Coffee is consumed in vast quantities every day. It’s also considered to be one of the healthiest options by many medical experts.
For some, it surpasses fruits and vegetables as their diet’s primary Source of antioxidants (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).
Here are some ways to make your coffee healthier.
1. No Coffee After 2 PM
Caffeine may be found in many foods, but coffee is one of the best natural sources.
One of the primary reasons coffee is so popular is because of the stimulant caffeine. When you’re feeling fatigued, it provides you with a boost of energy and keeps you alert (3Trusted Source).
But coffee may be disruptive if consumed too close to bedtime. All health issues are linked to insufficient sleep (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
Due to this, coffee consumption should be limited in the evening. The caffeine content in tea is far lower than that of coffee, so if you must drink caffeine, decaf is the way to go (6Trusted Source).
It would help if you refrained from drinking coffee after 2 or 3 in the afternoon. However, some individuals may be able to sleep through the night even if they have a cup of coffee later in the day since their sensitivity to caffeine is lower than average.
However, reducing coffee in the afternoons could help if your sleep quality may be enhanced.
The quality of your slumber may also be enhanced in several other ways. If you’re interested in additional scientific advice, check out this article.
2. Refrain from adding too much sugar to your coffee
You may quickly and easily transform a cup of coffee from its naturally healthful state into a potentially dangerous one.
Adding a lot of sugar is the most effective method for doing so. One of the worst parts of the contemporary diet is the abundance of added sugar.
Diseases like diabetes and obesity have been linked to sugar, primarily because of the fructose it contains (7Trusted Source).
Choose a natural sweetener like stevia if you cannot envision drinking black coffee.
You may cut down on added sugar even further in various ways. Here are fourteen more methods to consider.
3. To sum up: #3 Pick a Good Brand, Ideally Organic
The way it was produced and processed might have a significant impact on the final product’s quality.
In many cases, coffee beans have been doused with synthetic pesticides and other chemicals that were never meant for human consumption (8Trusted Source).
There is debate over whether or not eating food contaminated with pesticides is harmful to your health. Currently, there is only a little proof that eating food with trace amounts of them is harmful.
On the other hand, if you’re concerned about the level of pesticides in your coffee, consider purchasing organic coffee beans. They want to have far fewer artificial pesticides.
4. Don’t Drink Too Much
Coffee has been shown to provide health advantages when consumed in moderation. However, excessive use may nullify these effects.
Many individuals are sensitive to caffeine, although others can tolerate far higher doses than others (5Trusted Source).
If you want to be safe, Health Canada advises keeping your daily dose to no more than 1.1 mg/lb (2.5 mg/kg) (9Trusted Source).
Someone weighing 176 pounds (80 kg) would need to drink around two cups daily to reach their caffeine threshold, assuming that a typical cup of coffee has 95 mg of caffeine (10Trusted Source).
On the other hand, most individuals can consume 400–600 milligrams of caffeine daily (about 4–6 cups) with no ill effects (11 Trusted Source).
This post will discuss how much caffeine you can expect in your favorite coffee beverages.
It’s essential to weigh the potential downsides and upsides of coffee use. It’s important to pay attention to how much food and drink your body can handle.
5. Spice up your coffee with cinnamon.
One of the best ways to enhance the taste of coffee is by adding the savory spice of cinnamon.
According to research, people with diabetes who consume cinnamon have decreased blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides (12Trusted Source).
Throw in a pinch of cinnamon if you’re looking to amp up the taste. To my pleasant surprise, it’s rather enjoyable.
Instead of the more often used Cassia cinnamon, choose Ceylon cinnamon to reduce the likelihood of experiencing any adverse side effects.
6. Don’t use artificial or low-fat creamers
Artificial and low-fat commercial creamers are often heavily processed and may include dubious components.
But there is less evidence that non-dairy coffee creamers are any less harmful than their dairy counterparts. The ingredients of different brands may make them more or less healthy.
However, in most cases, it’s preferable to go with the whole, natural meals.
Consider using full-fat cream, ideally from grass-fed cows, in place of non-dairy creamer the next time you make a cup of coffee.
Some crucial nutrients have been found in milk products. Dairy products, for instance, are rich in calcium and may help prevent osteoporosis and fractures (13Trusted Source).
In addition, vitamin K, found in moderate amounts in milk from cows on a grass-based diet, has also been related to better bone health (14Trusted Source).
7. Sweeten Your Coffee with Cocoa
The antioxidant properties of cocoa have been linked to several health advantages, including a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).
If you want to spice up your coffee, try mixing in cocoa powder.
You can get caffè mocha at many cafes; it’s a caffè latte with chocolate syrup added. However, caffè mocha is often flavored with sugar.
Making it at home allows you to control the amount of sugar that goes into it.
8. Put a paper filter in your coffee maker and brew your coffee
Caffeine, a component of brewed coffee, includes cafestol, a diterpene that has been shown to increase blood cholesterol levels (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
Nonetheless, cutting down on it is easy to do. The usage of a paper filter is all that is required.
Coffee filtered via a paper filter while brewing results in significantly reduced cafestol levels while retaining the caffeine and healthful antioxidants (19Trusted Source).
But there are also some benefits to using cafestol. Recent mouse studies have shown that it may have diabetes-fighting properties (20Trusted Source).
This is the Bottom Line
Of its stimulating properties, coffee is a popular drink.
Many positive health effects have been attributed to regular coffee use. But there are several strategies to maximize these advantages.
First and foremost, don’t drown your coffee with sugar. You may use a pinch of cinnamon or cocoa powder for the sugar in your coffee.
If you want better sleep, try to avoid drinking coffee in the late afternoon and evening.
You may improve the health benefits of your morning coffee by using the advice given above.