Black, Bold, and Brewed – Why It’s The Healthiest Type of Coffee

December 19, 2021

by Cathe Friedrich

Everyone enjoys a morning ritual, and for many people the day begins with a hot cup of coffee. Do you like your coffee strong and black? The taste alone is a reason to enjoy it but sipping a warm cup of bold coffee could offer health rewards. Some people enjoy the energy jolts that the caffeine in coffee offers. Caffeine also enhances your mood, making you more enthusiastic, happier, and less tired. Some research even shows that coffee helps chase the blues away.

Research also shows coffee drinking is linked with a lower risk of some chronic health problems, including gall bladder disease, cirrhosis of the liver, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. All coffee has some health benefits, but there are some advantages to drinking your coffee strong and dark. Here’s why.

Dark Roast Coffee is Less Acidic

If you experience indigestion when you drink coffee or have acid reflux, switching to dark roast may help your symptoms. Why dark roast? Scientists discovered that dark roast coffee has higher levels of a compound called N-methylpyridinium (NMP) relative to light-roast coffee. NMP reduces stomach acid release by cells that line the stomach, and you experience less acidity. Talk to your doctor before drinking coffee if you have stomach problems or acid reflux, but dark roast coffee is a better choice if you do.

Dark Roast Coffee May Be Better for Weight Control

A randomized clinical trial found that dark roast coffee led to greater reductions in body weight among mildly obese subjects than a light roast. The darker roast coffee also showed more pronounced antioxidant effects on human red blood cells than the light roast. There is evidence that any type of coffee helps with weight control, possibly by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system and reducing appetite. But dark roast may give you an additional weight-loss edge.

Drinking any type of coffee may have weight loss benefits. A Harvard study found that people who drank four daily cups of coffee (that’s a lot of caffeine!) experienced a 4% drop in body fat. The caffeine in coffee may modestly boost resting metabolic rate and decrease appetite. Studies are mixed because the type of coffee, how much a person drinks, gender, age, and other factors may affect whether coffee causes fat loss.

Drinking Coffee Black May Boost Bioavailability of Its Antioxidants

Coffee contains hundreds of bioactive compounds, including some with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, some studies suggest that adding dairy products to black coffee reduces the bioavailability of some antioxidants in coffee. Why? The theory is casein, a protein in milk, binds to the catechin antioxidants in coffee and makes them less available to your body. Research shows that the antioxidant effects of coffee may explain some of its health benefits. If you don’t enjoy coffee without milk, switch to a dairy-free milk alternative, like coconut milk or almond milk since they don’t contain casein.

Black and Bold Coffee Means Less Sugar

If your coffee is truly black, it contains no additives, including sugar. Coffee has health benefits due to its antioxidants, but adding sugar reduces some of the benefits. For example, studies show coffee improves insulin sensitivity and helps with blood sugar control. But adding sugar to coffee causes unhealthy blood sugar spikes. You might think you can’t drink coffee without sugar, but if you gradually reduce the amount you put in your cup, your taste buds will slowly adapt to less sweetness, and you won’t miss the sugar. After cutting back, you may discover that even a little sugar tastes too sweet!

Better Flavor?

When you think of dark roast coffee, you might think it tastes burnt or too strong. However, some people prefer this flavor to the weak, overly sweetened coffee that the average person drinks. When you roast coffee longer to create bold, dark-roast coffee, the heat creates more oils, and the flavor is more intense. Try a dark, bold coffee and see what you think. Once your taste buds adapt, you may develop a taste for it over time.

The Bottom Line

If you like strong and bold, dark roast coffee with no dairy and sugar is for you, and it may have added health benefits. So, the next time you’re brewing or buying a cup of coffee, think black and bold. According to Mayo Clinic, up to 400 mg per day appears safe for most adults without medical problems. That’s equivalent to around 4 cups of brewed coffee.

Caffeine affects everyone differently. Some people are slow metabolizers of caffeine and eliminate caffeine slowly from their bodies. This increases the risk of caffeine side effects, like anxiety. Plus, studies suggest slow metabolizers may have a higher risk of cardiac irregularities and heart attack if they consume more than a serving or two of coffee per day. Therefore, how much coffee to drink is something to discuss with your healthcare provider, especially if you have heart disease or poorly controlled high blood pressure.

References:

com. “Brewing up a gentler java: Dark-roasted coffee contains stomach-friendly ingredient”
Kotyczka C, Boettler U, Lang R, Stiebitz H, Bytof G, Lantz I, Hofmann T, Marko D, Somoza V. Dark roast coffee is more effective than light roast coffee in reducing body weight, and in restoring red blood cell vitamin E and glutathione concentrations in healthy volunteers. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2011 Oct;55(10):1582-6. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201100248. Epub 2011 Aug 2. PMID: 21809439.
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