6 Major Health Benefits of Cinnamon in Coffee - Tastylicious (2024)

Many people add cinnamon to their coffee for its tasty flavor. And while that’s a good reason, adding cinnamon to your coffee may be the key to improving your health.

Adding cinnamon to your coffee has a wide range of health benefits, from weight loss to preventing heart disease. Each health benefit has research to support it, making it worthwhile to add cinnamon to your coffee.

This article will teach you the research-backed ways cinnamon in your coffee can improve your health. By the end, cinnamon may just be your favorite thing to add to coffee.

Health Benefits of Cinnamon in Coffee

1. Promotes Weight Loss

When you think of things that promote weight loss, cinnamon probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.

But research shows that consuming cinnamon daily can promote weight loss. It’s particularly effective for individuals who are considered obese.

In order to see an effect, the studies indicate consuming at least 2 grams a day for at least 12 weeks.

Two grams come out to about three-quarters of a teaspoon. It’s a relatively small amount. And that could easily be spread across a cup or two of coffee without ruining the flavor.

So it might be time to turn to mother nature’s supplement for weight loss. Just add cinnamon to your coffee daily to help you shed those unwanted pounds.

2. Increases Antioxidants in Your Body

Another major health benefit of cinnamon is it increases the number of antioxidants in your body.

Why do we care about antioxidants, to begin with? Antioxidants help to reduce the number of free radicals in your body.

Free radicals are molecules in your body that can cause disease and dysfunction. So we want to minimize them as much as possible by having sufficient antioxidants.

Cinnamon has been found to be effective in increasing antioxidants while reducing widespread inflammation in the body. Like the weight loss study, you only had to consume about 2 grams of cinnamon daily to see these effects.

If you suffer from a chronic disease rooted in inflammation, you may benefit from adding cinnamon to your daily coffee.

3. Improves Mental Clarity

This may be the health benefit linked to cinnamon that surprises you the most. But yes, cinnamon can help out your brain.

Research has found that the scent of cinnamon alone significantly improves cognitive performance. So smelling it before a cognitively demanding task may help you focus better.

But what’s even more encouraging is new research finding that cinnamon may help prevent and slow the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. However, more studies need to be done before this effect is deemed conclusive.

So put some cinnamon in your coffee and give it a good sniff. The combination of smelling the cinnamon and then consuming it may be the brain boost we all need.

4. Lowers Your Risk of Heart Disease

If you struggle with heart disease or if it runs in your family, you’ll want to learn how cinnamon can help.

Research shows that consuming cinnamon has a protective effect on the cardiovascular system.

Cinnamon has also been found to reduce your bad cholesterol and triglycerides. Having high cholesterol and triglycerides are both risk factors for developing heart disease.

Because heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and many other countries, you don’t want to ignore this benefit.

Consuming cinnamon in your daily cup of joe is an easy way to take active steps to care for your cardiovascular system.

5. Lowers Your Blood Glucose

You’re probably starting to realize that cinnamon is an incredible spice with many health benefits. But we’re not done yet.

Cinnamon has also been found to reduce blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics. This is a big deal if you have diabetes.

The study had people consume 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon daily for 40 days. At the end of the study, all groups experienced a decrease in blood glucose.

Keep in mind this study is not suggesting that you don’t take your medications. It also suggests making necessary dietary changes and using cinnamon to manage your blood sugar.

But if cinnamon can even slightly improve blood sugar levels, it’s worth adding to your coffee.

6. Antimicrobial Effect

Last but certainly not least, cinnamon can help your body fight off fungus and infection.

Research indicates that cinnamon has antimicrobial properties that can help protect your body against infection.

The studies have yet to determine what amount of cinnamon is best for protection against infection, though.

And as we discussed before, cinnamon has anti-inflammatory effects. The anti-inflammatory effects are also thought to help prevent and fight illness in your body.

So if you’re sick or if it’s flu season, it may be wise to throw some cinnamon in your coffee. Your immune system will thank you.

Should Anyone Not Put Cinnamon in Their Coffee?

Even though cinnamon has amazing health benefits, some people should avoid it.

These people include folks who have a known allergy to cinnamon. An allergic response can range from mild to serious, so you don’t want to risk it.

Another group of people that should be mindful of cinnamon consumption are people on medications for the following conditions:

• Heart disease
• Liver disease
• Diabetes

Having too much cinnamon can negatively interact with your medications for these conditions. Consult your doctor or pharmacist to make sure it’s safe for you to use cinnamon.

How Much Cinnamon Do You Need to Add to Your Coffee?

There isn’t necessarily a crystal-clear answer to this one. But let’s summarize what the research told us.

For most of the health effects listed, the minimum of cinnamon you needed to consume daily was 1 gram.

But many studies had participants consume at least 2 grams of cinnamon daily. So it’s probably best to aim to get at least this amount of cinnamon daily.

You don’t necessarily have to put all of that in your cup of coffee. You could spread it across multiple cups or add it to other foods you eat.

But putting it in your coffee is an easy way to ensure you’re getting that amount in daily.

Final Thoughts

Cinnamon is an impressive spice with numerous benefits for your health. Adding it to your coffee is one way to improve your health.

Below is a list of research-proven ways that cinnamon in your coffee can improve your health:

• Improve weight loss
• Increase your antioxidant levels
• Promote enhanced cognition
• Lower your risk of heart disease
• Lower your blood sugar
• Prevent and fight off illness

Each of these health benefits alone makes adding cinnamon to your coffee worthwhile. While there are no hard guidelines, the current research indicates you should aim for at least 2 grams of cinnamon daily.

Some people should add only a little cinnamon to their coffee. This includes individuals with allergies and those who may be on medications for diabetes, heart, or liver disease. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure it’s safe to add cinnamon to your coffee.

You’ll never look at cinnamon as just a flavor enhancer for your coffee again. Each time you shake that cinnamon into your coffee, you’re taking a step toward better health.