Health-ify Your Coffee With These 7 Easy Add-ins & Hacks

Despite its historically bad rap, studies have shown regular coffee consumption to have a slew of health benefits, from better cognitive function and decreased mortality rates to improved athletic function and metabolic health. However, when consumed in excess or adorned with syrups, sweeteners, and creamers, coffee too can become unhealthy. 

Fortunately, in addition to consuming it in moderation, there are some simple hacks you can use to make your coffee habit healthier. 

1. Cardamom 

Draw inspiration from the Middle East by adding cardamom to your coffee. Used for centuries in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, cardamom adds a sweet, yet nuanced flavour to your caffeine hit. Either sprinkle a pinch of ground cardamom to your brewed coffee, or grind a couple of whole cardamom pods with your coffee beans when preparing. 

2. Drink it like the Italians

Rather than using coffee as a morning pick-me-up, why not try it as a digestif? Ditch the milk and add-ins in favour of an espresso (or long black, if that’s more your vibe) drunk after a meal. Consuming coffee as a digestif can balance blood sugar levels, improve attention and focus, and prevent that post-meal slump. 

3. Cinnamon

Earthy and sweet, cinnamon aids in lowering blood sugar levels, has anti-inflammatory properties, and can help burn fat. Add a sprinkle of ground cinnamon to brewed coffee, or add a cinnamon stick while brewing to give it time to infuse. 

4. Sip it solo

While beneficial on its own, coffee is a diuretic, which means it increases urination. This can cause depletion of water-soluble vitamins (like B and C). Additionally, drinking coffee can reduce your absorption of calcium and iron. To avoid this, try consuming your coffee away from meals and separate to any supplement intake. 

5. Ashwagandha 

Adaptogenic ashwagandha has been shown to improve energy levels, balance cortisol levels, and reduce stress and anxiety. The bitterness of coffee can disguise the bitterness of ashwagandha powder, making them a matcha made in heaven. 

6. Vanilla

While sugary vanilla syrups and creamers aren’t doing you any favours, a drop or two of pure vanilla extract does wonders to enhance the taste of your coffee. Plus, pure vanilla may have aphrodisiac properties, and has been shown to aid digestion.

7. Add some fat

Feeling jittery? Adding a source of good-quality fat (think coconut or MCT oil) to your coffee will reduce the absorption of caffeine into the bloodstream, reducing that nervous, jittery feeling that sometimes accompanies coffee consumption.

FAQ

Is coffee good for you?

When consumed in moderation (1-2 cups a day), coffee can be healthy. Coffee consumption has been shown to improve cognitive performance, and aid in weight loss, as well as lower the risk of mortality, strokes, Parkinson’s disease, and some cancers. 

What’s the best plant-based milk for coffee?

The best dairy-free milks for coffee are oat milk, almond milk, and coconut milk. Oat milk tastes the closest to dairy milk in coffee and is barista-friendly for frothing. 


Words by Esmé Duggan
Feature image courtesy of Peter Lindbergh for Vogue Paris