Why you should NEVER drink flavored coffee: Report explains why that sweet energy boost may not be as saintly as you think

  • University of Illinois researchers analyzed 12 years of data on US drink tastes
  • They found 51% of Americans drink coffee - two-thirds of them add sweeteners
  • But they warn this can add a significant 69 calories to your morning brew 

By Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com

Published: 13:26 EST, 30 January 2017 | Updated: 13:26 EST, 30 January 2017

To many, coffee seems like a blessing: a fiery energy boost without the calories. 

But a new study warns most of us think a flavored cup of Joe is just as healthy.

That is far from true, the report explains - by laying bare just how calorific your vanilla-sweetened or milk-diluted beverage can be.

In fact, an extra dash of sugar, cream, or sweeteners can add a significant 69 calories to your morning brew. 

The report compiled by the University of Illinois comes from 12 years of research on America's tea and coffee habits.

An extra dash of sugar, cream or sweeteners can add 69 calories to your coffee, a study says

Researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which analyzed around 20,000 people who drink coffee or tea to create a nationally representative sample. 

More than 51 percent of Americans drink coffee regularly. Nearly 26 percent drink tea on a daily basis. 

But very few drink it plain. 

Roughly two-thirds of coffee drinkers admitted to adding sugar, cream, flavoring or other calorie-rich additives in their drinks. 

About a third of tea drinkers do the same. 

Lead researcher Professor Ruopeng An warns the health benefits are negligible - and the downsides significant. 

''Many people prefer drinking coffee and tea with sugar, cream, half-and-half or honey. These add-in items are often dense in energy and fat but low in nutritional value,' An explains.   

'Our findings indicate that a lot of coffee and tea drinkers regularly use caloric add-ins to improve the flavor of their beverages, but possibly without fully realizing or taking into consideration its caloric and nutritional implications.

'Compared with adding nothing to one's tea, drinking tea with caloric add-ins increased daily caloric intake by more than 43 calories, on average, with nearly 85 percent of those added calories coming from sugar.'

Milk products add a bit of calcium to the diet, but the amount - 22 milligrams per day, on average - is hardly anything, An said.

The daily recommended calcium intake is 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams, depending on one's age and pregnancy status.

Those who drink their coffee black consume about 69 fewer total calories per day, on average, than those who add sweeteners, cream or other substances to their coffee, An found. 

More than 60 percent of those calories come from sugar, with fat accounting for most of the rest of the extra calories consumed.

Tea drinkers tend to add fewer calorie-dense substances to their tea if they add anything at all, the analysis found. 

The daily intakes may seem small, but the extra calories every day can add up to extra pounds, An said.  

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