If you are true coffee lover, you will enjoy to hear everything about how coffee is made, where it is growing, what health benefits your daily cup of coffee has and discover many healthy coffee alternatives as well as how to make them.
Coffee origin
For many of us, nothing tastes better than a good morning coffee, but have you ever wondered about where it comes from?
Coffee is a brewed drink made out of coffee beans, which are the seeds of berries from the Coffea plant. This plant is native to Africa, produced especially in Ethiopia. Additionally, you can find these plants growing in Madagascar, Comoros, and Mauritius.
According to Wikipedia, the earliest credible evidence of coffee-drinking or knowledge of the coffee tree appears in the middle of the 15th century.
As years went by, coffee and its benefits were noticed worldwide. Today, coffee plants are cultivated in more than 70 countries worldwide. The most common coffea plant species are arabica and robusta.
Coffee can be prepared in various different ways depending on your taste. Some types of coffee are espresso, latte macchiato, Iced coffee and capuccino.
Is coffee vegan?
Yes! As mentioned above, the coffee beans come out of a tree and therefore, it is vegan. However, if you want to make a coffee that includes milk, you'll have to use a plant based milk.
Health Benefits Of Coffee
- Coffee boosts energy levels
All coffee lovers know that one of coffee's health benefits is the energy that it gives, but have you ever wondered why that happens?
Coffee is rich in a stimulant called caffeine. This is one of the most consumed psychoactive substances in the world. After you enjoy your cup of coffee, caffeine is absorbed into your bloodstream since, through the blood, caffeine travels to your brain. In the brain, it blocks the neurotransmitter called Adenosine. Therefore, it gives the room to other neurotransmitters to increase and fire the neurons. If you find yourself thinking about how to stay focus or how to stay awake, just have a cup of coffee.
The result is that you gain loads of energy that you may have lacked before.
- Coffee can drastically improve your physical performance
Caffeine evokes adrenaline levels in your blood cells. It evokes the so-called ‘fight or flight’ hormone in your body, making it prepare for the intense workout and perform better.
One large review of studies found that caffeine modestly improves your performance when used in moderate doses of 1.4–2.7 mg per pound (3–6 mg per kg) of body weight. Therefore, some people advice to drink a cup of coffee before going to the gym or sport.
- Coffee can help you burn fat
Did you know that the caffeine ingredient is in almost every fat burning supplement?
It may increase your body’s ability to burn fat via lipolysis, or the breakdown of fat in fat cells. For that reasom, drinking coffee can help you find out how to lose body fat. Since caffeine stimulates your nervous system, it causes to send signals to the fat cells to break down body fat.
However, you must note that these effects may diminish if you are a long-term coffee drinker. You may want to reduce your daily caffeine intake for better results.
- Coffee contains several essential nutrients
One of the biggest coffee myths is that it is unhealthy. It is not recommended to drink coffee regularly in high doses, but that doesn't mean it's not healthy. In fact, coffee is rich in nutrients.
A single cup of coffee contains nutrients such as:
- Magnesium and Niacin (B3): 2% of the Required Daily allowance.
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): 11% of the Required Daily allowance.
- Manganese and Potassium: 3% of the Required Daily allowance.
- Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): 6% of the Required Daily allowance.
Although these amounts may seem small, every single cup of coffee adds up and therefore nourishes your body. It is great to know that your cup of coffee is not only giving you a blast of energy but also the nutrients that you need.
- Coffee may support brain health
Caffeine increases serotonin and acetylcholine, which may stimulate the brain and help stabilize the blood-brain barrier.
There's not enough research to make sure that this applies to everyone, but coffee may help protect against certain neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
How much caffeine is there in a coffee?
In 100 grams of coffee, there's 40mg of caffeine. Brewed coffee is the most common way to drink coffee in the US and Europe. It is made with boiling water and one cup of brewed coffee usually contains about 70–140 mg of caffeine.
Disadvantages of drinking coffee
Now that we've talked about the many benefits of coffee... we also have to mention its disadvantages.
Like with everything related to food, if consumed moderately (4 cups a day), it shouldn't do any harm.
However, drinking large amounts of caffeinated coffee might cause headache, anxiety, agitation, ringing in the ears, and irregular heartbeats. To avoid having insomnias, you shouldn't drink caffeinated coffee after 3/4pm, depending on the time you go to sleep.
Types of coffee
There's almost an endless list of types of ways you can consume this drink. Some of them are:
This is the most simple coffee type and it is the base to most drinks, as this is a single shot of coffee, without added water.
It is produced by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee beans and 1 single espresso shot contains 63mg of caffeine.
The word "doppio' means double in italian. This means that the drink is composed by 2 espresso shots, containing twice as much caffeine than a single espresso (126mg).
These two types of coffee are considered the same, just the way of making it is different. Black coffee also has its benefits and there are 2 calories in black coffee (per serving). In order to get good coffee, use fresh, whole bean coffee.
This drink is more intended to people who like milk. It is made with 1 espresso shot and approximately 150ml of milk. The amount of milk depends on the type of milk you are using, due to the steaming process. If you are using cow's milk, for example, you need less milk than when using almond milk, as cow's milk steams more than almond. If you want to make a vegan coffee, just use a plant based milk :)
Cappuccino vs latte: The difference between these two beverages is that a latte contains more steamed milk than a cappuccino, since a cappuccino has more foam milk. In addition, when making a latte machiatto, the espresso shot is the last thing going into the drink, while with a cappucino, it's the first. If you like milk and tend to opt for drinks in which you don't taste the coffee as much, this is a perfect option.
If you are a fan of cold drinks but still wish to get energy through coffee, you have to try this out. Iced coffees have become very popular over the past years, specially in teenagers. It is practically the same as a latte macchiato but with ice cubes.
People tend to order cappuccinos, lattes and Iced coffees with syrups, in order to make their drink sweeter. This is also a tip for those who don't enjoy the strong taste of coffee. The most common syrups are caramel, vanilla and pumpkin spice.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for coffee to kick in?
R: Usually, after consuming a whole shot or two of espresso, either pure or with milk, it takes around 15 minutes to kick in.
How to get caffeine out of your system?
R: Water is the answer for almost everything and this is no exeption. Drinking water might get some caffeine out of your system. Otherwise, try to workout in order to get all of hat energy out of your body.
Does coffee help with hangovers?
R: No. In fact, it may even prolong certain hangover symptoms. Instead, drink much water or vitamin water in order to provide your body with antioxidants. In addition, drinking coffee after drinking alcohol can be dangerous to your health, as caffeine makes you feel more alert and ''sober'' and therefore make you drink more alcohol.
Can you drink coffee while pregnant?
R: It is ok to drink coffee while pregnant. However, pregnant women should avoid doing so as much as they can and not drink more than 1 cup a day, as it can lead to a reduction of the blood supply to the fetus and inhibit growth.
How long does coffee last?
R: The peak of your energy kicks about an hour after you took a drink. Six hours after caffeine is consumed, half of it is still in your body.
Why does coffee make me sleepy?
R: Once it kicks in, caffeine gives you a lot of energy. However, once the caffeine wears off, your body may experience a buildup of adenosine that hits you all at once, making you feel sleepy.
Coffee & sleep
Although the consumption of coffee brings some benefits, your sleep will most likely be better if you don't have the habit of consuming coffee.Drinking coffee can alter your sleep cycle, causing restless nights and make it harder to fall asleep. This is especially true if a cup of coffee is consumed less than 6 hours before going to sleep.
If you're interested to know more ways to improve your sleep, learn more about natural latex mattresses, latex mattress toppers and latex pillows with Vita Talalay inside or read some other articles on our healthblog.
How to quit coffee in the morning and throughout the day
The best way to quit drinking coffee is trying its alternatives. Since there are so many people trying to quit this habit, there have been more and more coffee alternatives. Let's take a look into the best energy drinks.
What is a chai latte? It is an indian tea beverage which is composed by a variety of herbs and spices. It is a great coffee substitute, as it's still comforting, tasty and hot. It can be taken with or without sugar and can be made without milk or with low-fat creamer.
It is also known as turmeric milk but can be made with ginger powder as well. It's, once again, an indian drink that brings many health benefits, such as reducing inflammation, preventing cell damage, improving your mood, etc.
It is very easy to make, since you only have to mix the spice with milk. To get a perfect golden milk, we advice you to steam it, if possible.
This is a type of green tea that has become very popular over the past years. It is high in antioxidants, may protect the liver, boosts brain function, etc. This is an amazingly tasty and healthy coffee alternative
How do you make matcha tea? Whisk vigorously in a zig zag motion 1-2 tablespoons matcha powder with a cup of hot water until the tea is frothy.
How to make matcha latte: Do the same process as before but with 1/4cup hot water until you see bubbles (see the image bellow). Warm up some milk (oat our coconut milk taste the best with matcha), steam if possible and add it to a cup along with the matcha mixture. You may also want to add syrup, like with a normal latte.
Simple, easy and very refreshing, it is very beneficial to our health as it is a source of hydration and vitamin C.
How to make lemon water: All you need to do is squeeze the juice of half a fresh lemon on top of a glass of water and if it is too bitter, you might wan to add agave syrup. Mix the drink and if possible, drink with a straw, as lemon could damage your teeth.
Optionally: add some mint leaves.
Ginger shots are a way of providing powerful wellness support to soothing everyday digestive distress. It can also support balanced metabolism from day to day. They help with inflammation and keep your immune system healthy.
Ginger shot recipe:
Mix in a glass: 1 tablespoon ginger juice (if you squeeze minced ginger, the juice comes out), 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tespoon agave syrup and just a little bit of black pepper. Mix it all together and the shot is ready to be taken.
Scroll down to see an example
Bottom line
Give some of these drinks a try and you will see that they are tastier that what it may seem. Drinking coffee has its benefits but the options that you just read are most likely to be healthier and more nourishing than most coffees and don't forget that having a healthy diet will always improve your sleep quality.
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