Are you drinking coffee correctly? What varieties are the most useful

Are you drinking coffee correctly? / @beltaplus

Millions of people are delighted with this fragrant drink! Coffee has become a favorite, and for many, an indispensable ritual of morning awakening and a powerful means of maintaining efficient performance throughout the day. Have you ever wondered if you are using it correctly? Let's figure out how coffee affects the body, with which additives it is better to drink it, and in which there is no benefit (rather, on the contrary), where are advertising myths, and where is reality.

Let's start with some well-known facts about coffee:

Valuable source of antioxidants

Coffee is full of antioxidants: one cup of the drink contains from 200 to 550 milligrams. These substances reduce inflammation, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and stabilize free radicals. Among them, chlorogenic acid is especially distinguished - a compound that helps our body process fats and SUGAR. After roasting, Robusta and Arabica beans contain approximately the same amount of antioxidants. But there are more of them in the light roast than in the dark.

Hot Brew or Cold Brew

To maximize antioxidants, nutritionists advise drinking hot coffee brewed with boiling water (Hot Brew): firstly, it contains more of them, and secondly, a certain amount of heat is required to extract these beneficial substances from coffee beans.

But if you need caffeine, then a drink brewed with cold water using the alternative Cold Brew technology will give a stronger effect. Another benefit of iced coffee is its lower acid content, which is the right choice for people with digestive issues such as acid reflux.

Hot black coffee is the healthiest

It is most useful to drink black hot coffee. In one cup of such a drink, there are practically no calories, carbohydrates, fat and little sodium. Black coffee also contains valuable micronutrients, including potassium, magnesium and niacin.

Harmful: Excessive amount of sugar

Coffee itself is healthy, but sugar and flavored sweeteners add fat and calories to the drink, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Try to consume no more than 1 teaspoon of sugar per cup. And you can flavor the drink with vanilla or almond extracts.

Harmful: overdoing dairy products

Dairy coffee drinks usually have condensed MILK and/or thick sweet whipped cream on top - a huge amount of fat and calories in every sip! Use whole, fat-free, unsweetened almond or soy milk as a healthy alternative.

More doesn't mean better

If you like a fragrant latte or cappuccino, you should not deny yourself the pleasure. Prepare a small cup of drink instead of a large one so as not to overdo it with fat and calories.

Choose organic varieties

Coffee is one of the most pesticide-intensive crops in the world. Most of these hazardous substances are removed during the washing or roasting process, but not all. Look for the organic certification seal on the packaging of the coffee you buy in the store and the word "organic" on the coffee shop menu.

Healthy or not: coffee with turmeric

Useful! Turmeric contains curcuminoids, which are anti-inflammatory compounds that have a positive effect on HEALTH. They help reduce the risk of diabetes and inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Add turmeric to hot black coffee, but avoid sugar, syrups, or heavy creamers, which add fat and calories.

Healthy or not: coffee with an egg

Refuse! Egg coffee, also called Vietnamese or Swedish coffee, is made by whisking egg yolk with sweetened condensed milk and then adding it to espresso or iced coffee. Condensed milk is high in sugar, and raw eggs can contain salmonella bacteria, which cause 1.4 million infections each year.

Healthy or not: coffee with mushrooms

Might be useful! Newfangled mushroom coffee is not made from mushrooms - it is coffee with the addition of mushroom extract, usually chaga, lion's mane, cordyceps or reishi mushrooms. This drink has less caffeine and twice the antioxidants that reduce inflammation, so it can be healthy if you don't overdo it with sugar and cream. Although today there are not enough official studies confirming the health benefits of mushroom coffee.

Healthy or Not: Nootropic Coffee

Benefit not proven! Nootropics are smart compounds that improve your memory, creativity, motivation, and focus. Caffeine is one of them, which is why coffee itself is a natural nootropic. Of course, your drink may contain additional stimulants (natural or artificial) in addition to caffeine, but it is impossible to prove its usefulness today due to the lack of scientific research.

Healthy or not: vitamin coffee

Hype! Adding vitamins to coffee sounds like a good idea, but the drink's diuretic properties will cause you to lose any water-soluble nutrients you've taken in before you can absorb them. Coffee also reduces the absorption of a number of minerals such as zinc, calcium, and iron. Therefore, plan to take vitamins an hour before or after coffee.

| Prepared by Anastasia ZLOTNKOVA, BELTA+

| Photo: open Internet sources.

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