Looking for how to make your coffee healthier? What if we told you that you could add delicious flavor to your coffee while gaining extra benefits, too? Yep, we’re talking about collagen! Adding collagen to coffee can provide extra health benefits, from improving gut and skin health to helping balance your blood sugars. Check out why you should be adding collagen to your coffee below, plus get tips on the healthiest way to drink coffee and some delicious collagen coffee recipes that we know you’ll want to try.
Benefits of Drinking Coffee:
We all know about coffee’s energy boosting effects (thanks to the caffeine!), but coffee has a lot of other benefits, many of which are due to compounds found within the coffee beans. Coffee contains polyphenols which act as anti-inflammatory antioxidants, protecting the body and neutralizing free radicals that can cause damage to our cells, thus helping protect against disease. In fact, research has shown that drinking coffee can positively impact health by reducing the likelihood of a number of diseases, from Parkinson’s disease to prostate cancer. Additionally, coffee has been studied for its ability to boost production of brain chemicals that have antidepressant effects. So you’ll be healthier, more energized and in a better mood after drinking coffee!
Collagen Coffee Benefits:
While drinking coffee has been shown to have many benefits, what you put into your coffee and what you eat with your coffee matters. One way to really up the ante (and add amazing health benefits) to your coffee is by adding a scoop or two of collagen. Here’s how to make coffee healthier by adding collagen powder:
1. Supplementing with collagen can improve your overall health
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies. It’s found throughout our bodies, including our connective tissues and skin. Most of collagen’s benefits come from its high concentration of three amino acids (proline, hydroxyproline and glycine) which are key in helping our bodies carry out important functions such as building and repairing muscles and tissues. As we age, our existing collagen starts to break down and it becomes harder for our bodies to produce collagen, which leads to wrinkled skin, thinning hair and weaker bones, among other signs of aging.
Collagen supplementation can help both repair some of this damage, as well as prevent or slow down further aging. This means healthier, glowing skin, stronger bones and joints, and improved gut health, among other collagen benefits. You can learn more about collagen and how supplementing can help in this article on Everything You Need To Know About Collagen.
Since our bodies continue to lose collagen as we age, we need to supplement with collagen regularly (daily) to help replenish the collagen that we lose. While there are countless ways to get your daily dose of collagen, one of our favorite methods is to add collagen to coffee for the perfect pairing. You can use unflavored collagen, which won’t change the taste of your coffee or you can add in a boost of flavor with a flavored collagen. Both will mix easily into your coffee without any change in texture or consistency, while making your coffee healthier. Also, note that heat doesn’t denature the proteins in collagen or cause it to lose its benefits. So, go ahead and add a scoop or two each day to your morning coffee, and you will see and feel the benefits within a few short weeks!
2. Adding collagen to coffee helps to keep you full longer
Collagen powder has been shown to be 40% more filling than protein powders such as soy, whey and casein. This means that collagen can keep you 40% more full than those other protein powders. So, adding in a scoop or two of collagen to your morning coffee can be key to helping suppress your appetite and in decreasing sugar cravings. This can be helpful whether you are trying to lose weight or struggle with those mid morning hunger pains.
3. Collagen protein powder + fat can help keep jitters at bay, while also balancing your blood sugars
As mentioned above, coffee has lots of benefits, but how you drink your coffee and what you consume with it are key. Drinking coffee alone or without the right combination of nutrients can actually be harsh on your stomach by depleting your stomach acid, and it can even lead to higher blood glucose levels. One of the healthiest ways to drink coffee is to make sure you combine your coffee with protein and healthy fat. You can do this by drinking your coffee with a healthy breakfast or by adding some protein (like collagen) and healthy fat (like MCT oil) to your coffee. This combination can help keep the jitters at bay and balance your blood sugars.
4. Collagen powder is a healthier way to flavor your coffee.
While drinking coffee can provide a lot of benefits, sometimes the benefits can be countered if you add in sugary syrups or sweeteners. In fact, not only are you negating the benefits of coffee by adding in those artificial sweeteners and flavors, but you may actually be causing more harm than good when you order that extra-large flavored coffee at your local coffeehouse. Instead, one of the benefits of adding collagen powder to coffee is that it’s a great sugar-free way to add a lot of flavor to your coffee without the extra calories, sugar or artificial junk. There are so many options on flavors, from chocolate collagen to hazelnut collagen. Your coffee will be healthier, plus you’ll save a lot of money when you make your own. Note that not all collagens are the same, so make sure that the brand you use doesn’t add in artificial flavors or additives.
Collagen coffee recipes
Making collagen coffee is super easy and quick. Simply add a scoop of collagen plus your favorite milk to your brewed coffee and you will start reaping the collagen coffee benefits right away! But if you want to elevate your morning coffee even more or add an extra twist, here are some delicious ways to make your coffee healthier and tasty at the same time. Enjoy!