Just in case you were having doubts about your morning coffee habit, rest assured that coffee is, in fact, good for you. And chances are, your doctor is brewing a cup of gut-healthy coffee every morning, too. “Coffee itself isn’t the problem, but rather, it’s the garbage we add to it,” says Will Bulsiewicz, MD, a gastroenterologist and the author of Fiber Fueled.

While you might have heard that coffee is good for your brain and heart because it’s full of antioxidants, Dr. Bulsiewicz says it’s also good for your gut because the polyphenols in coffee serve as prebiotics, feeding the good bacteria in the gut. Dr. Bulsiewicz makes his morning cup even healthier by adding a few spices: ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon.

How to make a cup of gut-healthy coffee with spices

1. Ginger

“Ginger reduces inflammation and also improves intestinal function,” says Dr. Bulsiewicz. Ginger has long been used to reduce gas and bloating because is has phenolic compounds which are known to relieve irritation in the GI tract. Dr. Bulsiewicz says it’s also often used to treat nausea and morning sickness associated with pregnancy, too.

2. Turmeric

Is there any spice in the pantry health experts love more than turmeric? You may have already heard that turmeric is a powerful herb for reducing inflammation and Dr. Bulsiewicz says this includes inflammation in the gut, too. “Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory properties because it contains curcumin. This can help reduce inflammation intestines and improve intestinal barrier function,” he says. This means that could be beneficial in helping protect against leaky gut, which is when the lining of the intestines is weakened.

Learn more about the health benefits of turmeric:

3. Cinnamon

“Cinnamon has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in addition to protecting against metabolic disorders, like diabetes,” says Dr. Bulsiewicz. This shows that adding cinnamon is a natural way to sweeten up your coffee without using sugar and it sweetens up the nutritional density of your brew, too.

Learn more about the health benefits of cinnamon: