7 Healthy Things to Add to Your Coffee, Ranked
Diet & NutritionBeverages

7 Healthy Things to Add to Your Coffee, Ranked

Java is plenty powerful on its own, but can stirring in spices, supplements, and other ingredients make it even healthier for you? Experts weigh in on the trend.
By
Updated on November 6, 2025
by

Next up video playing in 10 seconds

7 Healthy Things to Add to Your Coffee Ranked

Level up your coffee game with these seven additions!

“Coffee is no longer just a liquid vehicle for delivering caffeine,” explains Vincent Pedre, MD, the medical director of Pedre Integrative Health in New York City and author of Happy Gut. To enhance the already well-established perks of a cup of joe, people are mixing in powders, spices, and superfoods to “elevate the health-promoting effects of each last drop,” Dr. Pedre says. Some do it because they believe these add-ins allow them to achieve various health goals, from better skin to a slimmer waistline, he says.

People share DIY health hacks on social media, and most of these haven't been vetted by experts or have limited evidence-based research backing them up. So we asked nutrition pros to give their honest feedback about which are good ideas, which are harmless, and which you should avoid — and ranked them accordingly. Here's how they stack up, best to worst.

1

Spices

Best-and-Worst-Things-To-Add-to-Coffee-Roundup-02-spices-chicory-1440x810

An alternative to preflavored coffee, spices like cinnamon and chicory root can infuse a distinctive taste and appealing aroma to your cup while providing a bonus health benefit, notes Jackie Newgent, RDN, a plant-forward chef, culinary nutrition expert, and 2025 Forbes Health advisory board member.

“You can add ground spices to your coffee before or after brewing,” says Newgent. When adding spices afterward, let your freshly brewed coffee steep for five minutes to allow the spice flavors to become well-infused. Alternatively, you might find it works best to whisk spices into milk or plant-based milk before adding them to brewed coffee.

Cinnamon, considered a “sweet spice,” is a great substitute for sugar, as it will sweeten up your drink without the added calories. “Along with its potential cardiometabolic and weight management benefits, a cool tidbit about cinnamon is that preliminary research suggests that bioactive compounds in cinnamon may have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, though more research is needed to confirm these benefits," she adds.

 Studies have also shown that cinnamon can significantly improve learning and memory.

 Chicory root, a staple of New Orleans–style coffee, is available in ground form similar to coffee, so you can brew them together. Newgent says this is a great option for those who aren’t crazy about coffee’s natural bitterness, “and if you use enough of it, your usual cup of caffeinated coffee will have less caffeine since it’ll have less total coffee in that cup,” she says. “Plus, chicory root has digestion-promoting, prebiotic properties thanks in part to its inulin content.”

2

Protein Powder

Best-and-Worst-Things-To-Add-to-Coffee-Roundup-05-protein-powder-1440x810

No doubt you’ve seen people using their social media to promote proffee, a concoction of protein powder and coffee. Videos tout the combination as a protein-packed pick-me-up with weight loss benefits. While Pedre maintains that adding the powder to any drink is a great way to get more protein in the diet, there is one problem: Your body can only digest so much protein at a time. And unless your body digests protein properly, it can absorb only a fraction of the protein, regardless of the form that’s ingested.

Research shows that adding 1.5 grams (g) of whey protein per kilogram of body weight each day to your diet helps decrease body fat, increase lean body mass, and maintain positive nitrogen balance, Pedre says.

 “But only about 8 to 10 g can be absorbed per hour, so with a transit time of about 90 minutes through the small intestine, the maximum amount of protein that can be absorbed is approximately 15 g,” he says.

Therefore, to reap the maximum amount of protein, you would want to spread out your proffee intake throughout the course of a day.

3

Cocoa Powder

Best-and-Worst-Things-To-Add-to-Coffee-Roundup-03-cocoa-powder-1440x810
While boosting dessert-like deliciousness in coffee, cocoa powder punches up its health-related qualities, especially because of antioxidants called polyphenols, explains Newgent. “Studies suggest that when including a significant amount of cocoa in the diet, its antioxidants may offer anti-inflammatory abilities as well as potential protective effects against risk factors for some chronic diseases, like neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular disease, and possibly some cancers,” she says.

 Cocoa powder also adds fiber to your cup — 2 g per tablespoon (tbsp).

Keep in mind that cocoa powder contains some caffeine — about 12 milligrams (mg) per tablespoon — “so, it’ll make that caffeinated cup of coffee a slight bit more buzzworthy, which, can be a concern for some people who need to limit caffeine intake, such as pregnant women or those with high blood pressure or taking anti-anxiety meds,” she adds.

4

Grass-Fed Butter

Best-and-Worst-Things-To-Add-to-Coffee-Roundup-07-Grassfed-Butter-1440x810

Dave Asprey popularized adding grass-fed butter to coffee when he launched Bulletproof Coffee in 2011. “It may not be for everyone, but grass-fed butter — not regular butter — in coffee can actually have some real health benefits,” says Pedre.

Grass-fed butter is high in CLA (conjugated linolenic acid), which some research indicates may help with weight loss.

 “Whereas animal research has been more promising, studies in humans have only yielded modest weight loss,” Pedre points out.
In addition, a review of 20 clinical trials showed that although CLA plus exercise reduced body fat, it didn’t decrease total body weight.

“What we do know is that putting butter in coffee can suppress the appetite and help a person who is incorporating intermittent fasting to use it as a bridge to support the fasted state in the morning hours,” he explains. “By doing this, it can certainly help promote fat and weight loss over time.” Since butter is high in saturated fat, which can raise your cholesterol and increase your chance of heart disease, you should add butter to coffee only on occasion.

5

Lemon

Best-and-Worst-Things-To-Add-to-Coffee-Roundup-04-lemon-1440x810

Lemon water and lemon-infused tea have been go-to wellness cocktails for decades, and more recently there’s been a trend across social media touting the benefits of adding the citrus juice to coffee. The premise suggests combining the caffeinated stimulant with the fruit works as a weight loss aid.

Newgent maintains that lemons have a number of scientifically backed health benefits. “Observational research finds that higher citrus fruit consumption may be associated with lower the risk of lung cancer. And preliminary research suggests that lemon may also offer potential neurological benefits due to compounds called citrus flavonoids,” she says.

Squeezing lemon into your coffee isn’t going to help you melt away fat, prevent headaches or treat diarrhea, however.

Pedre uses lemon water “to help get the digestive motors in motion,” he explains.

 One very small study of 10 people found that lemon juice increased gastric acid production. So for anyone adding lemon to coffee, think of it as a digestive aid, and don’t do it on an empty stomach, advises Pedre.

 He suggests consuming it before a meal, “or as they do in Europe, an espresso with a lemon rind twist added to it after a meal.”
6

Collagen Powder

Best-and-Worst-Things-To-Add-to-Coffee-Roundup-06-collagen-powder-1440x810
Jennifer Aniston, the chief creative officer for the supplement brand Vital Proteins, recently told Vogue that her morning pick-me-up includes a scoop of herVital Proteins peptides.

 “Collagen is a fibrous protein found in body tissues, like bone, skin, muscles, and tendons. It makes up about one-third of total body protein, and it’s what gives these tissues their strength and elasticity,” explains Pedre. “As we age, less collagen is produced. One area that can be impacted by this is the skin — with less elasticity that means more wrinkles.” As this happens, a person may be more predisposed to joint pains due to arthritis.

Collagen supplements come in many different forms, with powder being the easiest to add to drinks like coffee. A review and analysis of 19 studies found that those who used collagen supplements saw an improvement in the firmness, suppleness, and moisture content of the skin, with wrinkles appearing less noticeable. But it’s unclear if these skin improvements were actually due to collagen. Most of the trials used commercially available supplements that contained ingredients other than collagen, such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, coenzyme Q10, and hyaluronic acid.

7

Baking Soda

Best-and-Worst-Things-To-Add-to-Coffee-Roundup-01-baking-soda-1440x810

People began adding this kitchen staple, aka sodium bicarbonate, to coffee in hopes of neutralizing its acidic effects, since baking soda is alkaline. In theory, cutting highly acidic (usually cheap) coffee with baking soda will neutralize the naturally occurring acids in the coffee and make it easier on the stomach. In practice, however, it’s probably not such a great idea.

Too much baking soda can put you at risk for metabolic alkalosis, which means the pH of your blood is too high (alkaline).

Plus, as its chemical name indicates, baking soda is high in sodium, with more than 1,200 mg in 1 teaspoon, according to an analysis by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

 So it probably won’t taste great either.
If coffee bothers your stomach, you can always look for a low-acid variety (dark roasts and espresso tend to have less) or drink cold brew, which is lower in acids than traditional coffee.

The Takeaway

  • Coffee drinkers have begun adding powders, spices, and other ingredients to their brews to attain additional health benefits.
  • Many of these DIY hacks are trends shared across social media, and most have not been vetted by experts and have limited evidence-based research to back them up.
  • Studies have shown cinnamon to have potential cardiometabolic and weight management benefits.
  • While many coffee add-ins are harmless, too much baking soda can lead to metabolic acidosis, a potentially serious and dangerous health condition.
Meet Our Experts
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
Roxana Ehsani, RDN

Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN

Medical Reviewer

Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, is a Washington, DC–based registered dietitian-nutritionist, board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, and media spokesperson, consultant, and content creator for food and nutrition brands.

Ehsani has appeared as a food and nutrition expert for television stations across the nation and in national publications, including Runner's World, Women's Health, and Glamour, and is a contributing writer for EatingWell. She has a strong background in sports nutrition and has worked with professional, Olympic, collegiate, and high school teams and individual athletes.

See full bio
Leah Groth

Leah Groth

Author

Leah Groth is a Philadelphia-based writer and editor specializing in health, wellness, and lifestyle. She regularly contributes to top media outlets, including VeryWell, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, Reader's Digest, Health, CBS, Prevention, Harper's Bazaar, Woman's Day, Marie Claire, Woman's World, Parents, Livestrong, BestLife, and mindbodygreen.

Whether composing an essay about her personal addiction struggles for Babble, curating an expert-driven slide show about foods that promote weight loss on Prevention, or interviewing an internationally renowned physician about the celery juice craze for Livestrong, she is fully immersed in every assignment, delivering superior content her clients are proud to publish.

See full bio
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Kutbi EH et al. The beneficial effects of cinnamon among patients with metabolic diseases: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. March 19, 2021.
  2. Keramati M et al. Cinnamon, an effective anti-obesity agent; Evidence from an umbrella meta-analysis. Journal of Food Biochemistry. April 1, 2022.
  3. Nakhaee S et al. Cinnamon and cognitive function: a systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies. Nutritional Neuroscience. January 18, 2023.
  4. Pagliari S et al. Antioxidant and Anti-InflammatoryE ffect of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum J. Presl) Bark Extract after In Vitro Digestion Simulation. Foods. January 18, 2023.
  5. Janda K et al. The Common Cichory (Cichorium intybus L.) as a Source of Extracts with Health-Promoting Properties — a Review. Molecules. March 23, 2021.
  6. Schoenfeld BJ et al. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle building? Implications for daily protein distribution. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. February 27, 2018.
  7. Bilborough S et al.  A review of issues of dietary protein intake in humans. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. April 2006.
  8. Paparella A et al. The Health Impact of Cocoa from Cultivation to the Formation of Biogenic Amines: An Updated Review. Foods. January 15, 2025.
  9. FoodData Central: Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
  10. Fontes A L et al. Study of the viability of using lipase-hydrolyzed commercial vegetable oils to produce microbially conjugated linolenic acid-enriched milk. Food Chemistry. July 1, 2023.
  11. Liang C-W et al. Effects of conjugated linoleic acid and exercise on body composition and obesity; a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition Reviews. April 2023.
  12. Metkus TS. Butter, margarine, and cooking oils. MedlinePlus. August 5, 2025.
  13. Wang J et al. Citrus fruit intake and lung cancer risk; A meta-analysis of observational studies. Pharmacological Research. April 2021.
  14. Pontifex MG et al.  Citrus Polyphenols in Brain Health and Disease: Current Perspectives. Frontiers in Neuroscience. February 19, 2021.
  15. Will Lemon Coffee Help You Lose Weight? Cleveland Clinic. January 21, 2022.
  16. Freitas D et al. Glycemic response, satiety, gastric secretions and emptying after bread consumption with water, tea, or lemon juice; a randomized crossover intervention using MRI. European Journal of Nutrition. January 11, 2022.
  17. Anboura M. I’ll Have What She’s Having: Jennifer Aniston’s Exact Coffee Order. Vogue. April 29, 2025.
  18. Collagen. Cleveland Clinic. May 23, 2022.
  19. De Miranda RB et al. Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Dermatology. March 20, 2021.
  20. Brinkman JE et al. Physiology, Metabolic Alkalosis. StatPearls. July 17, 2023.
  21. FoodData Central: Leavening agents, baking soda. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
  22. Why Does Coffee Bother My Stomach? Cleveland Clinic. October 8, 2021.