Coffee Nutritional Facts: What’s In Your Coffee?

May 3, 2010

Coffee Nutritional Facts

Most of the world’s coffee drinkers consume their daily espresso, decaf, brewed, or instant coffee to get that instant caffeine hit that only coffee seems to provide. While the content of caffeine differs depending on the type of coffee being consumed, coffee nutritional facts suggest that coffee does in fact improve cognitive performance among other things. There are many potential benefits regarding the consumption of coffee beverages, and much debate about coffee nutritional facts. Overall, moderate consumption of coffee seems to do the body no harm and can actually have long-term benefits.

Coffee nutrition facts suggest that drinking coffee could have numerous health benefits in terms or preventing or reducing the chances of getting various diseases. Ailments such as gallstones, Parkinson’s disease, Type 2 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and even Cancer can be risk-reduced by consuming coffee. Coffee nutrition facts even suggest that drinking coffee could lessen the frequency of such things as asthma attacks.

Coffee consumption offers other considerable health and nutrition benefits that affect our day to day well being. Coffee nutrition facts show that the antioxidants present in coffee beverages are an integral source of energy and protection against common illness. While antioxidants can be consumed in higher doses in other foods and drinks, it remains a nutritional component of coffee. Antioxidants maintain health by preventing diseases such as Coronary Heart Disease and Cancer. In this respect, drinking a beverage that contains antioxidants helps protect the heart.

Other benefits from coffee nutrition facts show that consuming highly caffeinated products such as coffee can considerably reduce the risk of deterioration in terms of brain activity and dementia. Caffeine content in coffee ranges from approximately 2mg in instant decaf coffee up to 175mg in some forms of drip coffee. Other general coffee nutritional facts show that coffee contains 0mg of cholesterol, 0mg of sodium, 0.01g of fat, 0.01g of carbohydrates, and 0.04g of proteins.

Coffee nutritional facts detail the other remaining contents of coffee such as: lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. There are quite a few minerals found within coffee such as: Magnesium, Niacin, Phosphorous, Foliate, Manganese, and Thiamine. These minerals occur in small traces depending on the type of coffee. Coffee nutritional facts note that minerals are all integral to maintaining proper growth and development within the body as well as strengthening the immune system.

Caffeine also effectively blocks the damaging effects of cholesterol. Coffee nutritional facts show that the caffeine levels found in coffee are demonstrative in protecting a vital barrier, the “blood brain barrier,” that separates the central nervous system from any contact with harmful chemicals in the blood. While cholesterol can weaken this barrier, caffeine consumed from products such as coffee drinks helps to solidify it.

Coffee is a popular drink of choice for many due to the relatively low calorie content of drinking simple black coffee. It is also considered an equally effective diuretic for proper hydration as sports energy drinks. General coffee nutritional facts suggest that while over consumption of coffee is not advised, coffee consumption in moderation certainly has its health-related benefits.

Why Organic Coffee?

April 1, 2010

 Organic Coffee

There are many benefits to eating and drinking organically-produced food, and this is certainly true for organic coffee. Growing coffee crops organically is more natural and, more importantly, healthier for everyone and everything involved. Synthetic chemicals, which help grow food unnaturally, often damage the environment around them. They make the surrounding eco-system unstable by introducing unnatural forces. Organic coffee growing, on the other hand, helps reverse this damage by introducing natural and environmentally compatible solutions.

But there’s more. The difference organic makes goes beyond just the environment. Buying organic coffee also promotes positive economic and social change. It’s not just good for you; it’s also good for the farmer.

Organic coffee uses natural solutions, such as composting and terracing. To control pests, organic coffee farmers use biological pest control. Additionally, because organic coffee is often shade grown, many trees can be preserved. In the end, organic methods make the environment around the crops a healthy one. The aim is to promote the stability of the ecosystem they are using to grow their crops.

As a result, in many ways the farmer benefits from growing organic coffee. The farm can become naturally sustainable, and the farmer saves on the cost of buying pesticides and other chemicals. Accordingly, the initial amount of capital required to grow a crop is lower. As well, organic farms are healthier for those who work on the land, and for those who live nearby.

Non-organic farming often results in the polluting of nearby water sources, which harms the entire nearby community. Going organic is one way to avoid this. Organic farming promotes sustainability for both water supplies and the soil it uses. And the methods it does use only do more to make the earth healthy. Organic farms are also much better for any animals that live around or migrate through the farm, such as birds.

If all those reasons weren’t enough, don’t forget that you also benefit. There are health benefits of organic coffee, which uses only the best of ingredients. You don’t need to worry about drinking any synthetics or chemicals used in the processing stage.

The only downside of organic farming is that it yields a smaller crop. While it may be cheaper to grow, the crops will be less abundant. Consequently, organic farms tend to make less money than they would otherwise, given the same amount of land. This is why non-organic farming is still the predominant form of growing coffee. 

Nonetheless, there are many good reasons to go organic. And as consumer demand for organic coffee increases, more and more farmers will see organic methods as beneficial to them. But until we start paying for it, we cannot expect coffee growers, who can barely make ends meet, to initiate this change. It’s up to us—the ones who can afford to make a difference. We can do more by buying organic fair trade coffee, as well, which is another way to support coffee growers.

So consider switching to organic coffee, now that you know the facts. Organic coffee is better for you, the farmer, and the environment. Help send a positive message. Help make a real difference.