Start your day with a boost:
Do you always forget to take your daily vitamins? We too. But something we will never, ever forget? Our daily cup of coffee. In fact, our day doesn’t begin until we have had it.
So why not double down on these activities? Add a good dose of vitamins, antioxidants and nutritional benefits to your daily dose of caffeine with a teaspoon of something extra in the morning. Yes, you heard us right. Try one of these six additions and make a special vitamin coffee. The benefits are numerous: from improving mood and energy to protecting the heart and improving your sex life.
Sprinkle cinnamon for heart health:
Sprinkling your morning cup of coffee with cinnamon provides a powerful (and delicious) dose of antioxidants. For thousands of years, people have used cinnamon as a spice and for medical purposes. The spice is rich in protective compounds (all 41!) and has some of the highest antioxidant activity among spices.
According to a mouse study, cinnamon may add protection to the heart and brain. A study on human cells suggests that it may also reduce the risk of cancer and may also strengthen the immune system.
To serve: mix 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon in your cup of coffee or brew coffee with 1 tsp. of cinnamon mixed directly into the ground.
Tip: Look for Ceylon cinnamon, also known as “true” cinnamon. Although this variety is slightly harder to find and a little more expensive, it is much higher quality than cassia cinnamon, the lower-quality version most commonly found in the United States. Ceylon is also safer to consume regularly than cassia. Cassia contains a higher amount of coumarin, a plant compound, which is considered dangerous to consume in large quantities.
Spice up your Java for sore muscles:
If you only consume ginger in its bread version, you are missing out on so many health benefits. One of the easiest ways to get such benefits? Sprinkle a little into your coffee for a lightly spiced and aromatic cup.
Ginger has been a common treatment for nausea for centuries. Contains powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. Ginger can also reduce muscle pain, lower cholesterol, and aid digestion.
Serve: Add ginger directly to your coffee (up to 1 teaspoon per cup), or ditch the calorie- and sugar-packed coffee shop version and make a healthy pumpkin spice latte at home.
Tip: Do you have any fresh ginger leftover in your fridge from stir-fry night? Grate it finely using a microplane and then freeze it in individual teaspoon portions, ready to add to your java.
Boost your health shield with mushrooms
Coffee and… mushrooms? OK, hear us out. A blend full of mushrooms can have some surprising health benefits. Mushrooms have antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immunostimulant qualities. Rich in antioxidants, mushrooms have anti-tumor effects on mice, and other mouse studies suggest that mushrooms can prevent liver disease. It can also aid digestion thanks to its powerful prebiotics.
Popular mushroom coffee brand Four Sigmatic tells us that drinking mushroom coffee is beneficial for your body, packed with superfoods and with only half the caffeine. “You also avoid the jitters, stomach issues, and post-caffeine crash that regular coffee gives most [people],” they say.
Tip: Not all mushroom coffees are the same. Looking for more energy? Try Cordyceps mushrooms. To relieve stress and sleep, take Reishi.
Serving: You can purchase your own mushroom powders (which will indicate your serving size) or purchase conveniently packaged mushroom coffee (and even mushroom coffee K-Cup pods!).
Help your digestion with a dose of turmeric
The infamous turmeric latte is probably no stranger to you if you read health blogs frequently. For good reason, the earthy, golden spice is highly sought-after. Because of its potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities, curcumin is the compound responsible for many of its medicinal benefits. This powerful antioxidant supports liver detoxification, aids digestion1 and may even help treat depression.
Serve: Pair turmeric with healthy fats in an awakening coconut-infused four-ingredient coffee.
Tip: To increase the health benefits of turmeric, pair it with a pinch of black pepper. Pepper improves the bioavailability of turmeric, making the spice more effective in smaller doses.
Balance hormones with maca
Perhaps you’ve seen maca powder, made from the maca root, available at your local health supply store. Maca root has traditionally been used to improve fertility and was shown in a rat study to have hormone-balancing effects. Studies on the plant’s ability to improve energy, sexual desire, and athletic performance have also been conducted.
Not to mention, it’s highly nutritious. Maca contains over 20 amino acids (including eight essential amino acids), 20 free-form fatty acids and is rich in protein and vitamin C.
Dose: For optimal health benefits of maca, 1 to 3 teaspoons. per day is recommended. Try making this Superfood coffee. In addition to maca powder, there are four other superfoods on this list.
Tip: To extend the shelf life of maca powder, store it in the refrigerator.
Sweeten your cup with antidepressant cocoa
Chocolate and coffee already seem like a perfect match, right? When you add the health benefits of raw cocoa powder, it gets even better. This superfood is the highest plant-based source of iron and one of the most potent antioxidants available. It’s also good for the heart.
Blood pressure is lowered, HDL (good) cholesterol is raised, and LDL (bad) cholesterol is decreased by the anti-inflammatory cocoa. Its cognitive benefits, improving and antidepressant qualities make cocoa also excellent for the brain. And did we mention it’s delicious?
Serve: World’s healthiest mocha, anyone? Mix 1 tbsp. of raw cocoa in your cup of coffee for a boost in dietary fiber, antioxidants, and magnesium.
Tip: Look for organic raw cocoa to get the most benefits, and learn the difference between raw cocoa and cocoa powder.
It makes sense to maximize each cup of coffee, as most people are advised to limit their intake.