Postum is a low-calorie, caffeine-free warm beverage made from roasted wheat and molasses. At roughly 10 to 14 calories per cup and only 2 to 3 grams of carbohydrates, it’s nutritionally light and carries some genuine advantages over coffee for people with acid reflux or caffeine sensitivity. But it also has one notable downside worth knowing about: unusually high levels of acrylamide, a chemical that forms when grains are roasted at high temperatures.
What’s Actually in Postum
The original Postum formula contains four ingredients: wheat, wheat bran, molasses, and wheat starch. That’s it. There are no artificial flavors, preservatives, or added caffeine. When you dissolve a teaspoon in hot water, you get a dark, malty drink that some people find similar to instant coffee in taste, though milder and without the bitterness.
Because wheat is the primary ingredient in every form, Postum contains gluten. If you have celiac disease or a wheat allergy, it’s not a safe option.
Nutritional Profile
A single cup of Postum has about 10 to 14 calories and 2 to 3 grams of carbohydrates, with no sodium. Compared to a cup of black coffee (which has roughly 2 calories), it’s slightly higher in calories, but the difference is negligible. The carbohydrate count is low enough that it’s unlikely to cause a meaningful blood sugar spike, even for people managing diabetes. The small amount of molasses does contribute trace minerals like iron and potassium, though in quantities too small per serving to make a real dietary impact.
The Caffeine-Free Advantage
Postum’s biggest selling point is that it’s completely caffeine-free. This isn’t the same as decaf coffee, which still contains 2 to 15 milligrams of caffeine per cup. Postum has none at all. For people who experience anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations, or jitteriness from even small amounts of caffeine, that zero is meaningful. It also makes Postum a reasonable option for pregnant women looking to reduce caffeine intake, or for anyone who wants a warm, coffee-like ritual without the stimulant.
Easier on Your Stomach Than Coffee
Many people turn to Postum specifically because coffee aggravates their digestive system, and there’s a practical reason it works. Coffee is acidic and stimulates gastric acid production, which can worsen symptoms of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), ulcers, and general stomach irritation. Postum doesn’t contain the compounds responsible for those effects, and anecdotal reports from long-term users consistently describe relief from acid reflux after switching.
The wheat bran in Postum also has some digestive upside. Wheat bran contains compounds called arabinoxylan-oligosaccharides that act as prebiotics, feeding beneficial bacteria in your gut. A 12-week clinical trial in healthy adults found that wheat bran extract increased levels of Bifidobacterium (a beneficial gut bacterium) and softened stool consistency. The amount of wheat bran in a single cup of Postum is small, so you shouldn’t expect dramatic prebiotic effects, but it’s a point in its favor over plain coffee, which offers no fiber at all.
The Acrylamide Concern
This is the part most articles about Postum skip, and it’s worth understanding. When grains are roasted at high temperatures, a chemical called acrylamide forms. It’s present in many common foods: bread crusts, French fries, roasted cereals, and regular coffee. But Postum has notably more of it than most.
Testing by the FDA found acrylamide levels of 3,747 and 5,399 parts per billion in Postum powder, with an average of 4,573 ppb. Those were among the highest measurements recorded for any food product. California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment analyzed the exposure risk and found that consuming a typical serving of Postum just once every two weeks would be enough to exceed the state’s proposed safe daily intake threshold of 1 microgram per day over a lifetime.
Acrylamide is classified as a probable human carcinogen based on animal studies, though the real-world cancer risk from dietary acrylamide in humans is still debated. Regular brewed coffee also contains acrylamide (typically 6 to 13 ppb in the brewed liquid), but Postum’s concentration in the powder form is orders of magnitude higher. If you’re drinking Postum daily, this is worth factoring into your thinking, particularly if you’re choosing it specifically for health reasons.
Who Benefits Most From Postum
Postum makes the most sense for a specific type of person: someone who loves the ritual of a hot, coffee-like drink but needs to avoid caffeine and stomach acid triggers. If you have GERD, a sensitive stomach, caffeine-related anxiety, or heart conditions that make stimulants risky, Postum solves a real problem. The calorie count is low enough to be irrelevant, and the gluten content only matters if you have celiac disease or a wheat sensitivity.
If you’re drinking it occasionally as a comfort beverage, the acrylamide levels are less of a practical concern. If you’re drinking multiple cups every day as a permanent coffee replacement, the acrylamide exposure becomes more relevant and is worth weighing against the benefits you’re getting. Other caffeine-free options like herbal teas or chicory root coffee don’t carry the same acrylamide load, though they also taste quite different from Postum.