Contents
Is natural, roasted or mixed coffee better?
Consumption
When it comes to drinking coffee, it is more important to choose well what to combine with than the nutritional difference between the types of coffee depending on the roast
«Can you give me a very hot lactose-free coffee with milk, in a large cup with sugar? And for me, just one with ice? In a cafeteria, the group next door has just ordered their coffee and I wait my turn to order mine which, by the way, is alone. Alone and period. Ordering coffee “to suit everyone” has become a ritual, not without a certain stupidity (in some cases), especially when we order it in a group. But when it comes to preparing it at home and, especially when buying a packet of coffee in the supermarket, we do not always know how to distinguish between the types of coffee. What are the differences between a natural roast coffee, Another roasted and another of type mixture? The first of them is achieved from raw grains (green coffeee) that undergo a thermal roasting process at high temperatures and a short period of time in which it acquires its aroma and color, as detailed by Elena Aguilar, doctor in Nutrition, food technologist and member of the Professional College of Nutritionist Dietitians of Madrid (Codinma). Content caffeine when the roast is natural it is at least 0,7% (dry matter).
El roastedHowever, it is achieved by adding sugar (maximum of 15 kg per 100 kg of coffee) during the roasting process. «As a consequence of the caramelization of the sugars, the flavor is more intense and bitter than roasted, it loses some aroma and the tone is darker, while the caffeine in the final product will be a minimum of 0,6% ( dry matter) ”, explains Elena Aguilar, who also adds that both types of coffee can be presented in beans or ground to be packaged as ground coffee.
As for “blend” type coffee, it is the result of combining naturally roasted coffee with roasted coffee, in variable proportions and percentages that, according to Aguilar, “there is an obligation to indicate on the labeling.”
In addition to the classification by the type of roast, there are multiple varieties of coffee depending on their the source and typology. The varieties most consumed worldwide are the robusta and the arabic, which are differentiated by their aroma, body and flavor. Tastes differ depending on the geographical area in which the coffee is consumed. While in Europe there is a tendency to drink stronger and more concentrated coffees, in America there is a majority interest in coffees with a mild flavor and very diluted. The coffee that is usually drunk in Spain is a mixture of natural and roasted.
When choosing coffee, you should also take into account the internal and the waste management that generate. There are also quality certifications such as organic production or fair trade.
Are they nutritionally different?
The composition of the final coffee will depend, according to Elena Aguilar, on the type of raw coffee from which it comes: variety, mode of cultivation, collection, processing and heat treatment. That is why when choosing a type of coffee, the expert advises prioritizing the organoleptic characteristics (aromatic notes, bitterness, body …) that the consumer prefers, since the nutritional composition of naturally roasted and roasted coffee are similar. The natural roast has a content of at least 0,7% (dry matter) and the roasted, a minimum of 0,6% (dry matter). The maximum humidity is 5% in both cases and the maximum amount of total ash (dry matter) is 6% in the natural and 5,5% in the roasted. Regarding the soluble solids of the aqueous extract, they can vary from 20-35% in the natural one to 25-40% in the roasted extract.
Between the micronutrients that provide both types of coffee are calcium, potassium, magnesium and chromium, as well as vitamin B3 (niacin). In addition, it has polyphenolic substances with antioxidant action, responsible for much of the original flavor of coffee (before roasting), such as caffeic acid.
What matters is how you take it
Coffee infusions have little energy value (2 kcal for each small cup), so its full value will depend on how it is taken (alone, cut, with milk, with vegetable drinks …). In this sense, the expert explains that the important thing is to take into account what is accompanied and alert to practices that multiply calories, such as the consumption of “bonbon” coffee (which includes condensed milk, with a high percentage of sugar), adding cream or drinking coffee with skimmed milk but adding three tablespoons of sugar or even that of those who engage in an unhealthy practice, accompanying the alcohol coffee, consuming a carajillo-type coffee. «The ideal thing is to gradually get used to the real taste of coffee and decrease the content of sweeteners, whether they are caloric (white or brown sugar, honey, panela …) or caloric (saccharin, liquid sweetener or pills …). Despite the fact that until recently I believed that those that did not provide calories were physiologically inert, that is, that they had no action in the body, the latest research indicates that this could not be the case and have metabolic effects on the gastrointestinal tract, “he clarifies. Aguilar.
How do I know if I drink too much coffee
El moderate coffee consumption (about two cups a day) is considered safe, according to the expert Codinma, but abusing coffee can lead to adverse effects due to the presence of caffeine, an alkaloid with stimulating activity. The abuse of coffee, according to Elena Aguilar, is related to increased blood pressure, insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, irritation of the gastrointestinal mucosa, increased kidney function and gastric excretion, among others.
Its consumption in children is totally discouraged and should be controlled in the case of pregnant women (maximum 1 cup per day) due to the risk of preterm delivery or abortion. In postmenopausal women and in people with osteopenia and osteoporosis, the consumption of caffeinated beverages should be limited due to their effect on bone health.
Benefits of moderate consumption
- Promotes alertness
- Contributes to improving athletic performance
- Helps in the prevention of liver diseases, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s
contraindications
- Its consumption is not recommended for children, pregnant women (maximum 1 cup per day), postmenopausal women and people with osteoporosis
- The abuse of its consumption is related to increased blood pressure, insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, irritation of the gastrointestinal mucosa, increased kidney function and gastric excretion.