We all love to wake up to a freshly brewed cup of coffee, but do you know it also comes with a myriad of health benefits? One of the most exciting things about coffee is that it can be even more beneficial by adding certain spices, like cinnamon.
Coffee and cinnamon have a long-standing relationship, so it doesn’t come as a surprise to us that they make a compelling combination. When they are combined, they can provide a genuinely sweet taste and unbeatable health benefits.
In this article, we’ll explore why these two are such an effective mix and discuss how to get the most out of your morning cup of joe by adding some Cinnamon for a nutritional boost.
10 Benefits of Adding Cinnamon sticks to Your Coffee
Cinnamon has been used as a spice since ancient times.
There are two types of cinnamon; Ceylon Cinnamon, also known as true cinnamon. The other one is the most common variety, Cassia Cinnamon.
Both are incredibly healthy and offer a myriad of health benefits.
So here is a list of some health benefits you can get by adding cinnamon sticks to your morning coffee:
1. A Daily Dose Of Antioxidants
Antioxidants like cinnamaldehyde eliminate free radicals and also combat health problems like arthritis, cell damage, and even different types of cancer.
According to a study, a teaspoon of cinnamon contains much more antioxidants than garlic and oregano and thus protects us against cell damage and cancer.
Besides lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes, cinnamon coffee benefits your eye. It helps improve vision and also lowers the chance of cataracts.
A lesser-known fact about the antioxidants in cinnamon coffee is that they boost the immunity system, thereby protecting you against HIV-I, influenza, and Dengue.
2. Enhances Your Brain Function
Caffeine present in coffee is responsible for increasing the amount of epinephrine and norepinephrine. These hormones are mainly responsible for the fight or flight stimulus and significantly impact your focus.
If you are a regular coffee drinker, you are obviously familiar with the sudden kick you get with each coffee session. Try adding a pinch of cinnamon to see how it further enhances your concentration and focus!
According to a study conducted by Wheeling Jesuit University, adding cinnamon to coffee further increases your ability to focus, process information, and perform heavy tasks with ease.
3. The Perfect Antidepressant
Cinnamon can also be used as a natural antidepressant due to its anti-inflammatory properties. One hormone involved in depression is serotonin, which helps send messages in the brain and throughout the body.
As per a study, inflammation can interfere with serotonin’s ability to work correctly. Cinnamon has been shown to reduce inflammation in the hippocampus, allowing serotonin levels to reach an optimal state. This was proven through research on Wister rats.
Taking just a pinch of it in the morning cup of coffee can significantly enhance mood!
4. Regulates Your Blood Glucose Level
Most of us like sugar in our freshly brewed cup of black coffee to start our day. This white poison is extremely harmful to the heart and brain and is the leading cause of obesity and type 2 diabetes. So a healthier alternative to sugar when drinking coffee is cinnamon sticks.
Cinnamon offers that sweet-spicy flavor that your taste buds might be craving so that you can have a flavorful cup of coffee with zero added calories. It also has a major impact on slowing blood sugar spikes after eating, thereby improving the effectiveness of natural body insulin.
5. Protects You From Neurodegenerative Diseases
Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s are neurodegenerative diseases that affect about 1-2% of the population above 65. These neurodegenerative disorders are believed to be caused by chronic inflammation, and cinnamon is a great anti-inflammatory agent.
So you can have cinnamon daily in your morning cup of coffee to protect yourself from these life-threatening diseases. Cinnamon effectively protects neurons and greatly enhances your motor function. Cinnamon in coffee also reduces inflammation, increases attention, improves memory, and enhances cognitive processing.
6. It Contains Useful Substances Like Minerals And Vitamins
Did you know that cinnamon is rich in healthy ingredients and packed with numerous vitamins and nutrients?
According to the co-founder of Ancient Nutrition, just one tablespoon of cinnamon has 3% of your daily requirement of vitamin K, 4 grams of fiber, 8% of your daily dose of calcium, 4% of your daily iron, and 68% of your daily requirement of manganese.
7. It Helps in Losing Weight
Jogging and exercising can help in reducing weight. However, a delicious alternative is a cup of cinnamon-iced coffee. Cinnamon and hot coffee are powerful recipes to reduce weight.
Caffeine is a natural appetite suppressant that will help you control your sudden hunger cravings, thus helping reduce weight.
Cinnamon sticks in your coffee helps to regulate your insulin levels naturally. The main reason for sudden hunger cravings is the sudden insulin spike in your blood system. Cinnamon prevents hunger and lowers the urge to snack at odd times.
8. Fights Cough And Cold Symptoms
You can catch a viral fever, common cold, or influenza at any time of the year.
Drinking hot drinks or beverages like cinnamon coffee is a great way to soothe your sore throat.
Cinnamon has exceptional pain-relieving qualities and is the perfect natural remedy. So adding a pinch of cinnamon to your coffee opens and clears the sinus points and reduces mucus build up, two of the main symptoms of cough and the common cold.
9. Offers Relief During Menstrual Cramps
Approximately 80% of women experience menstrual cramps at some time in their lives. If you’re looking for alternatives to medications for relieving your cramps, cinnamon may help.
Cinnamon coffee has been known to reduce muscle spasms and nausea. Evidence suggests this delicious hot beverage will not only help curb sugar cravings during periods but can also help reduce the heavy flow.
10. Reduces Risk Of Contracting Deadly Cardiovascular Diseases
According to research, having half a cup of coffee is enough to keep your heart healthy, and you are 15% less likely to be affected by any deadly cardiovascular diseases.
But adding cinnamon to your cup of coffee reduces artery-clogging by an amazing 30%. So now you have your homemade medicine to fight heart-related health problems.
So you have learned the health benefits of mixing cinnamon with coffee. Now let’s discuss some popular cinnamon coffee recipes.
Cinnamon Milk Coffee Recipe
Preparing a cup of cinnamon milk coffee is pretty easy. The only thing you must remember during the coffee-making process is to identify the perfect time to add ground cinnamon.
Ingredients Required:
- 1 ½ teaspoons of regular coffee grounds.
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon (preferably cinnamon powder)
- ¾ cup of skimmed milk (you can avoid this if you prefer black coffee)
- ½ cup of warm water.
Did you notice that we are not adding any sugar? Well, as discussed before, whole cinnamon sticks will be the natural sweetening agent.
Preparation
Step 1: Mix the water and milk, and heat the mixture in a container on a low flame.
Step 2: As soon as you notice bubbles in the mixture (the mixture is boiling), add coffee powder and stir it properly.
Step 3: Boil this new mixture for 2 to 3 minutes and then switch off the flame.
Step 4: Now, add a pinch of powdered Ceylon Cinnamon to your coffee, stir it, and then pour the prepared coffee into the mug.
Step 5: Enjoy this delicious hot cinnamon milk coffee!
So this is the simplest way to prepare a cup of cinnamon coffee, and you can easily prepare and consume it daily.
Here is the delicious recipe in detail: How To Make Iced Cinnamon Coffee Recipe At Home
Note: When purchasing cinnamon packs for your coffee, make sure you buy the organic variety. It can be expensive; however, organically grown cinnamon is free of harmful chemicals and pesticides, and you can also be assured of the maximum health benefits.
Conclusion
The benefits of simply adding a pinch of ground cinnamon to your morning coffee are beyond comparison. In addition to this, powdered cinnamon is easily available and budget-friendly. So there is no reason not to try it out.
Have some cool and exciting cinnamon coffee recipes? Let us know in the comment section below.
FAQ
1. What happens if I have cinnamon every day?
While there are no such side effects of having cinnamon in a regulated amount, eating too much cinnamon can cause hypoglycemia. It can also lead to tiredness and dizziness, and there is a possibility of fainting.
2. Will cinnamon help with my belly fat?
Cinnamon helps reduce belly fat by suppressing appetite, speeding up the metabolism, and lowering blood cholesterol. It keeps your blood sugar levels stable, thus preventing further weight gain.
3. How much cinnamon is safe in a day?
As per WebMD, one must not have more than ½ to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon daily. According to the US Department of Health, up to 6 grams of cinnamon daily is safe.
4. How to add cinnamon to my daily diet?
- You can add cinnamon to honey.
- You can try cinnamon tea.
- Cinnamon supplement capsules as per the doctor’s recommendation
- You can sprinkle ground cinnamon on your bread toast.