Most people aren’t necessarily thinking about the antioxidants and health benefits of coffee while picking up their morning cup of Joe, but they definitely should be! Coffee not only tastes great and improves cognitive performance, but can also be a great source of antioxidants. Researchers have found that there are quite a few ways to increase the antioxidant activity and to maximize the benefits of coffee!

Here are four easy ways to make your morning coffee even healthier:

1. Choose Organic: If you’re drinking coffee in hopes of getting the benefits from antioxidants, it’s highly recommended that you drink organic coffee! Conventional coffee is treated with synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Those substances can contribute to the generation of free radicals in our bodies. Antioxidants fight free radicals in our bodies, so drinking conventional coffee that contain pesticide residues is somewhat counterproductive!
2. Choose Medium Roast: A few studies have shown that medium roast has the highest antioxidant activity levels when compared to light and dark roasts. When coffee is roasted, strong antioxidants are formed, which boosts antioxidant activity. On the other hand, the degree of roasting can also cause the antioxidant activity to decrease. Choosing medium roast coffee can likely boost the benefits of antioxidants you’re getting from coffee.
3. Choose Black Coffee: Milk, sugar, and other flavorings can make coffee taste better, but it’s definitely healthier to stick to black coffee. Black coffee is free of sugar and calories. Most Americans are consuming too much added sugar and saturated fats, so it’s best we avoid adding these to our morning coffee!
4. Choose to Drink it Earlier in the Day: The caffeine from coffee has a half life of approximately 5 hours in a healthy individual, meaning that the caffeine can stay in your body 10 hours after you drink it! The negative effects of losing sleep may outweigh the benefits of coffee.