15 Ways To Make Your Coffee Super Healthy & Boost Your Immune System

3. Pair it with food

A lot of people do it, but drinking coffee with an empty stomach is actually a bad idea. Drinking coffee without eating anything can lead to stomach-lining damage or indigestion (4). 

How do you avoid this, you ask? The best way to avoid stomach damage is by pairing your coffee with food. Snacks or even heavy meals are good pairs with your cup of Joe and will prevent coffee from causing acidity to your stomach. 

Adding milk to your coffee will also help in making it less acidic and easier on the stomach. To make healthy coffee, it is also recommended that you use non-acidic coffee brands. 

4. Ditch artificial sweeteners

Some coffee drinkers cut out sugar by using artificial sweeteners on their coffee, but guess what? It’s not much of a good idea either. Studies indicate that artificial sweeteners, although prevents an increase in blood sugar level, can stimulate your appetite for other high-calorie food and drinks (5). 

With artificial sweeteners, you might be cutting out your sugar intake, but other health aspects, such as calories, may be compromised. Should you go back to using sugar, then? As mentioned, the best way to make sweet but healthy coffee is by using natural sweeteners. 

5. Avoid artificial creamers

Artificial creamers are added to coffee for a creamier and thicker taste. However, this can be unhealthy for coffee consumers. Like artificial sweeteners, non-dairy coffee creamers can trigger health concerns in the long run, as most artificial creamer brands contain fat (6).

If you like your coffee thick and creamy, you still have healthy options. As a replacement for artificial creamers, it is recommended that you use nut milk as a creamer for your coffee. This does not only make your coffee healthier, but it also gives a more natural flavor to it.

6. Keep it organic

Most healthy coffee drinks are made from organic branded beans. When can you consider coffee organic? Unlike the conventional type, organic coffee does not go through heavy chemical processes. Instead, its production process revolves around natural land, water, and air. 

Organic coffee beans or grounds are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This type of coffee is grown only with organic fertilizers, so you can throw away your worries on negative effects like indigestion. 

One difference, however, is that organic coffee is a bit more expensive than conventional coffee. If you’re a regular coffee drinker and want to make your cup of Joe healthier, organic coffee might be worth the purchase. 

7. Add cinnamon to your coffee

One of the best ways to make your coffee super healthy is to add cinnamon to it. Cinnamon is popular as an additional flavor or sweetener not just to coffee, but also to other food and beverage products. Adding cinnamon to coffee does not only enhance flavor but also makes your daily brew much healthier.

Consuming cinnamon is found to be a good way to reduce cholesterol. Also, cinnamon is high in antioxidants, which can enhance your protection against cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and other major illnesses. 

Adding cinnamon to coffee instead of loading it with lots of sugar actually helps in reducing blood sugar levels. Researchers found out that cinnamon contains antihyperglycemic properties that can help in reducing sugar levels in the body (7).

8. Put in some cocoa 

Another additive to include in your coffee to make it healthier is cocoa. Cocoa is a popular add-in to coffee because it gives you that chocolate taste. More than the flavor it gives, cocoa is also a healthy coffee add-in. 

Just like cinnamon, cocoa is rich in antioxidants. Adding it to your daily cup will then boost your immune system and will help in protecting yourself from long-term illnesses (8). Cocoa was also proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure.

With all its health benefits, cocoa isn’t really just a simple flavor enhancer. Health-conscious coffee drinkers can also benefit from this additional ingredient. In fact, most healthy coffee drinks nowadays have cocoa as an add-in. 

9. Don’t drink coffee after 3 p.m.

Believe it or not, the time you drink your coffee affects your health. Coffee has caffeine, a stimulant that can cause alertness and make you feel energized. 

Despite its ability to boost your energy, too much caffeine can disrupt your sleeping habits. To keep coffee a safe beverage to consume, it is recommended that you don’t drink it after 3 pm. 

Does caffeine really affect sleep quality and habits? Based on research (9) conducted in 2013, caffeine intake 6 hours before bedtime has negative effects on sleep quality and the ability to sleep. 

People have different caffeine tolerance, but if you’ve been having sleep problems, you might want to avoid caffeine intake 6 hours before your bedtime. 

10. Add some coconut oil

Another way to make your coffee super healthy is by adding coconut oil. Contrary to popular belief, the saturated oil that coconut oil contains is not too bad for the body. This add-in contains nutrients that help speed up metabolism, according to a study (10). 

Coconut oil contains MCTs or Medium-Chain Triglycerides, which can also be a good source of energy. Also, MCTs can help in keeping your digestive system healthy, as this component can stimulate your bowels (11).  

Coconut oil also contains cholesterol, but not the type you usually know of. It contains HDL, the good cholesterol that can help protect you from cardiovascular diseases. 

11. Brew using a paper filter

It may be a surprise for some, but the brewing method actually affects the healthiness of your coffee. The healthiest way to brew coffee is through a coffee filter. Coffee grounds usually contain oils, which can cause negative effects on your health in the long run. With paper filters, these oils are blocked, but caffeine and antioxidants pass through. 

12. Drink it black

As simple as it sounds, black coffee is sometimes the best way to drink coffee. Some want their coffee black for its strong taste, but having your coffee black has actually a lot of health benefits. For a lot of people, having it black is the healthiest way to drink coffee.

Black coffee is low in calories since there are no creamers and other sweeteners included. That simply means that you won’t have to worry about gaining weight, even if you drink black coffee every day. 

Having your daily brew black is also good for the liver. Studies have proven that consuming black coffee lowers the risk of liver diseases like fatty liver, cancer, and hepatitis. Plus, black coffee is diuretic, so it is a good way to cleanse your stomach.

13. Use it as a pre-workout drink

Regular exercise is a part of a healthy lifestyle. Before working out, drinking a cup of Joe is probably a great idea. The caffeine that you intake when consuming coffee is a good energy booster and will give you a good pump before you hit the gym. However, you should be aware of the timing of when to drink coffee before working out.

Studies have shown that it takes 45 minutes for a person to feel the peak of caffeine’s effect in the body (12). Hitting the gym 45 minutes after you consume your coffee is just the right time.

14. Add collagen powder

Having healthy skin is an essential part of personal wellness, and now you can take care of it even when you’re drinking coffee. Collagen is a protein-rich tissue that is found between bones, and adding it to your daily brew has a lot of health benefits.

What’s great about collagen is that it’s rich in protein, something that you’ll not get a lot of by drinking regular coffee. Also, studies have shown (13) that collagen is a good supplement that can increase skin hydration and fight skin aging.

To add collagen to your coffee, you first must brew it regularly. Then, you can add collagen powder (about 20 g). After that, just stir your coffee and enjoy it. 

15. Use almond milk as creamer

Is coffee with milk good for you? It really depends on what milk you’re using and how much. If you want healthy coffee, you should ditch artificial creamers. For a healthier treat, it is recommended that you use natural creamers like almond milk. Unlike regular milk, almond milk is low in calories. Plus, it is richer in protein. 

Almond milk is also dairy-free, so if you’re lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy products, you don’t have to worry about using this as a creamer for your coffee. 

Although healthy, you might find almond milk more expensive than regular milk. However, if you want to make healthier coffee, it is ideal for you. Plus, it’ll give you that thicker and creamier flavor. 

Wrapping up

There you have it, 15 ways on how to make your coffee healthy. Since most of the things on this list are not expensive, you can definitely try them out. Coffee by itself is a healthy beverage, but these suggestions are definitely something you should consider if you want to improve your health by drinking your daily cup of Joe. 

Looking for the best drip coffee makers? Check it out in my other article.

Reference