The controversy of coffee, is it good for you or is it bad for you?
Let’s explore both and if drinking coffee is a habit to continue or one that should be broken.
- Organic Coffee over Non-Organic Coffee: Does it matter?
Like other organic choices, choosing an organic brand of coffee is going to be beneficial due to being grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, making it a cleaner option. Organic coffee is also thought to be richer in flavor due to the beans having a more robust and natural flavor since they weren’t exposed to harsh chemicals. In addition organic coffee may have higher antioxidant levels then non-organic coffee. On moral value, organic coffee is known to be a better choice for the environment and focuses on fair wages and ethical farming values.
- Is coffee healthy for me?
As any source of food, vitamin, and liquid consumption, I would like to remind an individual that everyone’s body can operate differently, so while going by what scientific research has done in general, it is important to take your personal gut, health, and body into consideration.
Coffee can be healthy for you due to the caffeine boosting energy and brain function. Caffeine in coffee is known to help improve focus, memory, and reaction times (RTs).
Coffee is also rich in antioxidants, which help protect cell damage and fight inflammation. The antioxidants in coffee such as hydrocinnamic and polyphenols acids, which help neutralize harmful free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause oxidative stress, leading to cell damage and contributing to aging and various diseases. Coffee’s antioxidants can play a major role in fighting oxidative stress. In addition, these compounds help reduce inflammation, which is linked to many chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders while some research also suggests that regular coffee consumption may also support brain health, liver function, and reduce the risk of certain cancers.
- Is coffee bad for me?
As coffee can be good for you, there are also some reasons coffee can work against your body such as increased cholesterol, sleep interruptions and digestive issues. The caffeine in coffee can create rapid heart rate, increased anxiety, and headaches. Headaches can also be caused by the withdrawal of the caffeine present in coffee. In addition excessive coffee consumption (more than six cups a day) has been shown to shrink brain volume creating a higher risk for dementia.
- How should I choose the coffee best for me based on my
health goal(s)?
Since, there are many choices of coffee, it can be difficult to know what should be chosen to drink and why. Here are some helpful hints to follow:
- Brain Health: Choose robust bean coffee for which will have higher caffeine for RT, focus and antioxidants.
- Sensitive Stomachs: Choose a cold coffee which will contain less acidic and be gentler on digestion due to coffee grounds being steeped in cold water for an extended period creating fewer acidic compounds.
- Heart Health: Choose filtered black coffee because the filtering process removes certain compounds such as diterpenes like cafestol and kahweol that can contribute to raising LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
- Anti-inflammatory: Choose a dark roast arabic coffee and add turmeric (black pepper in addition for absorption) its antioxidants, dark-roast varieties generally have lower acidity and higher levels of certain compounds, like melanoidins, which may have anti-inflammatory properties and turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compound lowering inflammation, improving immune function, and supporting brain and heart health.
- Weight Loss: Choose a black coffee which is low in calories and packed with antioxidants, boost metabolism, and curves appetite.
- Athletic Performances: Choose a blonde robusta coffee with protein powder for an energy boost. Blonde roasts also tend to preserve more of the bean’s natural compounds, providing a smoother yet strong coffee experience and protein powder is high in essential amino acids that support muscle recovery and repair while also aiding muscle protein synthesis, reduce soreness, and improve overall strength over time.
As many things, coffee moderation is key to reap the health benefits over health hazards. If caffeine is a risk for your health or highly affects your sleep, a non-caffeinated coffee will still contain high antioxidants although it will not have the same RT effects as caffeinated coffee. Research on coffee continues as experts continue to weigh the health benefits it may have on reducing disease risks, brain health, athletic performance, and heart health. In addition, researchers continue to conclude best brewing tips to optimize health benefits and not limit the way growing coffee might affect the environment, farming and production.
Next time you pour your cup of brew, know how it will benefit you.
Cheers to a happier and healthier version of you!
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