Salt in your coffee: The surprising spice that enhances your cup and your health

Many of us cannot envision a day without at least one cup of coffee. And for a good reason. As long as we follow the guidelines regarding limitations on consuming coffee, we can only reap benefits from this habit. Though, of course, there's more to it than that. Coffee additives can either magnify its unique benefits or negate them entirely. Which category does salt belong to?

Salt is a spice that we often associate with negative health impacts. Scientists, doctors and dietitians have long been advising us to reduce our consumption of this seasoning, which can adversely affect various processes within our bodies. Despite this, its use could denote something beneficial in a different context. How can this be?

In coffee, salt can be an intriguing alternative to additives intended to diminish the bitterness of the dark beverage. We've discussed why these are not necessarily a good choice in another one of our articles. Let's zero in on why it's worth adding a smidge of salt to coffee for now.

We already know that salt can counteract the bitterness of coffee. This is just the initial benefit of this pairing. The second is using sodium chloride as an alternative to extremely unhealthy sugar. The third one - as baristas would contend - is that salt can enhance the entire aroma of the dark beverage, something its enthusiasts will appreciate.

It's worth noting here that an oversupply and a salt shortage in the body can lead to various health issues, with severe heart disease being one of the most critical. Rather than getting this spice from crisps or highly processed meat, regulating an appropriate amount in your diet is better. A dash of salt, therefore, seems to be a more sensible choice than adding sugar or powdered cream.