QandAs: Food

Is There Healthy Coffee?

Answer:
There is some compelling evidence which suggests most

varieties of standard coffee are not as unhealthy as once believed. Studies have shown that regular coffee consumption can reduce the chance of developing diabetes and certain cancers, and the flavonoids and other antioxidants found in coffee can also be beneficial.

There are "healthier" coffee beans being marketed online and in select coffee shops and health food outlets, however.

One of the most promising forms of healthier coffee is called gano coffee. One of the most unhealthy aspects of regular coffee is its inherent acidity, which requires a significant amount of water to counteract. Regular caffeinated coffee can also cause some dehydration. Developers of gano coffee wanted to find a way to reduce the acidity of coffee by adding a healthy alkyline ingredient. Gano coffee contains an extract of reisi mushrooms which makes the finished coffee much less acidic.

Some say organic coffee beans may be healthier than coffee beans which have been exposed to toxic chemical fertilizers and defoliants during the growing season. Although the label "organic" can sometimes be loosely applied under current international law, a truly organic coffee may be healthier overall than non-organic sources. Coffee grown on smaller estates may also be healthier than coffee beans grown on massive coffee plantations, since the toxic exhaust from transportation trucks can contaminate the beans.

Because one of the major health drawbacks of regular coffee is its relatively high caffeine levels, finding a quality decaffeinated alternative may be a healthier choice. There are some specialty coffee beans which are naturally lower in caffeine, which means they do not need to be decaffeinated through artificial methods which use harsh chemicals to separate the caffeine from the beans before roasting.

This is not to suggest that coffee is a completely healthy beverage, so moderate consumption is strongly suggested. Coffee can relax the stomach muscles which keep acid from churning into the esophagus, so coffee drinkers with acid reflux or GERD should try to reduce or eliminate coffee from their diets. The caffeine found in coffee can also aggravate existing medical conditions and create painful withdrawal symptoms for regular drinkers who miss their daily dosage.


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