When it comes to adding the right flavor to your coffee, it’s different strokes for different folks. Sugar or milk seems to be the most popular thing added to coffee, but today’s big question is why is everyone putting salt in their coffee, and should you be doing it too?
A lot of people are now adding salt to their coffee instead of sugar for health benefits. Salt also neutralizes bitterness, improves stale water, brings out the natural coffee flavors, and is an excellent sugar replacement. It might sound odd, but adding salt to your coffee can make it taste better, and a lot of people are starting to realize this.
Here’s a little secret. Have you ever heard of the Alton brown trick back in 2009? The trendy cookbook author Alton Brown said that sprinkling a little salt in your coffee can make it taste much better for a particular reason.
We’re about to tell you all about his thoughts on salted coffee that would become known as the Alton brown trick. Mr. Brown may have popularized salted coffee, but he certainly wasn’t the first to discover the advantages of salted coffee.
People from countries like Hungary, Scandinavian countries, Siberia, and Turkey where a bride-to-be must prepare and serve Turkish coffee to the guests.
For the groom’s coffee, the bride-to-be sometimes uses salt instead of sugar to gauge his character. People who live in coastal areas where saltwater mixes with freshwater are known to work with slightly salty water when preparing their coffee.
Does Salt Reduce Bitterness In Coffee?
So why should you put salt in your coffee? No, the answer is not, so it tastes saltier; that’s disgusting. Here’s a list of impressive benefits you get from putting salt in your coffee.
- It neutralizes bitterness. Here’s a scientific fact. Sodium ions stop your taste buds from recognizing bitter flavor, consequently neutralizing the bitterness of the coffee. So if the coffee was a batman movie, think of salt as batman while sugar is robin. Sugar can help reduce bitterness. However, a little salt will completely neutralize the bitterness because of its super component, sodium.
- It improves stale water. Remember Mr. Brown? He said that when water stays in your coffee maker for a long time, it can become stale. By the way, your coffee is only as good as your water, and a little salt here and there makes water quality better. Moreover, salt also makes the water denser and denser water means. Your coffee gets a thicker texture.
- It brings out the natural coffee flavors. With salt, you don’t have to worry about not tasting the coffee beans. Salt doesn’t just keep the taste, but it enhances your favorite beans’ already existing flavors.
- It’s an excellent replacement for sugar. This one’s for you, especially if you’re looking to limit your sugar intake. With salt, you’re just as good. I know it does not sound like swapping salt for sugar will make your coffee taste better. Just try it, you’ll be surprised.
- Salt in coffee health benefits. The great thing about coffee is that it is remarkably healthy because it has essential nutrients like magnesium and numerous antioxidants. Coffee even helps to fight brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. But – and this is a big butt – you stand a chance to lose out on all those benefits when you use a lot of sweeteners, syrup, and cream. Salted coffee is a very effective way to replace all these additives while reaping practically all the benefits of coffee. Of course, you’d, have to trade a bit of sweetness, but you’ll be very healthy.
One more thing: Science guys say that drinking too much coffee causes your body to lose sodium. Sodium is really important to your body. You can lose up to twelve hundred milligrams of sodium when you consume four cups of coffee.
For coffee lovers, the thought of not consuming enough coffee can give them a headache but don’t worry just yet. When you put salt in your coffee, the sodium and salt make sure you don’t lose out on all the sodium your body needs.
The bottom line is next time you end up with bitter-tasting coffee or low-quality coffee beans, try adding a pinch or two of salt. You’ll be surprised at the result. Have you ever added salt to your coffee? If you haven’t tried it before, give it a go.
How Much Salt Should You Put In Coffee?
When it comes down to how much salt to put in your coffee, it comes down to your personal preference and which bean you have used to make your coffee. The best way to find out your personal preferences is trial and error. Of course, don’t overdo it and if you have pre-existing health conditions, ask your doctor.
What Is The Healthiest Thing To Put In Coffee?
Unsweetened cocoa powder is one of the healthiest things you can put into coffee. Cocoa is the powder that we get from the cacao bean, and it’s the main ingredient in dark chocolate. It’s loaded with beneficial minerals and other compounds that are associated with all sorts of health benefits, including heart and brain health.
Does Drinking Coffee With Salt Make You Sick?
Adding too much salt to your coffee could make you sick, but you would have to put in quite a lot of salt to make it do that. Again, it comes down to moderating the amount of salt you put into your coffee. Add enough salt to taste, and you should be OK.
Is It OK To Put Baking Soda in Your Coffee?
The isolated effects of caffeine and baking soda have already been investigated in many studies. In a recent study by researchers from Copenhagen University, volunteers ingested 400mg of caffeine and 30g (1.05 ounces) of baking soda, while other subjects received a placebo. It was possible to detect that, when baking soda was added to coffee, there was a 23% improvement in the volunteers’ performance. This improvement was noticed 60 minutes after the ingestion when the subjects were submitted to a scientifically-validated physical test.