If you’re drinking coffee because of its health benefits, you certainly shouldn’t just have an average cup of joe. To make your coffee as healthy as it can be, consider this guide.
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- Don’t overdo the roast. First off, the lighter a coffee bean is roasted, the better antioxidant it is. Roasting coffee beans produces healthier antioxidants. However, roasting the beans darker is like roasting the antioxidants and, thus, reduces the health benefits. So the next time you head for the coffee aisle in the grocery, buy the lighter coffee beans. If you’re headed for Starbucks, ask for Blonde.
- Store it right, store it tight. After roasting coffee beans, they must be properly stored in a well-sealed container. Once these coffee beans are roasted, they produce uncharged molecules (free radicals), that increase when the beans are exposed to air. When free radicals are not maintained on a tolerable level they may cause damage to the cell, and consequently to the person’s immune system. So aside from storing coffee beans in an air-tight container, it’s also advisable not to grind the roasted beans ahead of time – not until you’re about to be brewed.
- Brew in a pot. Studies show that coffee brewed in a Neapolitan-fashion pot (like a pot used for espressos), produces more antioxidants than when brewed in a filter paper.
- Keep your coffee black, there’s no other color. Since you’re after the healthiest coffee, go with black: no sugar or any additive at all. Adding sugar or milk lessens the level of antioxidants.