Is coffee creamer bad for your cholesterol levels? (Do coffee creamers affect your cholesterol levels? + more information)
Is coffee creamer bad for your cholesterol levels? Read on to find out.
Yes, coffee creamer is bad for your cholesterol levels. Like most people, coffee is the first thing I consume when I wake up every day, and I like having it with a lot of creamer. Also, I usually have several cups throughout the day while at the office. I did not realize I had too many coffee creamers until recently when my daughter pointed it out. I started wondering about how the creamers could impact my health over time. After extensive research, I decided to limit my coffee creamer intake once I learned about its effects on your cholesterol.
If you also take a lot of coffee creamers and are wondering how they’ll affect your cholesterol, keep reading to find out. I have shared everything I discovered, including some of the best creamers you can use instead if you have high cholesterol.
Table of Contents
How do coffee creamers affect your cholesterol?
Coffee creamers elevate your cholesterol levels. Most people do not realize that coffee creamers do not have any cream. Instead, they are packed with thickeners, sugars, oils, and stabilizers that impact your cholesterol levels negatively.
Additionally, the high transfat levels in coffee creamers also spike your cholesterol levels which may eventually lead to heart disease or stroke. Lastly, the oil in coffee creamers is hydrogenated, thus increasing the level of “bad cholesterol” in your body.
What happens to your cholesterol if you drink coffee creamers every day?
If you drink coffee creamers every day, your cholesterol levels in the blood will increase, risking cardiovascular health issues. There are two kinds of cholesterol in the body; low-density lipoproteins, otherwise known as LDL, and high-density lipoproteins, a.k.a HDL. LDL cholesterol is generally bad, and HDL is good. Consuming coffee creamers daily increases the level of LDL in your blood.
What is the best coffee creamer for people with high cholesterol?
Several coffee creamers are considered safer for people with high cholesterol to use. Some of them are; Generic Non-Dairy Creamer in liquid form and the Generic Non-Dairy Creamer in powder form. These creamers have low-calorie, no transfat, low fat, no artificial flavors and colors, and low sodium.
Also, the Half & Half creamers are a great option as they provide calcium and vitamin A, have a low sodium content, and are minimally processed.
The 1% milk creamers are another excellent option for people with high cholesterol. These creamers are minimally processed, are low in fat, sodium, calories, and saturated fat, and contain vitamins A and D and calcium.
From these options, the Half & Half creamers and 1% milk creamers are better than the creamers formerly mentioned as they contain minerals and vitamins and are less processed. But between the Half& Half creamers and the 1% milk creamers, the latter is better as it has less cholesterol and saturated fat.
FAQ SECTION
Can I use sugar-free coffee creamers if I have high cholesterol?
Yes. However, these kinds of creamers are no better than the sugared ones as they also have unhealthy additives, and although they may not spike your sugar levels, they’ll still affect your cholesterol.
How many coffee creamers can I use if I have high cholesterol?
You can consume one coffee creamer daily if you have high cholesterol. If you cannot eliminate coffee creamers and have black coffee instead, limit your daily coffee creamer intake to once daily.