Is coffee healthy or not?

Is coffee healthy or not? The obligatory cup of coffee in the morning is a must. The enjoyment of the hot beverage including the wake-up portion Caffeine helps to start the day. But the rumors about the negative effects leave a stale aftertaste. Is coffee healthy or should we actually rethink our coffee consumption? I have devoted myself to the subject and go into the pros and cons in this article.

What effect does coffee have?

If you want to get to the bottom of the effect of coffee, you should first look at the ingredients. What is actually in coffee? First of all, a lot of water, 99 percent to be exact. Contrary to what has long been claimed, this water can be counted as part of the daily fluid intake. A conventional cup takes in 125 to 250 milliliters. Anyone who drinks four cups a day, for example, has thus covered part of their water requirement.

What you should attach great importance to are Hardness level and pH value of the water used. A water hardness of around 8°d and a pH value of 7.0 would be optimal. If these two factors are not correct, many aroma substances are not dissolved and the taste suffers.
The second ingredient is coffee beans, which are roasted and ground. And this is where it gets interesting. Because, the answer to the question of how coffee affects our body depends crucially on the quality of the beans and how they are prepared. But more on that in a moment. Back to the bean: it gives coffee some special ingredients. Among them are the following:

• Caffeine
• Vitamin niacin
• Proteins
• Fat
• Sucrose
• Chlorogenic acid

Caffeine as a wake-up agent: Timing is crucial

A cup of coffee contains around 50 to 120 milligrams of caffeine. Its little brother, espresso, sometimes contains 60 milligrams of caffeine. Many nutritionists advise a maximum daily consumption of 400 milligrams of caffeine. Depending on the cup size and caffeine content, that would be around four cups of coffee a day.

Although caffeine has a wake-up effect, the time of consumption plays an important role. If you drink your first cup of the day too late or even too early, this will significantly weaken the function of the wake-up agent. The perfect time is between 9:30 am and 11:30 am in the morning, because in this phase the proportion of the hormone cortisol in the blood is the lowest. A high proportion inhibits the effect of caffeine, which is why it makes sense to include this fact when drinking coffee.

Are you an early riser? Then you can have your first coffee a little earlier than 9:30. Basically, the amount of cortisol varies from person to person and there can be no general guideline. But the time period mentioned is a useful orientation. Keep in mind that cortisol levels peak for most people between 8:00 and 9:00 in the morning!

Do without extras when it comes to coffee!

Chlorogenic acid has a beneficial effect on our insulin metabolism, but only if we enjoy coffee in moderation and drink it black if possible. If we mix in milk and sugar, this puts many of the positive effects into perspective. If you don't like coffee without extras, at least try alternatives! For example, instead of sugar take a pinch of Cinnamon and instead of cow's milk delicious Coconut milk. Both are healthier than the classics and add an exotic charm to coffee.

Choose high quality beans and prepare them properly

Whether coffee is healthy depends largely on the beans and how you prepare them. In general fresh coffee beans recommended, because here the proportion of free radicals is lower compared to processed coffee powder. At the same time, beans are full of antioxidants. To make the healthiest coffee possible, you need stomach-friendly varieties with low acidity. In a test by Stiftung Warentest, the following products scored high marks:

• Lavazza Espresso Cremoso
• Moreno Caffè Espresso
• Tizio Premium Caffè Espresso
• Melitta Bellacrema Espresso

Always store coffee beans in an airtight and cool place. It is best to put them in the refrigerator. Leave at room temperature for 15 minutes before brewing. Whether you use "coffee beans" or "espresso beans" is unimportant, by the way. Only connoisseurs would taste the difference, which only concerns the degree of roasting.
In terms of preparation, it's worth taking a look at Italy. The Italians know exactly how to do it. They take their time when roasting and use gentle methods. This has the advantage that important ingredients are preserved and undesirable substances are removed. If you want to drink healthy coffee, a fully automatic machine is a good choice. Especially if you don't feel like experimenting, but want to benefit from convenience.

Professional portafilter machines and Espresso maker produce first-class results if you know how to use them. What the differences are and what makes a good Espresso machine You can find out in detail about the difference between the two in the linked guide on the subject, which also draws attention to various brand-name products.
On a fully automatic machine, you should be able to set the following individually:

• Grinding degree
• Beans quantity
• Print
• Contact time with water
• Water temperature

If everything has been set correctly, during preparation valuable Oils and proteins As well as natural Sugar components from the coffee beans, which then end up in your body and develop their positive effects there. Alternatively, you can use this stainless steel plastic free coffee filter use

The advantages of coffee

A good coffee can prevent depression and heart problems, improve sleep quality (see also article Sleep better) and protect against diabetes, to name just a few positive effects. The mixture of various substances in coffee is complex and can do even more: "Up to five cups of coffee or espresso a day can reduce the Increase life expectancy and protect against cardiovascular disease."

This was the conclusion reached by researchers at Harvard University in a meta-analysis involving more than 200,000 subjects, according to Stiftung Wartentest, which conducted an espresso bean test. In the article, the consumer organization also points to the conclusion reached by the World Health Organization after reviewing more than 1,000 studies: "There is no evidence that coffee increases the risk of cancer, but even evidence that it protects against some types of tumors.

Lose weight with coffee?

The claim that coffee is a miracle weapon for losing weight should be taken with a grain of salt. While it is true that coffee revs up the metabolism and the heat increases the organism's energy consumption, a diet recommendation for coffee would be exaggerated. Moderate consumption does no harm in losing weight, but one should not rely on a miraculous effect on fat burning either. Unfortunately, people who want to lose weight tend to consume hyped foods in excess and this no longer has anything to do with a balanced diet.

Coffee disadvantages

No matter what we eat or drink, if we overdo it, the body suffers. It's no different with coffee. Insomnia, irritability, headaches, inner restlessness, Palpitations and anxiety can result if you drink too much coffee. But even if the recommended daily dose is not exceeded, negative effects are possible. For example, some people react with Heartburn or get Digestive problems, caused by the contained caffeine, which stimulates gastric acid production.

People with cardiac arrhythmias or high blood pressure should discuss coffee consumption with a doctor. In principle, however, coffee is not taboo for hypertension patients, as the blood pressure-increasing effect is limited.

Conclusion: Is coffee healthy or not?

To summarize. Coffee can be in a reasonable amount:

• increase the capacity
• boost the cardiovascular system
• improve the ability to concentrate
• brighten our mood
• protect against depression, heart problems, cancer and many other diseases
• and of course wake up

Not a bad record for the hot beverage that was frowned upon for many years. However, drinking too much coffee is not good for your health. Stick to a maximum of four cups a day to stay within the recommended maximum dose of caffeine! Use high-quality beans and a powerful coffee maker, which has the crucial properties for a gentle preparation.

Do you have any tips, questions or other experiences with coffee & health? Then I look forward to your comment.

Many greetings,

PS.: For more health tips be sure to check out the Natural Health Blog by! There you will learn, for example, why Cold showers in the morning is so good for you.