Is coffee healthy or unhealthy?

While coffee consumption was once viewed with some criticism and has been a much-debated and researched topic since the beginning of coffee's history in Europe, new studies on coffee and health now prove that coffee is not unhealthy – quite the opposite! With this blog post, we aim to debunk persistent myths that claim coffee is detrimental to health. As coffee has accompanied us for such a long time and is not just the favourite drink of Germans, there are countless studies into whether coffee is healthy or unhealthy. 

Science has confirmed that coffee is healthy!

With an average of 162 litres per person per year, coffee is the Germans' favourite drink. This ranks coffee ahead of water (110 litres) and beer (100 litres). An average German therefore drinks 0.44 litres of coffee per day. Based on a scientifically estimated cup size of 150ml, this amounts to just under 3 cups of coffee per day.

How much coffee is healthy?

The recommended amount of coffee, according to numerous studies, is 3-5 cups of coffee per day, which is 450ml - 750ml. We Germans are living quite healthily, at least concerning our average coffee consumption. And the best part is: studies prove that with regular consumption, coffee does not dehydrate the body, contrary to popular belief. Coffee therefore contributes to fluid balance just like other beverages and is even said to reduce the risk of kidney stone formation.

Does coffee dehydrate the body?

Coffee does not dehydrate the body, or at least not significantly. While it does have a diuretic effect, this is probably more attributable to the amount of water consumed, rather than the coffee and its ingredients themselves. According to medical studies, the body excretes 81% of fluid intake from other beverages, compared to 84% for coffee. The increased urinary activity observed in some people is only short-term. Coffee contributes to fluid balance, just like any other drink, and even more so because people often enjoy an extra cup of coffee. But honestly, drinking 2 litres of water a day can be quite exhausting, wouldn't it? Then surely a good cup of coffee is preferable, especially as it's also **beneficial to health**.

Is the caffeine in coffee healthy or unhealthy?

A cup of coffee contains approximately 100mg of caffeine. 400mg of caffeine, and thus 4 cups of coffee per day, are considered completely harmless. Even the caffeine in coffee benefits health: Caffeine has a stimulating effect, increasing concentration and performance. Caffeine relieves headaches and migraines; it's not surprising that it's an ingredient in many medications and is said to, for example, **protect against the development of Alzheimer's dementia**. Furthermore, consuming caffeine in coffee is believed to have a positive effect on Parkinson's by increasing dopamine levels. What happens to the caffeine produced during the decaffeination of coffee? The beverage industry and also the pharmaceutical industry are the biggest consumers, followed by the cosmetics industry.

Coffee makes you happy and lifts your spirits
But of course, caffeine affects everyone differently. Caffeine is broken down very differently in the body from person to person and typically takes twice as long in women as in men.

Certainly, there are people who react to caffeine with tremors and sleep disturbances, but most probably need their caffeine kick to get going in the morning. Those who are sensitive to caffeine should probably opt for decaffeinated coffee, or skip their last cup in the evening. Caffeine, in turn, has a different effect with regular consumption than it does on people who rarely drink coffee. Caffeine begins to work after about 15 to 30 minutes and helps to activate existing hormones in the brain such as dopamine, serotonin, and other stimulating hormones.

What makes coffee healthy besides caffeine?
A coffee bean contains around 800 ingredients, including, of course, caffeine and many B vitamins such as Vitamin B2, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, and particularly Vitamin B3. That coffee is healthy is considered proven, yet the ingredients of the coffee bean still hold many secrets that research has not yet been able to unravel.

Caffeine is certainly the most researched ingredient in coffee. Coffee has a very different caffeine content depending on the coffee variety, ranging from 0.8% to 1.7% in Arabica. The Robusta coffee variety has a much higher caffeine content, up to 4.5%. Not everyone tolerates caffeine in the same way; its half-life varies for everyone, which is also why some coffee drinkers complain of insomnia.

Coffee consumption and elevated blood pressure
Generally, coffee consumption only leads to a short-term, slightly increased blood pressure and is perceived as pleasant by most people. Individuals with generally high blood pressure should therefore pay attention to the amount of coffee they consume and preferably drink decaffeinated coffee. The chemical composition of coffee is extremely complex. It is considered proven that it protects against cancers such as bowel cancer.

Is coffee healthy for the heart?

36 studies on coffee and the heart or cardiovascular diseases, with 1.3 million participants, conclude: Coffee is healthy and good for the heart. Coffee can even strengthen the heart and, with moderate and regular consumption, reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The risk of developing heart disease is significantly reduced with the consumption of 3-5 cups of coffee per day. A significantly lower calcification of the arteries was observed in the participants who drank this specified amount of coffee.

Is coffee also healthy for diabetes?

The risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes also decreases, as many scientific studies prove. Here, the "more coffee, the better" principle applies. That is to say: The more coffee an adult drinks, the lower the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. Certain ingredients in coffee positively influence sugar metabolism. The numerous antioxidants present in the coffee bean also provide protection.

Coffee has only two calories per 100ml, and drunk black, it is considered the healthiest. The positive properties of the ingredients in the coffee bean can best unfold when coffee is drunk black. Omitting the addition of sugar is beneficial, especially for diabetes. Certain components of the coffee bean are considered responsible for cleansing the body and its cells: particularly the heart, liver, and muscles.

Coffee protects the liver
Studies establish a clear link between coffee consumption and a lower risk of developing liver cirrhosis, liver fibrosis, or even liver cancer. For a long time, caffeine was considered responsible for this. Meanwhile, decaffeinated coffee is also considered liver-protective.

Coffee can improve muscles and their performance
Caffeine and other ingredients in the coffee bean stimulate muscle activity and improve performance. Fatty acids in the body can be better activated, which spares muscles and their reserves.

Losing weight with coffee
Coffee, alongside water, is probably the lowest-calorie drink with 2 calories per 100ml – and likely just as healthy. Some of the over 800 ingredients in the coffee bean are considered responsible for coffee being regarded as a real fat-burner and being excellent for natural weight loss. The acids, tannins, and bitter substances contained in coffee also stimulate the stomach and intestines, promoting the production of gastric and bile acids.

Why does coffee upset some people's stomachs?

Stomach pain and heartburn plague many a coffee drinker, which is why many then resort to decaffeinated coffee. However, the actual cause of stomach intolerance is the way the coffee is roasted. Unfortunately, the conventional coffee roasting by major coffee brands focuses not on gentle roasting and quality, but on mass production. The coffee beans are roasted at 800 degrees Celsius for two minutes. This causes the coffee to develop unnecessary bitter substances and acids, which is responsible for one or two people complaining of stomach pain. Unfortunately, this method of coffee roasting is still the standard practice for major coffee brands, exposing coffee beans to these temperatures.

The facts about healthy coffee!

• Coffee does not dehydrate the body
• Coffee contributes to fluid balance
• Caffeine not only makes you happy, it also increases concentration and performance
• A coffee bean contains 800 ingredients, including caffeine and many B vitamins
• Coffee has a positive effect on diabetes, Alzheimer's dementia, Parkinson's and gout
• Coffee protects the heart, liver, and kidneys
• Coffee helps with weight loss
• Gently roasted coffee causes neither stomach pain nor heartburn

Is gently roasted coffee healthier?

To understand what distinguishes conventionally produced coffee from coffee from a coffee roastery, we want to give an insight into the biggest differences. Coffee roasting in a small roastery is much gentler, both for the stomach and for the coffee bean itself. The roasting is carried out with care and time at approx. 200 degrees Celsius and lasts 15-20 minutes, depending on the coffee variety. The coffee bean goes through several roasting stages, mostly by hand in a traditional coffee roaster. This allows the coffee beans to develop their full aroma and individual flavour. Valuable ingredients are not destroyed; they are refined, allowing the coffee to unfold its "secret".

Beyond the gentle roasting of coffee, coffee from a coffee roastery, and the coffee roaster themselves, are characterised by a great love for their product, coffee. Not only does the coffee bean undergo gentle roasting, but for the passionate coffee roaster, it is also important that their product is not contaminated by pesticides and chemicals.

Highland Coffee - Hand-picked, Organic Quality

That's how Highland coffee should be – hand-picked, organic, and ideally fairly traded. Coffee requires a certain altitude for cultivation; Arabica grows at altitudes from 600m up to an impressive 2100m around the equator, the coffee belt. Highland coffee is referred to when grown at an altitude of 1000m or more. However, a coffee cultivation altitude of 1000m does not mean that conventional methods cannot be used there. The sad truth is that coffee trees there are usually grown in monocultures, allowing harvesting machines to conveniently pick the coffee beans. The harvesting machine doesn't care whether the coffee cherries are ripe or not. And the coffee industry doesn't care either. Monocultures mostly require pesticides and chemicals, because coffee trees grown in monoculture are significantly more susceptible to pests and weeds. However, pesticides not only contaminate the coffee, but local people suffer from the impact of chemical use, for example, through contaminated drinking water.

Good Highland coffee grows in mixed cultivation in pristine nature, with shade trees offering it protection. Maize and banana plants, oranges, pepper, cardamom, nuts, tea, and cocoa are its natural environment, depending on the coffee's growing region.

1. Monocultures are susceptible to pests and weeds
2. Coffee harvesting in monocultures can be easily done by machine
3. True Highland coffee grows in mixed cultivation, alongside shade trees & co.

Hand-picked coffee is a quality feature for healthy coffee!

A very important quality criterion for coffee: Hand-picked. Hand-picked coffee means that only ripe coffee cherries are harvested, by hand, individually sorted—a crucial difference from machine harvesting. Harvesting coffee takes significantly longer until the last coffee cherry is picked, fully ripened. Local coffee farmers are usually organised into small cooperatives, with many day labourers from the region earning additional income this way. A coffee harvesting machine, on the other hand, only requires one operator. Hand-picking coffee employs many hands, allowing coffee farmers to secure their livelihood. In the countries of the coffee belt, there is often bitter poverty, which is not alleviated by the use of machines for coffee harvesting. Local people lose their jobs.