There are a lot of coffee crazes that may have piqued our interest over the past few years, but cinnamon coffee is really on another level. There are few things that sound better to us than a nice, hot coffee with rich notes of cinnamon. The cinnamon in coffee will wake up your senses in the morning!
Cinnamon in coffee isn’t just a delicious fad, either; this concoction is actually good for your health. While the sound of a cinnamon coffee may have you interested enough to try it, the six health benefits of cinnamon coffee we’re discussing below should be enough to keep this mixture as a fixture of your daily routine for quite some time.
Top 6 Cinnamon in Coffee Health Benefits:
1. It Contains Vitamins and Minerals
Cinnamon isn’t just a flavoring perfect for making autumn-inspired spiced drinks! It actually contains a great number of beneficial vitamins and minerals.
According to this article from Medical News Today, cinnamon contains nutrients that are necessary for maintaining your health. This underrated spice is packed with fiber, manganese, vitamin K, iron, and calcium, so you can feel good about drinking one of the most delicious coffee drinks you’ve tried thus far!
2. It Helps You Lose Weight
Let’s get this straight — cinnamon coffee is delicious, and it can also help you lose weight. That’s right! The appetite-suppressing abilities of both coffee and cinnamon combine to create a powerful recipe for weight loss.
First, this article from the Mayo Clinic explains that caffeine is a natural appetite suppressant. It naturally helps your body deter feelings of hunger, which is likely to lead you to eat fewer calories throughout the day. Second, according to this article from WebMD, cinnamon helps regulate your insulin levels naturally. Spikes in insulin in your bloodstream are a key factor in hunger pangs, so adding cinnamon to your coffee can help to prevent hunger and the urge to snack even more than regular coffee can.
3. It Offers a Ton of Antioxidants
You’ve probably seen the term, “antioxidants,” countless times because it has been making its way around health circles and the internet over the past decade or so. These compounds are little miracle workers when it comes to your health, and cinnamon coffee is full of them!
According to this article published by the Mayo Clinic, antioxidants from our diet help to rid of free radicals in our body, the small compounds that have been linked to numerous health problems such as cell damage, arthritis, and even cancer. Antioxidants help to rid our bodies of free radicals.
Coffee itself contains quite a lot of healthy antioxidants, but according to this research article from Penn State, cinnamon is even higher in antioxidants than coffee and can add huge health benefits to your morning cup!
RELATED READ: How to Make Mexican Café de Olla Coffee (With Cinnamon!)
4. It Increases Your Mental Ability
If you already drink coffee, you’re probably familiar with the heightened sense of focus and attention it provides. There are scientific reasons for this feeling, and what you may not know is that this effect is compounded when you add cinnamon to your coffee.
According to this research article published in the National Library of Medicine, caffeine increases the amount of epinephrine and norepinephrine in your bloodstream. Also known as adrenaline and noradrenaline, these hormones are responsible for your fight or flight mechanism and have a pretty dramatic and overwhelmingly positive effect on focus.
Cinnamon adds to this as well, as consuming this spice can increase your ability to process information and perform mentally engaging tasks, according to this study from Wheeling Jesuit University. Add cinnamon to your coffee, and you’ll be ready to tackle whatever tasks the day brings!
5. It Lowers Your Risk of Heart Disease
Okay, now we must be making these health benefits up, right? Wrong! Research actually shows that both coffee and cinnamon can help reduce your risk of heart disease.
This research paper explains that ingesting caffeine on a regular basis helps keep heart disease at bay. Although the reason is unclear, those who consume caffeine on a regular basis are up to 15% less likely to be afflicted by heart disease.
Cinnamon has a similar effect on humans as well. According to this publication from Penn State, eating or drinking cinnamon reduces artery clogging by up to an astounding 30%. Add cinnamon to your coffee on a daily basis, and you’ve got yourself a science-backed tool for reducing your risk of heart disease.
6. It Fights Cold Symptoms
If you have a nasty cold and are looking to soothe your symptoms with a natural remedy, cinnamon coffee can be a great holistic — and delicious — medicine.
Hot drinks like black coffee naturally soothe the throat and help to break up mucus and congestion, and cinnamon has also been found to reduce mucus build-up, according to this article from TheHealthy.com.
Are There Disadvantages to Drinking Cinnamon Coffee?
Cinnamon coffee is generally safe for consumption, but of course, anything in excess can be detrimental to your health.
Moderate amounts of cinnamon — about a teaspoon per cup of coffee — are fine, but too much cinnamon provides an abundance of a compound called coumarin, which has been linked to several health issues, specifically liver damage and an increased risk of cancer. One to two teaspoons per day should be fine, but don’t overdo it!
Too much cinnamon can also cause mouth sores. A compound called cinnamaldehyde is a common allergen in humans, and consuming too much of it can lead to open sores in the mouth that are painful and can become a serious nuisance. If you notice this happening after drinking cinnamon coffee for a few days, consult your doctor or just cut out cinnamon altogether.
Health Benefits of Cinnamon in Coffee: The Bottom Line
Coffee has long been linked to several health benefits, and those looking to capitalize on those can get even more from adding cinnamon to their coffee. Perhaps most importantly, cinnamon coffee is delicious, but it has also been proven to provide vital nutrients and antioxidants. It can even help reduce the risk of numerous diseases.
Of course, no drink is perfect, and even cinnamon coffee with all of its benefits can cause some issues as well. Too much cinnamon can cause liver damage, an increased risk of cancer, and the presence of mouth sores. Limiting your doses of cinnamon coffee to one teaspoon of cinnamon in one black cup of coffee each morning can help you maximize the benefits and steer clear of any downsides.
Want to know more?
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Featured image credit: santarina81, Pixabay
