Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. For some people, coffee is the most significant source of antioxidants in the diet, surpassing both fruits and vegetables combined.
As for coffee, controversy is constantly unfolding around this tasty and popular beverage all over the world. There are different opinions about the benefits and dangers of coffee for human health. It depends on various factors, for example, on the amount of drink per day or on the caffeine content in it.
Many health experts believe that it is also one of the healthiest drinks around.
Is coffee harmful to you?
If coffee is considered a health hazardous drink, then active sports, strong emotions and sex should be automatically added to the blacklist along with it. After all, all the above causes exactly the same reactions in the body: a short-term increase in pressure (with active sports as much as 180-200 mm Hg), heartbeat and agitation. Moreover, all these effects — caffeine, exercise, and emotions — are realised through the same mechanism — through the synthesis of adrenaline.
Coffee beans contain no fewer vitamins and antioxidants than green tea leaves, known for their preventive properties. And if we talk about a ready-made concentrated drink such as espresso coffee, then it contains several times more of them than tea! So caffeine isn’t the most important thing in coffee.
Meanwhile, large-scale scientific studies over the past 20 years absolutely unequivocally indicate that moderate consumption of coffee (3-5 cups a day), on the contrary, reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. After all, properly prepared strong espresso coffee is nothing more than the richest concentrate of dozens of extremely useful natural substances with antioxidant action.
What should you know about coffee?
You have probably read about this warming drink more than once. About the characteristic captivating aroma which is able to unite people. A drink that fills with energy. The one that helps us to cope with preparing for difficult exams or important meetings at work. And how good is a cup of hot aromatic coffee on a winter evening while watching your favourite movie!
It’s a well-known fact that coffee contains caffeine. It has a stimulating effect on the human central nervous system, which helps to cope with lethargy and fatigue.
Because of it, for people who are forced to work in a high rhythm or stressful environment, coffee seems like a real panacea.
Thanks to it, we feel a surge of vigour and strength. Coffee improves attention, and also reduces appetite. According to some experts, coffee helps us learn better and improves our memory.
Coffee is rich in many nutrients.
- 240 ml (1 cup) contains:
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – 11% of the daily dose;
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) – 6% of the daily dose;
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine) – 2% of the daily dose;
- Vitamin B3 (niacin) – 2% of the daily dose;
- Folate – 1% of the daily dose;
- Manganese – 3% of the daily dose;
- Potassium – 3% of the daily dose;
- as well as magnesium and phosphorus.
Is decaffeinated coffee healthier?
Decaffeinated coffee also contains caffeine — up to 13-14 mg per cup (in a cup of regular coffee — about 90 – 100 mg of caffeine).
Decaffeinated coffee is often more harmful than the regular one. During the decaffeinating process, a solvent is used, ethyl acetate, which is also used in insect stains. Some of this substance ends up in the finished drink. Of course, there are safer ways to remove caffeine while preserving the flavour and aroma of the coffee, such as using compressed CO2. However, this coffee is much more expensive.
Can you replace coffee with energy drinks?
You shouldn’t replace coffee with energy drinks. Yes, energy drinks help not to feel tired and hungry, give “horse doses” of useful vitamins, carnitine, caffeine in combination with stimulants. But, dependence, nervousness, palpitations, arrhythmias, “surges” of pressure are only part of the payback for several hours of vigour.
Here are some tips on how to make your coffee drinking a healthy habit
Don’t drink it after 2 pm
Coffee, as said earlier, is rich in caffeine. Caffeine is a natural stimulant of the central nervous system, and this is perhaps the main reason for such popularity of this drink. This substance gives a feeling of a surge of energy and relieves fatigue for a while. Feeling awake, as you might guess, can seriously affect your sleep patterns, especially if it is caused by an outside product. Every year, mankind is becoming more convinced of the importance of good sleep for good health and well-being. You should not drink coffee after 14:00. If you understand that you cannot do without it, then the best option would be a cup of tea, which, like coffee, contains caffeine. It is worth remembering that each person’s body is unique and this can vary. Experiment and see how caffeine affects your sleeping schedule.
Try adding cinnamon
Cinnamon may suit your taste, as its spiciness goes well with the aroma of coffee. Also, studies have shown that its use can reduce blood glucose and cholesterol levels.
If you would like to add new flavours and aromas to your everyday coffee, then a pinch of cinnamon can quite possibly do the trick. Make sure not to add too much of it. This can cause many unpleasant consequences: increased stress on the liver and breathing problems.
Choose natural coffee
There is coffee that has undergone a special treatment with pesticides, and there are its organic counterparts that can be called natural. The difference will be not only in the nature of the further impact on the body, but also in taste. Organic coffee has a richer yet milder taste.
Avoid pasteurised milk
Regular milk that is sold in stores can hardly be called natural. It is more likely to have undergone pasteurisation with the addition of antibiotics and other chemicals. Organic milk can support the same idea of naturalness, but it is less common today and will be more expensive. Therefore, as an alternative, it is worth drinking coffee with soy, rice or almond milk.
Sugar and flavors
Try to drink your coffee without sugar. Of course, it will be difficult to completely eliminate sugar and various syrups with flavor enhancers, since coffee will completely lose its usual taste and will not be as attractive to you, if you are used to adding something in it. However, you can switch to organic sweeteners. There are a wide groups of natural sugar substitutes, including palm sugar, agave syrup, stevia, etc. These ingredients will not lead to obesity and other health problems, but they will improve the taste, and in some variations will have a stimulating effect on the brain.
Avoid cream
It is important to understand that most of the cream that is available in stores has little to do with natural products. As a rule, we can talk about a base modified by thickeners and emulsifiers, to which harmful fillers such as cellulose gel are also added. It’s not worth looking for a replacement for this supplement, and it’s not worth using it.
Be careful with hot coffee
For hot drink lovers, doctors warn that boiling water leads to thermal burns of the throat and esophagus. Recent clinical studies have shown that such regular damage from hot food and drinks can lead to the development of cancer.
In a reasonable amount, coffee helps to maintain performance, tones up after a hard day or a sleepless night. But misuse and excessive drinking is a path to weight gain, stomach damage, and other serious complications.
Experiment with recipes
For example, you can take the formula as a basis: 60 g of coffee per 1 litre of water, which means, for a cup of 250 ml you will need 15 grams of coffee. And then be guided by your taste — change the grind, amount of coffee, the amount of water or water temperature to achieve the best taste.
Green coffee
A healthy alternative to regular coffee is green coffee. Recently, green coffee has become very popular. It is believed that this drink helps to lose weight. In fact, green coffee is not at all a separate type of coffee tree. These are ordinary coffee beans. The only difference is that they are not roasted and retain their original colour. Green coffee helps to get rid of excess fat, reduces the number of free radicals in the human body, and also helps to defeat cellulite. This drink will make you feel full and help you avoid overeating. Green coffee is recommended for people with type 2 diabetes.
Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach
Start your day with a light snack, a few sips of juice, and then move on to a tonic product. This will prevent the production of hydrochloric acid and maintain an optimal acidity level. Plus, caffeine whets your appetite, so you’ll start to overeat and gain weight.
Bulletproof coffee
Experts recommend adding a little butter to coffee, you can also use coconut oil. Thus, the body will receive very healthy fats, which are abundant in these types of oils, very useful fats for it, which can lower the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood and help normalise blood pressure.
A cup of coffee equals a glass of water
As coffee dehydrates, the liquid must be replenished. Nutritionists advise drinking a glass of clean water 15-20 minutes after taking an invigorating drink.
Don’t end your meal with a strong cup of coffee
When consumed after breakfast or lunch, caffeine is mixed with numerous fats and carbohydrates, interfering with the normal production of enzymes for the digestion of food. The ideal time for your cup of coffee is 40-50 minutes after a meal when the stomach is moderately full and the released hydrochloric acid does not harm the mucous membranes.
Don’t buy coffee at regular stores
You won’t find good coffee in large chain stores. They usually sell bitter-tasting refried grains. The information you see on a pack of coffee in a supermarket most often does not say anything at all. You will not know from which country the coffee was brought, how it was processed and when exactly it was roasted.
Always look at the coffee roast date
Coffee has its own shelf life, or rather, the desired use period. And that’s just one month. It was during this period that it is as bright as possible in taste. The date must be on the packaging of coffee and it must be indicated for what method of preparation it is fried.
Choose your coffee machine wisely
Choosing the right coffee maker is equally important as choosing the right coffee. A good coffee maker will help you get the most out of each coffee bean and save you money. It is not a coincidence that a lot of companies choose to have coffee available in their office, so their employees can always be productive.
What can be served with a drink:
- Espresso (Italian) served with ice cream, nutty biscuits.
- Strong oriental coffee — with cold water. A drink prepared according to African or Arab recipes ─ with oriental sweets, candied fruits, dried fruits.
- Coffee with milk (latte, cappuccino) is in harmony with pastries, croissants, muffins.
- Americano is accompanied by pastries and various desserts.
- For aroma, alcoholic beverages are added to coffee. For 150 ml of coffee — 1 tablespoon (tablespoon) of cognac, liqueur.
- It is wise to serve sweet coffee drinks with unsweetened grain biscuits, salty cracker.
- Gourmets combine coffee with expensive cheeses.
- Conclusion
The culture of coffee drinking is so multifaceted and complex that it is almost impossible to work out one set of its universal rules. In addition, many people have formed their own individual secrets of the preparation of this drink. Our advice is to enjoy your coffee and by following the tips above, you can make your cup of coffee even more healthy.