How to Get Health Benefits from Coffee

February 01, 2019

Coffee is a relatively healthy drink with a number of known health benefits. In order to maximize these benefits, you first need to choose health coffees that are high in antioxidants and free of any harmful chemicals. You then need to brew your coffee in a way that maintains the coffee’s antioxidant levels while filtering out harmful compounds. Finally, you will want to avoid certain sugars and creamers that can make your drink unhealthy and, instead, add items that boost your coffee’s health benefits.

Choosing Healthy Coffees

Pick dark roast coffee for weight loss. Dark roast coffees have high levels of healthy antioxidants. These antioxidants have been shown to help prevent weight gain and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Medium roast coffees also have some similar antioxidant qualities and health benefits.

· There is some evidence that extremely dark roast coffees lose some of their antioxidant health benefits.

Choose light roast coffee if you want more antioxidants. Lighter roasts of coffee tend to have a higher level of antioxidants than dark and medium roasts, which may help to protect against cancer. Choose coffees that are labeled as light roast if this is important to you.

Buy organic coffee. Like most commercially grown plant products, coffee beans tend to be heavily sprayed with herbicides and pesticides. Toxins in these applications can cause significant health problems. To avoid these toxins, purchase organically grown coffees that have not been treated with harmful chemicals.

· Most coffees will have a label on their packaging to let your know if they are organic.

Consider switching to decaf. If you suffer from acid reflux, insomnia, or osteoporosis, you may want to drink decaffeinated coffee. Caffeine can intensify acid reflux and make sleeping more difficult. There is also some evidence that it can lead to calcium loss and fractures.

· If you experience any of these medical conditions, consult your doctor.