Moderate and regular consumption of coffee can promote longevity, support heart health, and enhance liver health.  

 

Photo Credit: istockphoto

Food

Love Coffee? Try These 5 Powerful Ways To Make It Healthier

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages all across the globe. People love coffee for its rich aroma and ability to enhance alertness.

Renu Baliyan

  • Excess coffee intake can dry up the gut. The colon strips away the good fat, the mucosa, and the gut oils, leading to dryness, roughness, vata imbalance, and long-term constipation, where you become so dependent that you can’t go to the bathroom without having caffeine.

  • Excess coffee also aggravates pitta imbalance, which causes burning sensation, acidity, reflux, and depletes your Ojas, which is the essence of life and the final energy that comes from the food you’re eating.

  • Ayurveda expert Dimple Jangda visited her Instagram account and shared 5 powerful ways to make coffee healthy.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages all across the globe. People love coffee for its rich aroma and ability to enhance alertness. While coffee itself contains antioxidants and may provide an array of health benefits when consumed in moderation, some simple addition can make your daily cup even more nourishing. Traditional herbs and spices not only boost flavour but may also offer additional wellness benefits.

Moderate coffee consumption (1 to 2 cups everyday) can help in increasing energy levels, reduce risk of type of 2 diabetes, and offer protection against neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It can promote longevity, support heart health, and enhance liver health.  

Recently, leading Ayurveda expert Dimple Jangda visited her Instagram account and shared 5 powerful ways to make coffee healthy. Sharing the post, Dimple Jangda said, “If you are someone who is addicted to coffee or feel withdrawal symptoms, then this is for you.” 1

“Caffeine has a negative impact on the body when consumed in excess. There are studies that show that it increases anxiety levels and cortisol levels in your body by almost 25–30% with repeated excess consumption,” added Jangda.

Excess coffee intake can also dry up the gut. The colon strips away the good fat, the mucosa, and the gut oils, leading to dryness, roughness, vata imbalance, and long-term constipation, where you become so dependent that you can’t go to the bathroom without having caffeine.

It also aggravates pitta imbalance, which causes burning sensation, acidity, reflux, and depletes your Ojas, which is the essence of life and the final energy that comes from the food you’re eating, revealed the Ayurveda expert.

How To Make Coffee Healthy

1. Add One Teaspoon Of Ghee Or Cashew Butter: She recommended to add one teaspoon of ghee or cashew butter to your cup of coffee. Ghee and cashew butter both contain butyric acid, which helps in replacing the gut oils that coffee strips away. It also protects your gut from any kind of erosion that caffeine can cause.  

2. Do A Herbal Swap: Dimple Jangda suggested to reduce your intake of caffeine from one teaspoon to a half teaspoon.  “Instead, incorporate ashwagandha and brahmi in your cup of coffee. Ashwagandha reduces cortisol levels by almost 30%, and brahmi improves GABA, mental health, mental focus, and clarity,” urged Jangda.

3. Add Kitchen Spices: Dimple Jangda said, “You can also put cinnamon, cardamom, clove, little bit of grated ginger, pepper, and star anise to your coffee. This can help in bringing down post-sugar spikes that you may get from caffeine and constant fluctuations in the energy levels. Cinnamon has the potential to stabilize sugar levels and ginger can enhance digestion by nearly 25-30%.    

4. Check Your Caffeine Intake: Jangda recommended to “Start counting the amount of caffeine you are consuming. Limit it to 1 to 2 cups maximum per day before 12 in the afternoon, because any caffeine consumed after 12 or after lunch will actually block your melatonin production and impact your sleep cycle. It puts you in the fight or flight mode for almost 3-weeks at a time.

5. Never Sip Caffeine On Empty Stomach: Never consume caffeine on an empty stomach. A lot of people are dependent on waking up to the smell of coffee, but coffee on an empty stomach erodes your gut lining, mucosa, good fat, and can lead to long term constipation. Always consume coffee after the breakfast or after lunch. Dimple suggested to restrict the intake of coffee to a maximum of 1 to 2 cups per day. 

FAQs

How does adding ghee or cashew butter make coffee healthier?

Adding one teaspoon of ghee or cashew butter to coffee introduces butyric acid, which helps replenish gut oils stripped away by caffeine. This protects the gut lining from erosion caused by excessive coffee consumption and supports better digestive health.

What are the benefits of herbal swaps like ashwagandha and brahmi in coffee?

Incorporating ashwagandha and brahmi while reducing caffeine quantity helps lower cortisol levels by about 30%, reducing anxiety and stress. Brahmi enhances mental focus, clarity, and supports GABA activity, promoting improved mental health alongside moderate coffee consumption.

How can adding spices like cinnamon and ginger affect coffee's health impact?

Spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, pepper, and star anise can stabilize blood sugar fluctuations caused post-caffeine intake and support digestion, with ginger improving digestion by 25-30%. Cinnamon specifically helps to reduce sugar spikes, enhancing coffee’s overall health benefits.

Why should caffeine intake be limited to 1-2 cups before noon?

Limiting caffeine consumption to 1-2 cups before 12 PM prevents interference with melatonin production, which is crucial for a healthy sleep cycle. Excess caffeine late in the day can keep the body in a prolonged fight or flight state, negatively impacting sleep and stress levels.

Is it harmful to drink coffee on an empty stomach?

Yes, consuming coffee on an empty stomach can erode the gut lining, deplete mucosa and good fats, and cause long-term constipation by promoting gut dryness and imbalance. It’s recommended to drink coffee after meals like breakfast or lunch to protect gut health.

References

  1. Ayurveda expert Dimple Jangda via Instagram|5 ways to make coffee healthy

Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions about your health or treatment options.

At marvelof.com, we spotlight the latest trends and products to keep you informed and inspired. Our coverage is editorial, not an endorsement to purchase. If you choose to shop through links in this article, whether on Amazon, Flipkart, or Myntra, marvelof.com may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.