It is a general perception among people that coffee is not good for your health. Coffee contains caffeine, which causes restlessness, insomnia, irritability, muscle tremors, nervousness, fast heartbeat and stomach related problems.
It is true, but do all those people know that these problems can only arise when the amount of caffeine is way too higher than the prescribed value.
It is a common saying that ‘excess of anything is bad’, so this rule is applied to coffee as well. People drinking 5-10 cups of coffee a day are prone to above-mentioned problems.
But, simply assuming that coffee is bad for health would be totally an ignorant statement. Do you know that coffee is the single largest source of antioxidants in your diet? The number of antioxidants present in coffee outranks both vegetables and fruits combined.
So, coffee is, in fact, good for your health, and we in this post are going to share eight points that will guide everybody who is either in favor of coffee or against regarding how to turn your coffee into a super healthy drink.
1. Avoid consuming caffeine after 2 pm
Reason being, caffeine is a stimulant. 70% of our work is completed in the first half of the day, i.e., from 10 AM-2 PM. After taking lunch, things get a bit slow as we are tired and sleepy. We all crave for a cup of coffee so that we get a jolt of energy to help us stay awake until evening.
But, consuming coffee after 2 PM is going to interfere with your sleep at night, and I don’t think if there any need to mention what a poor sleep can do to your body, both mentally and physically.
Instead of drinking coffee, it is better to have a cup of tea or decaf, as both of these have less caffeine than coffee. It doesn’t matter what time you go to bed or what’s your sensitivity level for caffeine, abstaining from coffee after 2 PM is the right thing to do.
2. Don't add too much sugar
How to make your coffee unsuitable for your consumption? Well, add some extra sugar to it. Sugar is the root cause of many problems in our body, and by putting a whole bunch of it into the coffee will make things worse.
Just add a couple of sugar cubes and that will be it. You can use stevia if you can’t live without a sweetener.
3. Don't buy any random coffee, but choose a branded coffee, Preferably organic
Coffee is coffee, and it doesn’t matter which brand you buy, it’s going to taste the same. If this is your mind-set, then you are playing with your health.
Just like other food items, the quality of coffee also varies. The quality of coffee depends upon growing method and how the coffee was processed.
The use of pesticides and herbicides on coffee is on the higher side, and this makes coffee beans intoxicated and bad for human consumption.
If possible, you should buy gourmet or organic coffee because it tastes a lot better than ordinary coffee, plus it is safe too.
4. Avoid using any artificial sweeteners
If you are opting for an artificial sweetener instead of sugar thinking that it will be calorie free and good for your health, then you are highly mistaken.
Various studies clearly show that artificial sweeteners cause all kinds of health problems, therefore, it is better to avoid adding one of those in your coffee.
You can add stevia, as it is a natural alternative and doesn’t cause any health problems as well.
5. Try having cinnamon coffee
Instead of drinking coffee alone, try adding cinnamon into it, as it will enhance the taste of your coffee.
Cinnamon is a very useful herb that will bring down your cholesterol level, blood glucose and triglycerides. Moreover, cinnamon tastes great as well, so try it at least once.
6. Don't use low-fat and artificial creamers
You will find a lot such things in the market. These might enhance the taste of the coffee, but health-wise, these are not good.
Reason being the presence of high fructose corn syrup and trans fats, which cause all sort of cardiovascular problems. A better option would be to add full-fat cream that comes from grass fed cows.
7. Include cocoa in your coffee
Your coffee is going to get a huge boost in terms of flavor after you add some cocoa. Moreover, cocoa is rich in antioxidants and have multiple health benefits.
Cardiovascular diseases can be reduced if you add cocoa in your diet. But, make sure you buy an organic and unsweetened version of cocoa.
8. Use a paper filter while brewing your coffee
Brewed coffee contains a few harmful substances known as diterpenes that can increase blood cholesterol levels. In order to prevent them adding to your coffee, you can use a paper filter.
Diterpenes will be removed by the filter paper during the brewing process, and you get a coffee that has the right caffeine content and antioxidants that are beneficial for your health.
Again, I would like to mention that coffee is not bad for your health, given how much you consume it and what you add in it. If you can follow these above-mentioned points, then you will always get a super-healthy coffee.
Additional Resource: Three Tips to Make Coffee Super Healthy!
About the Author: Monica Henin, the author of this post is a food expert and a passionate blogger. She wanted to contribute a few interesting ways to make coffee a healthy drink. Brewing coffee in a branded coffee maker is very important in her opinion, as it will brew the coffee with uniformity. She is a big fan of Gaggia Accademia coffeemaker and want people to go through Gaggia Accademia reviews in order to find out how great a coffeemaker it is.
