Is coffee healthy? Find out!

Why hasn't the question of whether coffee is healthy been definitively answered yet?

Conflicting information regarding coffee's properties has emerged ever since the stimulating beverage first appeared in Europe in the 16th century. It's a question that has sparked interest for centuries, and instead of resolving the issue, intensive scientific development complicates the answer to whether coffee is healthy.

Doubts regarding the effects of coffee and its impact on the human body stem, among other things, from the varying processing methods applied to the beans. As a result, coffees with different caffeine and nutrient contents are produced, which cannot be evaluated uniformly – therefore, in today's post, we examine whether drinking coffee is healthy.

Coffee before people started wondering if it was healthy...

The first credible sources about coffee come from Yemen and relate to 15th-century reality – however, back then, people didn't wonder whether coffee was healthy because the very concept of health was understood differently than it is today. The beans might have caused controversy, but this should be viewed more in the category of myths and beliefs than objective knowledge, as in the 15th century, the average person did not use medical terminology. What's more, centuries ago, coffee was not only for drinking but also served as an element of religious rituals, which shows it had a somewhat different status than it does today in Western countries.

In Europe, coffee was initially considered a satanic drink, but a similar fate befell other "new" products, arriving primarily from the Americas – potatoes were considered poisonous almost until the end of the 18th century, and tomatoes were cultivated solely for aesthetic reasons due to fears of harmful effects. Today, when asking if drinking coffee is healthy, we expect an answer based on scientific data, not on fears associated with unfamiliarity with the plant.

Is coffee healthy – caffeine and nutritional values

What makes coffee popular is caffeine – an organic chemical compound with a stimulating effect that plants use as a natural pesticide. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, improving concentration and mood, and reducing feelings of fatigue and drowsiness. However, the effect is short-lived, which explains why we so readily reach for another cup of coffee. Caffeine also constricts cerebral blood vessels, thereby helping to relieve migraine symptoms – it is not without reason one of the ingredients in painkillers. Despite this, the question of whether coffee is unhealthy regularly arises. Why? Reports have appeared for years that caffeine raises blood pressure, leading to the development of hypertension – however, this has not yet been definitively confirmed. Officially, it is accepted that a moderate dose of caffeine, i.e., 300 mg per day, does not pose a health risk.

Coffee also contains polyphenols (including caffeic, chlorogenic, and ferulic acids), which are natural antioxidants protecting the body from free radicals; however, the darker the roast of the beans, the lower the antioxidant content. So, is coffee healthy or not? Essentially, coffee has a low content of vitamins and minerals – in a small black coffee, you'll find limited amounts of B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, or zinc. At the same time, coffee is a product practically devoid of calories, so at least theoretically, people on a diet can safely consume it.

Standard coffee vs. decaffeinated coffee

The question of whether coffee is healthy for the body keeps coming back like a boomerang due to its caffeine content, which, although a socially accepted drug, causes concern – one can become addicted to it just like other stimulants. This is confirmed by the American Psychiatric Association, which included symptoms of caffeine overdose and its withdrawal syndrome in the general classification of mental disorders. At the same time, there are studies indicating that caffeine lowers the risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Decaffeinated coffee is also available on the market, unfortunately not always of the same quality as specialty coffee. Let's try to answer whether decaffeinated coffee is healthy or harmful.

• Decaffeinated coffee contains caffeine – albeit only a small amount, but people allergic to caffeine will not find a solution to their allergy problem in it.
• The lack of caffeine in coffee makes it recommended for people with sleep disorders, pregnant women, people struggling with hypertension, and those with stomach hypersensitivity.
• The answer to whether drinking decaffeinated coffee is healthy will vary depending on the level of caffeine tolerance and the production method.

It is precisely the production of decaffeinated coffee that raises the most doubts – the first attempts at decaffeination took place over 100 years ago and involved the use of benzene, a strong solvent and a natural component of crude oil. Recognized by the American Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as a carcinogen, it belongs to substances highly toxic to the human body. Currently, the use of benzene is unacceptable, but doubts related to the decaffeination process remain. Decaffeinated coffee is produced using four methods of caffeine extraction performed on green beans:

• the use of organic solvents,
• soaking the beans in water until the caffeine is completely rinsed out,
• supercritical carbon dioxide (which is between liquid and gaseous states),
• genetic modification.

The final quality of decaffeinated coffee depends on the processing method and the beans used – older and unselected beans negatively affect the taste of the brew. A major problem is the lack of transparency from manufacturers, which makes it often difficult to determine for oneself whether decaffeinated coffee is healthy or not. Does this mean that coffee containing caffeine is a better solution? Currently, high-quality products that have undergone the decaffeination process but have not lost quality are available on the market – however, they are still rare.

Bean, instant, grain – what's the difference between one coffee and another?

The favorite way of brewing coffee for Poles is zalewajka, which is ground coffee poured with boiling water directly into a mug. Is drinking such coffee healthy? Not necessarily. The prolonged contact of coffee grounds with the brew leads to more fat-soluble compounds, and along with them, tiny coffee bean particles are consumed, which not only irritates the digestive system but also raises blood cholesterol levels. What about other coffees consumed in Poland?

Instant coffee

The drinking of instant coffee became widespread with the beginning of the 20th century, when Brazil was unable to cope with its surplus coffee production. The Coffee Institute of Sao Paulo turned to the Swiss company Nestle with a request to develop a method for long-term coffee storage. The success of Swiss chemists coincided with the outbreak of World War II – thus, Nescafé instant coffee became an object of desire for Europeans. Is instant coffee unhealthy? It is indeed an extract of bean coffee, but produced from beans of questionable quality. However, that is not the main problem – instant coffee is often available in 3-in-1 packages, where you can find up to 50% sugar and twice the acrylamide content compared to bean coffee. It cannot be unequivocally stated that instant coffee is unhealthy (source: Damian Parol), but certainly, products containing sugar or creamer should be avoided.

Grain coffee

What does bean coffee have in common with grain coffee? Primarily the name – the brew is not made from coffee beans, but from roasted grains of popular cereals (rye, wheat, barley), as well as chicory or sugar beet. Is grain coffee healthy? The product contains a decent dose of fiber in an easily digestible form, which not only aids digestion but also provides a feeling of fullness. It is also a source of numerous minerals and B vitamins but has a relatively high glycemic index, so it is not suitable for people with diabetes and celiac disease. Grain coffee can be safely drunk by pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children because it does not contain caffeine.

Capsule coffee

Capsule coffee is brewed under pressure, which theoretically ensures the highest content of antioxidants in the brew. Theoretically, because capsule coffee is ground, which leads to rapid oxidation of its ingredients. However, it is difficult to consider this an unhealthy solution, but certainly capsule coffee makers are not very functional – they only fit capsules from one manufacturer, which can be more expensive than the product offered by a good coffee roastery. Doubts also arise from the fact that it is often a heavily processed product – enriched with flavor enhancers and substances that artificially create crema.

Coffee – healthy or harmful?

Regular consumption of good quality bean coffee, especially from the specialty segment, not only provides energy but also reduces the risk of developing certain lifestyle diseases. To benefit from coffee's health properties, appropriate brewing methods are essential (pressure, pour-over), a product from a trusted source, and the absence of additives such as sugar or sweet cream.

The current third wave of coffee encourages leveraging coffee's properties – although scientists still provide conflicting data, there is no evidence confirming that coffee is unhealthy or healthy. One thing is certain: the more processed a product, the less transparent its production method and composition, and thus its health properties. By using freshly roasted bean coffee from a craft roastery, you have the best chance of getting a pure and natural product.