Coffee isn't generally regarded as a "healthy" drink like some teas or other hot beverages. Why? We can't imagine!
The fact is that coffee has some amazing health benefits, and you can solve many of its shortfalls by changing the way you prepare it.
We've talked about the benefits of low-acid coffee before, as well as the toxins in coffee. This article will try to sift the wheat from the chaff regarding commonly held beliefs about coffee beans and their effect on our health.
Highlights
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Filtered coffee has the lowest amount of unhealthy fats and highest antioxidant activity. It also filters out compounds which might increase cholesterol levels.
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Moderate caffeine consumption is great not only for general alertness but also for enhancing cognitive function. A lesser-known effect is that it also improves physical endurance and strength!
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Research shows coffee has antioxidant properties which help prevent heart disease as well as neurodegenerative issues like dementia.
The Many Health Benefits of Coffee Beans
Let's start by quickly dispelling the myth that coffee is just an energy-dense beverage that prepares you for work. We'll talk about the healthiest coffee brewing methods later.
It's Rich in Antioxidants
Antioxidants make your cells "live longer" and healthier by slowing the rate at which they degrade. They're found naturally in many dark- and rich-colored foods, but not everyone knows that coffee is full of them.
These compounds, such as chlorogenic acid, help combat oxidative stress in the body, preventing cell damage. However, these compounds degrade the more you roast your coffee beans, so drinking lighter roasts might be the smart move here.
While antioxidants are known to be healthy, we'll get into how coffee may help fight certain diseases later.
Surprise! Caffeine isn't Just for Focus
Okay, let's address the elephant in the room. Caffeine, the primary active ingredient in coffee, affects the central nervous system in many ways. While most people think of it as a simple stimulant, it actually works in a rather interesting way.
Long story short, you've got a compound called adenosine floating around in your brain. As it accumulates during waking hours, it signals for your brain that it's time to sleep.
Caffeine blocks the receptors that allow adenosine to tell your brain it's time for sleep.
So, coffee isn't a direct stimulant. It just prevents you from feeling tired. As a consequence, your adrenaline levels can rise slightly, keeping you ready for action.
Caffeine's Effects
Thus, drinking coffee will benefit cognitive function and alertness. But its effects go way beyond what most people think. While it certainly helps you focus, it may also increase your strength and endurance.
To test this, a 2014 study took taekwondo contestants and instructed some to drink coffee before a fight. It found that those who had ingested coffee prior to their first round of combat had an 11% lower reaction time!
Just to stay on theme, this 2016 study looked at Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes, showing that ingesting 3mg/kg caffeine before exercise (about one espresso's worth) increased every metric of strength and endurance.
Caffeinated coffee isn't just useful for work, it can improve athletic performance and enhance cognitive function as well.
It May Lower Risk of Certain Diseases
There's growing scientific consensus that coffee drinks are great for brain and heart health, and probably help prevent diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's. Yes, really.
A 2017 meta-study concluded that drinking coffee can prevent liver and pharyngeal cancer. Another study from 2020 talks about the "neuroprotective" effects of coffee, meaning it might reduce the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like dementia or Alzheimer's.
Moreover, many studies have concluded that coffee reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and other heart issues. This 2023 review, for example, concluded that coffee decreases all-cause cardiovascular and heart disease-related mortality.
Mental Health Benefits
People usually talk about coffee making them jittery or moody, but you rarely hear about the amazing effects of coffee on mental health.
Particularly, studies have linked coffee to an 8% decreased risk of depression, as well as a much lower suicide risk. While these were largely reviews of previous literature, meaning they didn't discuss how coffee had those effects, we suspect it goes beyond increasing productivity. Even if you just take the rise in adrenaline it produces, there's no escaping the fact that coffee is an active drink. It propels you to move and apply yourself, giving you a baseline activity level throughout the day. So, being a more energy-dense beverage than tea, for example, is its main benefit here.
How to Make Healthy Coffee
By now you're probably convinced that coffee likely has some positive health benefits. Why this title then? Well, there are many ways of preparing coffee, and many of them can turn the healthiest coffee cup into a delicious but unhealthy treat.
Brewing Coffee The Healthy Way
If you go to a mainstream coffee shop like Starbucks or Dunkin', you'll find a range of coffee beverages with a high saturated fat content, mostly from things like cream, and high amounts of added sugar.
If you're health conscious, you should brew your coffee in a way that minimizes oil extraction and retains all those amazing antioxidants.
Thankfully, we've done the research for you!
We should preface this by saying that we know that antioxidant activity is highest in coffee based on three facets: roasting degree (the greener the better), brewing time, and temperature.
Also, while espresso probably has a little more caffeine than other brews, it's not a noticeable difference. So we'll be talking mainly about black coffee and light roasts with no added sugar, and there's some scientific evidence supporting the idea that the pour-over method might be the healthiest.
Why drink coffee made with the Pour-Over method?
Based on what we've said before, we can discard the espresso machine, as it has the fastest brewing time, while not going significantly higher in temperature than other methods.
In contrast, pour-over coffee or drip coffee (if done correctly) offers a longer brewing time, and most studies we could find agree that controlling water temperature and brewing time are key for optimizing antioxidant extraction.
Studies indicate that filtered coffee has the lowest amount of unhealthy fats out of all brewing methods. When the coffee goes through a paper filter, some compounds which could be unhealthy in high doses get stuck in there. For example, research shows that cafestol, a compound that can increase your cholesterol levels, gets filtered through this process.
While most studies emphasize that cafestol never actually is extracted from your beans, there's still reason to believe that a paper filter catches some of the cafestol that would have otherwise gone into your coffee.
Avoiding Fatty Additives
Next time you have the chance, look at the calories in your fancy coffee order. There's probably not a lot of latte nutritional information around, but we know for sure that excess energy intake from added sugar can lead to weight gain and diabetes.
Health professionals think adding a little bit of sugar to your regular coffee is only marginally associated with weight gain, though. It's when the extra toppings start piling up that things change.
While making a latte with regular cow's milk is normal, opting for low-fat alternatives might be best if you're looking to control your cholesterol. Some tasty whole milk alternatives include almond milk, soy milk, and coconut milk.
Experiment with Spices!
Don't get hung up on the unhealthy additives though, as you can make a healthy choice by adding some other tasty toppings. Here's a list of our favorite healthy coffee additives:
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Cinnamon: this spice has been used as herbal medicine around the world for centuries, but many recent reviews have found that cinnamon has noticeable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects! The best part is just how perfectly it pairs with a warm latte in the morning.
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Ginger: popular in seasonal coffees like gingerbread lattes, ginger contains over 100 active compounds with antioxidant beneficial properties. It will help lower blood pressure and heart disease risk!
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Cacao: while the stuff you usually find at the grocery store comes with extra sugar, the pure stuff has some amazing anti-inflammatory properties. It's also ridiculously delicious... why didn't we lead with that?
All in all, there's a healthy coffee option for every unhealthy one. If you're a health-conscious coffee enthusiast, consider incorporating some of these things into your diet!