Have you been starting off your day with a hot cup of plastic?
General Interest
12 The MAG Vung Tau
Have you been starting off your day with a hot cup of plastic?
Colleen Winterburn
COFFEE-MATE was introduced in 1961 as the first“ non-dairy creamer” on the market, and today it remains the most popular such product in the world. Manufactured by Nestlé out of Glendale, California.
But what the hell is COFFEE-MATE? Mostly, it’ s sugar and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil( which contains trans fats).
So why does the label say,“ trans fat free?” And why in the world do people drink this stuff?
In many parts of the world, COFFEE-MATE must be called not creamer but“ whitener,” as the label of“ cream” misleadingly implies a dairy product. Whether you call it whitener or creamer, one thing is probably true; you don’ t know what it is. No one seems to know what gives COFFEE-MATE that creamy texture without any dairy. The first tip-off that something is amiss in the world of COFFEE-MATE is that the product’ s ingredients are not listed on its website. So what is in it? Ingredients of COFFEE-MATE Original( Liquid): Water: H20: Corn syrup solids: Used mostly in imitation dairy foods, corn syrup is a type of sugar( mostly dextrose) that is made from cornstarch. Partially hydrogenated soy-bean and / or cotton seed oil: All partially hydrogenated oils contain high levels of trans fats, which are brutal to your body. These cheap, human-tweaked fats were adopted heartily by grocery manufacturers in the 1970’ s, a move that some say helped to kick off the American obesity epidemic. Soy bean oil is perhaps the worst, as some contend that it depresses the thyroid gland and lowers your energy level.
However: COFFEE-MATE is legally allowed to say it is“ trans fat free” because the serving size is so small. But don’ t be fooled: COFFEE-MATE contains trans fats! Sodium casein-ate: A milk protein that contains no lactose, stabilized to have a longer shelf life. It is a major component of cheese and provides many nutrients and essential amino acids. Mono- and digycerides: Simply put, these are fats. They are emulsifying agents used to extend shelf life, and you will often see them in foods that also contain trans fats. In fact, some nutritionists are calling them“ the next trans fats.” Dipotassium phosphate: Also known as phosphoric acid, this water-soluble salt prevents coagulation and is“ generally regarded as safe” by the FDA – aka it’ s been in use since the 50’ s. Carrageenan: Extracted from red seaweeds, this food additive is a type of vegan gelatin and has been in use for hundreds of years.
If the fact that the oil is mixed with metal AND THEN WE CONSUME IT doesn’ t gross you out, the molecular structure of the oil in this new state has a closer resemblance to plastic than oil. In fact, you only have to change one molecule in order for this“ oil” to become plastic!
CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT YOUR BODY HAS TO DO IN ORDER TO PROCESS THIS ALMOST PLASTIC SUBSTANCE THROUGH YOUR BLOODSTREAM?!
It’ s no wonder why trans fat causes all sorts of health problems. It raises your bad cholesterol( LDL), lowers your good cholesterol( HDL), clogs your arteries( imagine soaking up dry flour with a sponge), is a major contributor to type 2 diabetes, and it’ s been linked directly to coronary heart disease.
Now with all this chemical jargon, I need to pause for a moment and interject some common sense here. I am not saying that if you drink coffee creamer you’ ll get heart disease, diabetes or high cholesterol. I’ m not saying that at all. What I am saying is that coffee creamer is comprised of a key ingredient THAT DOES cause heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol.
I honestly didn’ t think that oil was in my coffee creamer. Those manufacturers are sneaky. They’ ll do whatever it takes to make their products taste good. I can’ t even imagine how many other products in my pantry have some sort of trans fat in them.
So a simple first step is to drink half and half instead. The ingredients are simple: whole milk and cream.