Coffee’s health benefits are well-established; studies have linked it with everything from lower risk of type 2 diabetes and improved brain health, to protecting liver conditions. But according to new research, drinking your beverage with additional dairy and sweeteners may not be as healthy. One such study published in Journal of Nutrition found that those who consumed black coffee without added dairy or sweeteners experienced lower mortality risks than those who consumed their beverage with dairy and sweeteners added.

This study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2018, as well as death records. Although self-reported eating habits could have caused errors, researchers controlled for other factors like caloric intake to find that drinking one or two cups of black coffee each day with little or no cream or sugar was associated with 16% lower risk of death from all causes compared to drinking three or more cups per day – although such decrease was less notable than 16% decrease for people who exclusively consumed black coffee daily.

Milk and sweeteners add luxuriousness to coffee, but a small amount can provide just 10 grams of sugar – or around 200 calories- per serving. Many packaged coffee drinks contain significantly more; some even boast 15 grams of added sweetness per cup!

Typically, full-fat versions of coffee make the best tasting cups, but if you want to reduce added sugars there are other ways of making it more flavorful without additional calories or added sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit that have less impact on blood sugar levels.

David Cutler, a family medicine physician not involved with the study, suggests a compromise for those still reluctant to give up caffeine: Two or three cups of coffee may be fine every day as long as sugar and saturated fat intake remains at manageable levels. For those who prefer their beverages unsweetened and without flavors such as caramel and creaminess; an unflavored beverage like water with a pinch of salt could provide just as satisfying an alternative experience.