Coffee is a big part of many people’s lives in the United States. It is estimated that 70% of Americans drink coffee regularly. Coffee does offer many health benefits as it is rich in antioxidants. If drinking a caffeinated version, however, each person needs to evaluate what is the right amount to consume without side effects such as anxiety and insomnia.
As a functional registered dietitian that also cares about the health impact of environmental chemicals being introduced into our food and drink, I want to share how to make a healthy cup of coffee. It has always bothered me to see a health care office including hospitals provide coffee to their patients in a manner that ruins all the health benefits of the coffee. I recently did a post recognizing my car dealership for the amazing job they were doing with the way they provided coffee to their customers.
Yes, these things really do matter when it comes to good health.
Here is an excerpt:
“It always makes me happy to see a business trying to do things right from an environmental and health standpoint. These are small changes that do make a difference for the health of their customers and the environment. I want to use them as an example so more businesses will take note and hopefully follow suit.
💦Water filter installed! Less plastic bottles and endocrine disruptors. Clean pure water without environmental chemicals.
☕️Organic coffee from Charleston Coffee Roasters: The benefits of coffee without the herbicides and pesticides.
Real PAPER cups versus styrofoam or plastic lined paper cups. Huge from an environmental standpoint and again less toxicity for human health. 😎
Everyone is on their journey from a health standpoint. There are so many women and men that have no idea that these things matter for their health! “,
The bottom line is that when we take a cup of coffee that is full of antioxidants and then load it up with artificial sweeteners and ultra-processed creamers and then serve it in a polystyrene (styrofoam) cup then we are not supporting our health at all. Coffee is also the first thing that many people consume and the way they start their day. People are drinking a chemical concoction to kick off their day.
Red Cup Day at Starbucks is in the news and patrons are anxiously awaiting the reveal. This anticipated cup will not be a good option for your health,however. The cups are made from a high percentage of recycled plastic. You do not want to put a hot liquid in plastic! The microplastics will leach into the coffee. These microplastics are endocrine disruptors (hormone disruptors). They impact everything from thyroid health to obesity. They impact our sex hormones as well. The holiday paper cups also have a thin layer of plastic that lines the cup.
🌟Best option for Starbucks customers: Bring your own clean personal cup to Starbucks. Customers at participating stores in the U.S. and Canada who bring any clean, personal cup will receive a $0.10 discount on their beverage, and in the U.S., Starbucks Rewards members will receive 25 Bonus Stars. This is a true eco-friendly program and I commend them for implementing this program.
The key point is that what we SERVE, PREPARE and COOK our food and drinks in is equally important as the food we eat. Otherwise, we can end up consuming aluminum, plastics and other harmful chemicals that can a great negative impact on our health. I see these chemicals in lab reports when I do health and environmental lab testing on my clients, unfortunately.
What is the best way to make a healthy cup of coffee? The best choices of materials for coffee brewing products are going to be glass and food grade stainless steel. Food grade stainless steel should say 304, 316 or 400 series. Food-grade stainless steel is a type of stainless steel specifically made to meet standards for safe use in food preparation, processing, and storage. A metal with aluminum components is going to leach since coffee is acidic.
Again, you also want to avoid plastic components that will leach. Plastic should never be heated or exposed to acidic foods or drinks. It will cause the plastic to leach even more. Many of the black plastics have also been made from recycled electronics and contain other harmful environmental chemicals. BPA-free doesn’t necessarily mean being free of bisphenols. The replacement chemicals, BPS and BPF, have been found to be just as bad, if not worse, from a health perspective than BPA. If you have read this far and you are wondering if you should get rid of your Keurig , I would advise “yes” from a health standpoint and an environmental standpoint.
I know all of this can be a bit much so let’s focus on what would be the best options!
What is the healthiest way to make a cup of coffee? The best way is to use a French Press or a pour over device that is made from food grade stainless steel or glass without plastic components.
Here are some great options:
Best Glass Option for Making Coffee
This Chemex glass pour over comes in various sizes. There are bundles also with filters. The paper filters from Chemex are non-toxic and a great option.
Chemex Paper Filters
Best Food Grade Stainless Steel
Option for Making Coffee
Frieling French Press
Next time I will share more on some of the healthiest options for types of coffee
and brands. A organic coffee bean is always going to be best!
2. Barrea L, Pugliese G, Frias-Toral E, El Ghoch M, Castellucci B, Chapela SP, Carignano MLA, Laudisio D, Savastano S, Colao A, Muscogiuri G. Coffee consumption, health benefits and side effects: a narrative review and update for dietitians and nutritionists. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2023;63(9):1238-1261. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2021.1963207. Epub 2021 Aug 28. PMID: 34455881.
Jana Davis MS,RDN is a functional registered dietitian in private practice. She sees clients virtually across the United States and is based in Charleston, SC. She is passionate about helping clients get to the root cause of their disease
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