the nutrition pros and cons of this product are, plus some better options to consider.
Coffee Mate Facts
Coffee Mate is part of the Nestlé S.A. Goodness range of products. Nestlé S.A. is a Swiss multinational food and drink company known as the biggest food company in the world.
Coffee Mate is a product range for people who enjoy creamy and flavored coffee.
Most of the products in the Coffee Mate range are various types of creamers, including liquid creamer, powdered creamer, sugar-free creamer, plant-based creamer, and fat-free creamer. These options are available in multiple flavors, including collaborative flavors like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Twix, Toll House, and Amaretto.
Depending on the season, Coffee Mate releases additional flavor options like Pumpkin Spice and Peppermint Mocha. The brand also has two ready-made iced coffee products in Caramel and French Vanilla flavors. Plant-based non-dairy creamer options are made from almond and oat milk.
According to the nutrition label on Coffee Mate products, they contain sugar, corn syrup, highly processed chemical ingredients, artificial and natural flavors, and casein, a milk derivative. The sugar-free varieties contain non-nutritive sweeteners, and the plant-based types contain almond or oat milk.
Coffee Mate Ingredients
Most Coffee Mate options contain sugar, corn syrup solids, hydrogenated vegetable oils, and milk derivatives. The plant-based options contain almond and oat milk.
All Coffee Mate products contain stabilizers like carrageenan, cellulose gum, or gellan gum and various artificial and natural flavors. The sugar-free options contain non-nutritive sweeteners like sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
Here are some of the most significant ingredients in Coffee Mate and their impact on your health.
Seed Oils
Coffee Mate products contain industrial seed oils like soybean, canola, and palm kernel.
According to scientific research, seed oils like canola can cause various health problems, including oxidative stress, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease. These oils can also cause chronic inflammation, leading to obesity and autoimmune diseases.
Most seed oils, especially soy and canola, are genetically modified, something healthy eaters may want to avoid. They are also highly processed and usually hydrogenated to increase shelf life. Hydrogenation causes an increase in trans fats, which raise LDL cholesterol levels.
Furthermore, soy can alter thyroid function in people with an iodine deficiency and cause digestive upsets. Large amounts of soy are also not recommended during pregnancy.
If you’re unsure, pregnant, or have health problems, speak to your healthcare provider.
Casein
Coffee Mate products that are not plant-based contain either sodium caseinate or micellar casein, both milk derivatives.
Although casein in its pure form may help make weight loss easier, these ingredients are so highly processed that they no longer resemble whole milk – they don’t even contain lactose anymore. While this may seem like a positive attribute to lactose-intolerant people, it does not make this ingredient healthy.
Research into casein has implicated it in certain types of cancer and other side effects like lowered cognitive processing speed and accuracy and gastrointestinal discomfort.
Some people are sensitive to casein and experience severe symptoms when they consume it, including hives, itchy skin, coughing, wheezing, swelling, and even anaphylaxis that requires emergency treatment.
Non-Nutritive Sweeteners
Coffee Mate contains sucralose and acesulfame potassium, both non-nutritive sweeteners with potential health risks.
The human body can’t metabolize sucralose, which is highly processed and chlorinated. Over time, consumption of this ingredient can cause toxicity, adversely affect the gut microbiome, and cause inflammation, which may lead to diabetes and obesity.
Acesulfame potassium is a highly controversial ingredient many health-conscious people avoid because of the potential health risks. It’s essential to be aware of scientific studies like this that suggest further research to determine whether acesulfame potassium is carcinogenic.
Despite approving this chemical as a food additive, the FDA has strict recommendations on how much of this ingredient is healthy for human consumption.
If you choose to include non-nutritive sweeteners in your diet, it’s best to do so in moderation and avoid using them long-term.
Artificial Flavors
Synthetic ingredients like artificial flavors are generally unhealthy; some even have serious health risks and are toxic. Some people are sensitive to them and can break out in hives or develop asthma.
Although it’s clear that there are risks, flavor manufacturers are not regulated because no regulatory body is responsible for this. Even though food manufacturers must list ingredients in their products, flavor manufacturers can add dangerous substances like solvents to their products without disclosing this information.
For this reason, it’s impossible to tell if the artificial flavors in Coffee Mate are safe for human consumption.
Corn Syrup
Corn syrup is a highly processed ingredient with no nutritional value and potential health risks. Scientific research has shown that corn syrup can promote obesity because it increases appetite. It has also been linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, inflammation, and insulin resistance, leading to diabetes.
Regularly consuming corn syrup can also cause other health problems, including a weakened immune system, anemia, mood swings, a suppressed metabolism, and fatigue.
Nutrition Pros
Some people like the flavor Coffee Mate creamers give their coffee. There are sugar-free and plant-based options found at your local grocery store. Some of the varieties do not have added sugar.
Nutrition Cons
This product contains several unhealthy, highly processed ingredients: corn syrup, seed oils, and preservatives.
Although there are sugar-free and plant-based options, all the variations of this product contain potentially unhealthy ingredients, including non-nutritive sweeteners, corn syrup, seed oils, additives, and preservatives.
Over time, this product may cause serious health problems, especially when used in large quantities or over a long period of time.
Instead of using Coffee Mate creamers, a better option would be to enjoy your coffee black or add healthier alternatives like minimally processed, clean oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk or cream and real food spices and flavors like cacao and cinnamon.
The best option is to have your morning coffee as black coffee or with healthy coffee creamers without ingredients like dipotassium phosphate or partially hydrogenated oils. Always read the ingredient list of any packaged item including popular creamers like Coffee Mate creamer.
There are likely no health benefits to using this product and it may even cause health issues if used too often.
Coffeemate Nutrition FAQs
Yes, most of the ingredients in this product are highly processed and may have negative effects. Some of them may have serious adverse effects on your health. Some possible short-term side effects of Coffee Mate include insomnia, restlessness, digestive problems, headaches, and blood pressure spikes.
This product may also pose long-term health risks, including cardiovascular disease(heart disease), obesity, and diabetes.
There’s no clear answer on whether people with diabetes can safely consume the sugar-free variations of Coffee Mate, even in moderation. Some people with diabetes choose to consume products that contain non-nutritive sweeteners and may feel the same about these products.
The Coffee Mate plant-based versions may suit people who follow a vegan or plant-based diet. For anyone who follows a clean eating diet, this product is unsuitable.
It’s important to note that even though some of this product’s variations may seem suitable to some dietary restrictions, Coffee Mate is not a healthy product made with real food ingredients. Therefore, if you choose to consume it, consider doing so in moderation. It’s best to talk to a healthcare provider before adding this product to your diet.
The nutrition labels on Coffee Mate products state that the products contain 0g of trans fats. However, these products contain hydrogenated vegetable oils, which contain trans fat.
Better Options to Add to Coffee
Coffee Mate Health Conclusions
This product is unsuitable for health-conscious people who prefer to avoid processed, artificial ingredients. It contains various harmful ingredients that can harm your health, including non-nutritive sweeteners, seed oils, additives, and corn syrup. Instead of using Coffee Mate for a creamy coffee, consider adding unprocessed, gluten-free oat milk, coconut milk, or cream. You can add your own spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cacao for added flavor and health properties.
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
Note: this post is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for recommendations related to your individual situation.
