There is information on the Internet that drinks based on coffee and milk are not digestible and can harm the body. We decided to check whether such fears were justified.

They write that lattes, cappuccinos and other types of coffee with added milk are poorly digested, and if consumed regularly can lead to the formation of kidney stones and even the development of cancer. educational portals, nutrition resources And online stores. Some nutrition experts even claim, that these are completely incompatible products, and when autopsy of corpses, undigested coffee with milk is allegedly often found in the stomachs. Some people recommend avoiding this combination in your diet. Media.

The idea that coffee with added milk is indigestible and can have a detrimental effect on the digestive system is not new. Back in 1857, Scientific American published article, where the corresponding considerations of one French doctor were given. However, his conclusions were based on the results of some experiments on himself and his friends, which can hardly be considered convincing evidence.

“Verified” has already dealt with myths associated with coffee more than once: supposedly it slows growth children and teenagers, leads to dehydration and promotes breast reduction in women. None of these statements could be confirmed - it turned out that, from a scientific point of view, coffee is not so terrible.

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assertsthat coffee and other caffeine-containing drinks and products (tea, chocolate, energy drinks) can be safely included in the diet - they are harmless in reasonable quantities. In the case of coffee, the FDA considers it reasonable to consume no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day, that is, about two to three 350 ml cups of the drink. This recommendation is based on systematic review American scientists, published in 2017. However, a “cup of coffee” is not a completely standardized concept, since the caffeine content even in classic espresso can be differ depending on the type of coffee beans and roasting method. Excessive consumption of caffeine can lead to side effects: increased blood pressure, headache, nausea, insomnia, etc. However, judging by statistical data, people who regularly drink coffee live longer, and their risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular and some other diseases is lower. As for oncology, according to currently available scientific data, coffee is also more likely to promote reduction risk of developing cancer rather than causing it.

No convincing evidence that milk in general is harmful to human health in any way, "Verified" couldn't find it. Some people suffer from lactose intolerance - a carbohydrate contained in milk, and they should not be added to coffee with regular cow's milk. But in large supermarkets it is now easy to find lactose-free analogues, and many coffee shops include this option in their menus.

Can there be harm from eating foods together that are completely harmless individually? “Verified” could not be found on authoritative scientific and medical resources to recommend avoiding a combination of coffee and milk in the diet. Most of the alarmist articles about the dangers of a cappuccino or latte claim that when the two drinks are mixed, the casein protein in the milk reacts with the tannins in the coffee, forming an indigestible residue that allegedly leads to cancer and other health problems. However, scientists from the American Chemical Society published in 2024 results research on the interaction of substances in coffee and milk. They studied at the molecular level the properties of an aqueous solution of store-bought whole fat (3.5%) milk, an aqueous solution with milk and caffeine, and a hand-brewed cappuccino. During the observations, it turned out that the caffeine components did not affect the structure and molecular mobility of milk proteins - the milk components “behaved” when interacting with coffee as usual, and their taste did not change.

Since the concept of “coffee au lait” is vague and two drinks, even made from the same beans and milk in the same coffee shop, can differ slightly, research on their properties is rather limited. However, there are some scientific data, indicating that milk components may reduce the bioavailability of beneficial polyphenols (substances with antioxidant properties) contained in coffee and coffee with added milk may be less beneficial for the body than simply black coffee.

Other studies show the opposite result. So, in 2023, scientists from the University of Copenhagen found outhow polyphenols interact with amino acids in milk. They conducted an experiment on immune cells in which they artificially provoked inflammation. Before this, one group of cells was exposed to polyphenols only, the second was exposed to polyphenols in combination with an amino acid, and the third (control) was not exposed at all. It turned out that cells from the second group coped with inflammation much faster than the other two. But despite the fact that the results of the in vitro experiment look promising, it is still too early to judge whether coffee with milk has the same effect in the human body (that is, in vivo) and additional research is needed to draw clear conclusions.

What exactly distinguishes coffee with milk from black coffee is its calorie content. If in 100 ml espresso contains 9 kcal, then in the same volume latte - already 43 kcal. Therefore, when losing weight, adding milk to coffee is really not the best strategy. But the same thing - and even to a greater extent - applies to, for example, sugar.

Thus, “Verified” has not found convincing scientific evidence that coffee with milk is dangerous to health, is not digested and leads to the development of cancer or other diseases. There is some scientific evidence that milk can reduce the bioavailability of the beneficial components of caffeine, however, experiments have also been conducted with the opposite results, so the information is still quite contradictory and additional research is required for clear conclusions. But even if the most pessimistic conclusions of scientists about the effect of milk on the absorption of caffeine nutrients are confirmed, we are still talking only about the lesser benefits of this drink, and not about its harm. Cappuccino and other coffee drinks with milk can conditionally be called more harmful than black coffee, only in the case of combating excess weight - they are actually much more caloric.

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