Add These 6 Things to Your Coffee for More Health Benefits

Coffee has many health benefits when consumed properly. Here are some suggestions on what to add and what not to add to make your cup of coffee healthier and more beneficial.

Coffee is more than just a way to get a caffeine boost to help you wake up. Add these spices to your daily cup of joe—if you're someone who can't stand your morning cup—to get even more health and wellness benefits from your drink.

1. Spices

Added spices like cinnamon and chicory root can add a distinctive flavor and aroma to your cup of coffee while also providing additional health benefits. These spices can be added before or after brewing and provide similar benefits. For example:

1. Cinnamon is considered a great substitute for sugar to sweeten your coffee without adding extra calories. In addition, cinnamon also has potential benefits for cardiometabolic and weight control.

Added spices such as cinnamon and chicory root can bring special flavor and attractive aroma (Photo: ST)

1. Chicory root powder can be used in coffee and is a great option if you can't stand the bitter taste of natural coffee beans. Chicory root also has digestive-boosting properties, thanks in part to its inulin content.

After adding them, you should let the coffee steep for another 5 minutes so that the coffee can be absorbed evenly and have a more delicious flavor.

2. Protein powder

Proffee is a novel combination of protein and coffee in the energy drink industry that has been making waves on social media for a while now. According to Everyday Health, adding protein powder to any beverage is a great way to get more protein in your diet.

The problem is that adding 1.5 grams (g) of whey protein per kilogram of body weight per day to your diet will help reduce body fat and increase lean muscle mass. But a person can only absorb about 8 to 10 g of whey protein per hour, so with a transit time of about 90 minutes through the small intestine, the maximum amount of protein that can be absorbed is about 15 g.

Proffee is a novel combination of protein and coffee. (Photo: ST).

Therefore, to get the maximum amount of protein, you should divide the amount of coffee consumed throughout the day, avoiding adding it all at once.

3. Cocoa powder

In addition to enhancing the flavor of desserts, cocoa powder when added to coffee also has many health-related effects, especially thanks to the characteristic antioxidant polyphenol in it.

Studies show that when you include a significant amount of cocoa in your diet, its antioxidants can provide anti-inflammatory benefits as well as protection against risk factors for cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular disease, and more. According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) , cocoa powder also adds fiber to your diet — 2 grams per tablespoon.

In addition to enhancing the flavor of desserts, cocoa powder when added to coffee also has many health-related effects (Photo: ST)

However, it is important to remember that, according to the USSA, cocoa powder contains some caffeine - more than 12 milligrams (mg) per tablespoon. So it will make your cup of coffee contain more caffeine. Therefore, you need to reduce the amount of coffee if you do not want to experience side effects such as restlessness, palpitations, etc., especially for those who need to limit caffeine consumption such as people with high blood pressure, pregnant women, etc.

4. Grass-Fed Butter

Grass-Fed Butter when added to coffee does have some health benefits. Grass-Fed Butter is high in CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) which has been linked to weight loss – although animal studies have shown more positive results than human studies.

Grass-Fed Butter (Butter made from grass-fed cow's milk) (Photo: ST)

But overall, adding Grass-Fed Butter to coffee can suppress appetite and may be effective for people who are doing intermittent fasting in the morning, thereby promoting fat loss and weight loss more effectively, according to Everyday Health .

5. Lemon

Lemon detox water or lemon tea is no longer strange to many people, but recently on Tiktok, there has been a trend of adding lemon to coffee with the hashtag (tag attached to each post): #lemoncoffee attracting up to 8 million views.

New research suggests that adding lemon to your coffee may aid digestion by stimulating the production of stomach acid. This could be beneficial for those looking to lose weight – but scientists don't recommend drinking it on an empty stomach or for those with digestive problems. It's best to enjoy an espresso with lemon zest after a meal.

Lemon is a popular fruit in weight loss teas. (Photo: ST).

In addition, lemon also brings neurological benefits thanks to the flavonoids in citrus. However, squeezing lemon into coffee does not help you lose belly fat or prevent headaches and treat diarrhea as some spread on social networks.

6. Collagen powder

Collagen is a fibrous protein found in body tissues such as bones, skin, muscles and tendons. It makes up about a third of the total protein in the body and is what gives these tissues their strength and elasticity. As we age, less collagen is produced. One area that can be affected by this is the skin – less elasticity means more wrinkles.

Collagen is also found in the joints and like the skin, collagen levels can decrease with age and when this happens a person may be more susceptible to joint pain due to arthritis.

Collagen supplements come in many different forms, with powdered forms being the easiest to add to drinks like coffee. According to Everyday Health , oral collagen supplements have been shown to improve skin elasticity, skin collagen density, and skin moisture. Additionally, other studies on NCBI have shown that oral collagen supplements can improve joint pain associated with arthritis.

In addition to the ingredients that should be added to coffee mentioned above, options such as salty cream, condensed milk, coconut oil, butter, etc. are considered sweeteners and flavors that can easily cause weight gain and increase cholesterol - so you should be careful when adding them.

In general, you can drink coffee straight or enhance the flavor of your cup of coffee with many healthy ingredients. Consult your doctor for advice suitable for your body if you have a sensitive constitution that is prone to allergies.