The One Ingredient a Gastroenterologist Wants You To Add to Your Coffee for Optimal Gut Health

It’ll make your favorite morning drink taste even better.If there’s one thing Will Bulsiewicz, MD, a gastroenterologist, bestselling author of The Fiber Fueled Cookbook, and U.S. medical director of Zoe, is passionate about—aside from the gut microbiome—it’s coffee. In fact, Dr. Bulsiewicz says it’s one of his two favorite gut-healthy drinks for healthy digestion that he enjoys daily. (Take that, kombucha.)

But when we asked Dr. Bulsiewicz for his go-to coffee shop order, he gave us some intel that you can use when making coffee at home. The one ingredient he likes adding to his coffee: “Cinnamon,” he says. “It’s the one ingredient everyone has in their spice rack.”

Delicious, shelf-stable, and easy to find in nearly any grocery store—there’s a lot to love about adding cinnamon to your coffee. But Dr. Bulsiewicz says that this humble, delicious ingredient can also enhance the gut-friendly qualities of your daily cup of joe. Keep reading for the lowdown.

Is it good to put cinnamon in your coffee?

Yes, there are quite a few benefits to putting cinnamon in your coffee. Dr. Bulziewicz explains more below.

1. It’s packed with antioxidants

Dr. Bulsiewicz says that coffee is apparently the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. That’s because coffee is high in polyphenols, a plant compound with potent antioxidant properties that help fight inflammation and ward off chronic disease and cancer. “Polyphenols are also prebiotic, which means that they can shape the microbiome,” Dr. Bulsiewicz explains. So adding a pinch of cinnamon, another polyphenol powerhouse, to this antioxidant-packed brew can help further elevate the antioxidants in your morning coffee.

2. It adds a little fiber to your drink

Dr. Bulsiewicz says a cup of joe is a good source of gut-supporting fiber. “Most people don’t realize this, but coffee actually contains two types of fiber: soluble and prebiotic fiber,” he says. Soluble fib  …. read more