Healthy coffee isn’t an oxymoron, in fact, it’s possible to turn the best part of waking up into a healthy habit.
Our daily habits whether good or bad don’t seem like a big deal until they compound into health or open the door to disease and dysfunction.
Since drinking coffee is a daily habit that most of us have gladly adopted into our routine, I’m going to show you how to make it a healthy one.
Before we address the potential pitfalls of the added creamers and sugars, let’s start with the foundation of healthy coffee and that is the beans.
Healthy coffee starts with clean coffee beans
Most people don’t think twice about their daily cup of Jo, except maybe to consider the taste or strength of their coffee.
Drinking coffee can contribute to health as long as clean coffee beans are being used and you’re conscious about what you’re adding to your coffee (I’m looking at you sugar-laden creamers and syrups).
Coffee beans can be riddled with pesticides such as glyphosate, unless responsible measures are taken by farmers to reduce pesticide residue in coffee.
Plant diseases should be controlled with rational use of pesticides that are environmentally safe, less toxic, and avoid the choice of resistance strains. On the other hand, recent studies have called for organic farming or providing natural solutions rather than the use of pesticides.
National Institutes of Health
One of the concerns about pesticides is that many that are used in the production of coffee are banned in the U.S., EU, and Japan.
Organic coffee beans are grown without chemical-based fertilizers, synthetic fertilizer, pesticides, or GMO’s.
Until there’s overwhelming scientific research to prove that pesticides aren’t making their way into our morning coffee, I recommend buying organic coffee beans.
I highly recommend Purity Coffee because not only is it organic and ‘pure’ as the name implies but they also test for polyphenols and antioxidants, to make sure that when you drink your coffee, it’s beneficial to your health.
Dr. Matt
One of the reasons why I recommend Purity Coffee is for their transparent testing of their beans. It’s one thing to test for pesticides and mycotoxins but it’s another to test for health promoting polyphenols and antioxidants.
The importance of drinking mold-free coffee
You may be thinking, I don’t drink moldy coffee and I hope you don’t, but the area of concern isn’t with mold directly but with the mycotoxins it can produce.
The transporting of coffee beans in humid climates can create a mold rich environment and poor handling of the coffee beans at the roasting facility such as pouring water on coffee beans during the roasting process can lead to mold and mycotoxins.
Now before you throw out your coffee beans, let’s break down the concern over mycotoxins.
First, just because mold is present doesn’t mean mycotoxins are present.
Second, there are a variety of mycotoxins and not all of them affect food and only one or two are known to affect coffee beans.
For example, aflatoxins are common among nuts, grains, spices and can contaminate coffee beans.
The main mycotoxin of concern as it relates to coffee beans is Ochratoxin A (OTA).
Third, the reason that some coffee bean companies have gone out of their way to test for mycotoxins is because OTA can be harmful to the immune system and the kidneys and the U.S. has not set federal regulated limits unlike the EU which has set a maximum level of 3.0µg/kg for roasted coffee.
Depending on your source, some people will tell you to not worry about mycotoxins in your coffee because you’re likely getting them through other food sources anyways and the amount in coffee is negligible and won’t harm your health. While it’s true that we could be getting mycotoxins from other foods, it’s still worth trying to reduce the overall toxin load on our bodies.
Drinking conventional coffee on occasion is not a big deal, it’s the compounding of our daily food intake or coffee intake that can take us closer to health and vitality or away from it.
Another point of controversy is that mycotoxins are believed to be removed during the roasting process, while there is still evidence to the contrary, it’s worth noting that the darker the roast, the more likely OTA in particular is to be broken down.
Mold-free coffee brands
Purity Coffee – They employ rigorous third-party testing to ensure their coffee beans are free from pesticide residue, mold, mycotoxins, and other contaminants. They are the only coffee brand that is actively testing for and optimizing the retention of antioxidants and micronutrients.
Lifeboost Coffee – They 3rd party test for mycotoxins, molds, heavy metals, pesticides plus 400 other toxins to produce the cleanest, healthiest beans.
Natural Force Coffee – All varieties of Clean Coffee are 3rd party tested for mold, mycotoxins, yeast, gluten, acrylamide, heavy metals, pesticides.
Decaf coffee
If you’re a decaf coffee drinker, then you want to look for the types of decaf coffee that use the Swiss water decaffeination method, rather than harsh chemicals.
The Swiss water method uses only water to remove caffeine vs chemicals and helps to preserve the coffee’s flavor.
Healthy coffee creamers
I realize that drinking black coffee like my Grandma is not an option many of us are ready to embrace, so here’s a list of healthy coffee creamer alternatives:
- Raw milk if available in your area
- A2 Milk. If you have your own cow or you are milking for the family, go to great lengths to find a 100% A2 dairy cow. Or find a friend or Co-op that has a 100% A2 dairy cow and get your dairy products through them. You can also find the Alexandre brand of A2 milk at some health food stores.
The reason most cow dairy is of the A1 variety now is because farmers found that the A1 genetic mutation found in cow breeds like Holstein, British Shorthorn, Ayrshire, Friesian produced a lot more milk at a significantly lower cost.
Conversely, milk that is high in A2 beta-casein can be found in breeds like Guernsey, Jersey, Charolais and Limousin.
A study published in 2016 in the Nutrition Journal demonstrated that A1-beta casein was associated with increased gastrointestinal inflammation, constipation, and decreased cognitive processing speed and accuracy compared to those receiving A2 beta casein milk.
- Goat milk.
- Coconut milk without additives.
Check out this post for more helpful tips on how to shop for dairy products.
How to sweeten coffee naturally?
Consider that if you were to swap out Coffee Mate for Manuka or raw honey you will be adding massive nutritional value, enhancing coffee’s nutritional benefits and it tastes delicious.
1. Raw honey
2. 100% maple syrup
3. Stevia leaf extract
For more helpful tips, check out this post Cane Sugar Substitutes.
When in doubt, stick to real whole food substances rather than artificial sweeteners.
Avoid microplastics in your coffee
The Journal of Hazardous Materials in 2021 found that within minutes of hot coffee contacting high density polyethylene, which is the plastic liner in your decorated paper coffee cup from Starbucks, microplastics have started entering your favorite hot drink.
What is even more disturbing is that your drink doesn’t have to be piping hot for it to be problematic. At 100F, plastic nanoparticles were shown be released. Most coffee drinks are served between 130-160F and the hotter the liquid, the greater the breakdown of the polyethylene lining.
For more information on microplastics and your coffee cup, check out this post.
Drinking organic coffee in a stainless steel cup is one way to make a daily habit, a life-changing habit.
Do you have a healthy coffee habit? I’d love to hear what changes you’ve made to your coffee routine.
References
- Souto AL, Sylvestre M, Tölke ED, Tavares JF, Barbosa-Filho JM, Cebrián-Torrejón G. Plant-Derived Pesticides as an Alternative to Pest Management and Sustainable Agricultural Production: Prospects, Applications and Challenges. Molecules. 2021;26(16):4835. Published 2021 Aug 10. doi:10.3390/molecules26164835
- Merhi A, Kordahi R, Hassan HF. A review on the pesticides in coffee: Usage, health effects, detection, and mitigation. Front Public Health. 2022;10:1004570. Published 2022 Nov 8. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.1004570
- Li X, Ma W, Ma Z, Zhang Q, Li H. The Occurrence and Contamination Level of Ochratoxin A in Plant and Animal-Derived Food Commodities. Molecules. 2021; 26(22):6928. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26226928
- . Ranjan VP, Joseph A, Goel S. Microplastics and other harmful substances released from disposable paper cups into hot water. J Hazard Mater. 2021;404(Pt B):124118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124118
I drink Swiss water decaffeinated called NO FUN JO DECAF. I also use A-Roy D coconut milk and a little half and half. I haven’t managed to only use the coconut milk yet because I love a bit of half and half in my morning coffee. For sweetener I typically use raw honey and sometimes coconut sugar. I usually only drink one cup a day.