Common Health Questions about Drinking Coffee
Drinking coffee is very common for most people and has become almost a national pastime since it punctuates many important events such as dinners, banquets, socials, and home gatherings. Whole businesses base their income around this product such as coffee houses, delis, bars and donut shops. Manufacturers would be lost without coffee beans to add to its many products that include not only the hot beverage, but injected into other edible products such as pies, cakes, ice cream, energy drinks and smoothies. There is a long list of products that use some form of the coffee bean to enhance, flavor and provide a shot of caffeine to eager consumers .
The use of coffee has continued to rise among consumers and there are many health issues that concern users regarding the use and/or abuse of the product . There are conflicting statements made by researchers all the time about issues related to coffee and health. It’s true that coffee is a powerful marketing product because it is popular among people worldwide . Obviously, it is here to stay . But what about the many health issues associated with its use ? Here are a some important questions and a few answers provided by coffee experts that can provide you with some information before deciding whether or not to continue using coffee in any form.
Q: Are coffee beans chemically free?
A: It is undeniable that many chemicals are used to process many coffee flavors . Companies use propylene glycol to flavor beans after roasting . This chemical is necessary to inject a variety of flavors in to the beans. If you want to drink coffee or use coffee products without chemicals, you’d best stick with organic coffee beans and do your own grinding and blending.
Q: Does decaffeinated coffee still retain some caffeine?
A: Yes, generally all decaffeinated coffee still has some caffeine although most is taken out through processing . Normally, between 97% to 99% of decaf coffee is without caffeine . This is one of the issues that coffee drinkers tend to be concerned about when they consider the possible relationship between coffee and health.
Q: Is decaf coffee exposed to any chemicals during processing?
A: Yes, a solvent called methylene chloride is added to take away most of the caffeine. Another method is to wash away the caffeine with charcoal and water . There is some concern about whether or not the solvent is completely removed before packaging or if some residue will be consumed by consumers. Using the Swiss method of removing caffeine, by passing it through water and charcoal, can ease some concerns about chemicals. Obviously, you will lose some flavor during the decaffeination methods. If you want to avoid chemicals completely, you can try an organic, green coffee bean that has not been treated and that will give you as close to the taste of a ‘real’ cup of coffee as you will find, but with very little caffeine. It is also a bit more expensive .
Q: If you have stomach problems, can you make low acid coffee to drink?
A: Yes, if you suffer from problems like acid reflux, you can purchase some ‘low acid’ coffees, but there is a method called Toddy Cold Brew System that purports to brew coffee with over 60% less acid than typical coffee. You can brew the coffee yourself so that it tastes much better .
Q: Can heart attacks be caused by drinking coffee?
A: There are many medical opinions on this subject and might be wise to listen to the general warning that drinking too much coffee is not good for you since it can cause general anxiety symptoms to worsen which push the heart rate to elevate at times . That being said, recent research also shows that coffee drinking in moderation can actually be good for heart health.
Obviously, coffee in its many forms will continue to be a part of our global culture. As with any beverage or food, it’s wise to consume it in moderation thereby not giving up one of life’s simple pleasures.