Is Coffee Bad For You?
Bad coffee may be bad for you, but good coffee is always good for you!
From time to time we’re see the question “Is coffee bad for you?” Well, “Is coffee bad for you?” is kind of a loaded question. Bad coffee is bad for you and good coffee can be very healthy. But how can you know the difference?
Is Coffee Bad For You? — Arabica vs Robusta.
First you have to start with the type of coffee you’re drinking. Arabica is the high quality species of the coffee tree. Robusta is the low quality species. Robusta coffee develops twice the acidity and caffeine of Arabica. Unfortunately, many coffee companies “cut” their “blends” with robusta to save costs. In fact during the first quarter of 2012 imports of Robusta rose by 80% while imports of Arabica decreased by 30%. Big coffee companies are increasing profits on the back of your palate and health. Is coffee bad for you? Only if you’re drinking high caffeine, high acid robusta.
Is Coffee Bad For You? — Organic vs. Conventional
Coffee is sprayed with more chemicals than any other crop outside of tobacco. These same pesticides — like Carbofuran, and Endosulfan — are carcinogenic. In other words cancer-causing. That’s why we believe coffee should only be grown organically. Is coffee bad for you? Only if it’s grown using pesticides.
Is Coffee Bad For You? — Shade-Grown vs. Sun-Grown
Most coffee is sun-grown. This causes the coffee tree to grow abnormally fast. In turn the coffee tree develops twice the acidity and caffeine of shade-grown coffee. If you suffer from acid reflux or even heartburn, then you should drink shade-grown coffee. In fact we hear all the time from folks who quit coffee due to acid reflux and acidity only to drink our coffee and suffer no ill effects.
So, is coffee bad for you? Only if it’s grown with pesticides, in direct sunlight, and mixed with robusta beans. It’s pretty clear if you want healthy coffee only drink Organic, Shade-Grown and 100% Arabica beans.
**Bonus Content**
While Andrew was *ahem* working the other day, he came across this awesome video titled “Is Coffee Bad For You?”. It only touches on a few of the health related aspects of coffee because it focuses on the product as a whole and not on specific low or high-quality coffees.
Want to be sure your coffee is not bad for you? Grab a free pound below to start enjoy healthful, certified organic coffee with amazing flavor!