Many of us start each morning with a delicious, eye-opening cup of coffee. Luckily, this beloved caffeinated beverage doesn’t only give you a caffeine boost. According to experts, it also offers up a plethora of potential health benefits, including increased fat burn—that is, of course, if you don’t load it with harmful, fattening ingredients, which could negate the benefits altogether. However, there are a few things you can add to your coffee that may make it an even healthier beverage for weight loss by giving your metabolism a boost. That includes one tasty spice: cinnamon.
To learn more about the metabolism-boosting benefits of cinnamon, along with a few other reasons you may want to sprinkle some into your coffee each day if you want to slim down, we spoke to health experts Dr. Ben Schuff, ND, LDN, Director of Naturopathy & Nutrition at BIÂN and Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet. Find all of their expert insight below!
How adding cinnamon to your coffee can boost metabolism
If you frequently add a heavy helping of sugar to your coffee, it may be time to switch things up—especially if you're trying to lose weight. Not only does excessive sugar consumption increase your risk of a range of health issues, but as it turns out, cinnamon can be one fantastic way to add a bit of sweetness to your cup and simultaneously boost your metabolism.
Richards tells us that people should "consider using cinnamon to flavor your coffee rather than refined sugars," because, unlike sugar and other inflammatory coffee ingredients, cinnamon is "natural and anti-inflammatory," and can even help you achieve a faster metabolism and stabilize blood sugar, all of which can aid you on your weight loss journey.
"Cinnamon boosts thermogenesis in the body, which in turn, results in more calories burned," she tells us.
Dr. Schuff agrees: "Cinnamon is a versatile ingredient that has been used successfully as an adjunctive treatment of type 2 diabetes and metabolic disease by improving blood sugar management," he explains, noting that incorporating this spice into your diet (like by adding it to your coffee!) can "help support metabolism, especially in those with metabolic risk factors determined by a doctor." Nice!
The bottom line
Of course, boosting your metabolism and shedding pounds at a steady rate will take more than just sprinkling some cinnamon into your morning joe. However, in conjunction with a killer, fat-blasting exercise routine and a balanced diet, incorporating this anti-inflammatory ingredient into your diet is one good way to reach your weight loss goals.
