Black coffee will taste ‘sweeter’ with 1 extra ingredient — not sugar

For millions of Britons, coffee isn’t simply a drink – it’s an essential daily ritual providing that all-important caffeine boost. Enjoying coffee comes in many guises, yet when it comes to black coffee, people often hesitate due to its bitter taste without milk or sugar.

However, drinking black coffee in moderation can actually be quite advantageous for your health, and there’s a simple hack to enhance its flavour. The tip was shared by medical professional Dr Karan Rajan on TikTok, well-known for his health-related advice. In his online posts, he demonstrates unconventional ways to boost the nutritional value of food or make foods more enjoyable.

One such recommendation involves merely adding a pinch of salt to your black coffee. Dr Rajan explained: “The salt blocks the bitterness receptors on your tongue, making the coffee taste way smoother and requiring less sugar.”

The coffee experts at Espresso Works agreed, noting this not only diminishes sharpness but also accentuates the nutty notes and inherent sweetness of particular coffees – without requiring any sugar at all.

Beyond improving the taste, salt can also enhance the aroma of black coffee. Opting for black coffee offers several notable health benefits.

This includes a possible decrease in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes over time, according to Healthline.

Research has also suggested it may offer protection against certain neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, however, for some people, coffee can raise cholesterol levels, so it’s best to drink it in moderation.

But, your morning cup of black coffee could be achieving far more than simply rousing you from sleep – and it may also help maintain your weight and support a healthy gut.

Moreover, the benefits extend beyond your waistline, as one study indicates that consuming three to five cups daily could lower your risk of heart disease by 15%.

Across the globe, coffee is among the most commonly consumed drinks. There have been mixed conclusions over the years about whether coffee consumption is beneficial or harmful to human health.

Containing a mixture of over 1,000 bioactive compounds, roasted coffee is a complex mix – and some properties of the drink appear to be beneficial for most people’s health if it’s drunk in moderation.

Coffee contains potentially “therapeutic antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, or anticancer effects”, reports the National Library of Medicine in its study of coffee consumption.

The study highlighted key active compounds including “caffeine, chlorogenic acids, and the diterpenes, cafestol and kahweol”, which offered some benefits, yet some risks to aspects of health such as potentially raising cholesterol levels.