There are many assumptions about coffee. Many articles and studies have been published sometimes with positive, sometimes with negative conclusions. But nobody doubts that it is one of the most consumed luxury goods of our day. Some studies say, that coffee can prolong the life span, although it is not enough in itself to increase the number of our days – pursuing a healthy lifestyle is also essential. How we brew our coffee, how much caffeine we enrich it and what we eat besides are further things that make a difference.
Coffee is the processed seed of the evergreen coffee plant’s cherry fruit, and the bracing bitter drink made of this seed. Coffee’s main active agent is caffeine, but nowdays there is a healthy version too, which has the invigorating effect without the adverse side effects of caffeine.
Caffein helps overcome muscle fatigue and pain, and scientists claim that even decaffeinated coffee can prolong the life span. Coffee’s beneficial effects do not depend on caffeine only though, antioxidants and polyphenol also play an important role.
Healthiness of the coffee depends on the brewing method too. In the coffee seed there is an oily substance -diterpene – which increases the level of bad cholesterol (LDL), but these oils can be found only in unfiltered, boiled coffee – such as Turkish type coffee or other Mediterranean countries’ coffee using French-press coffeemakers, also the unfiltered, boiled coffee the is popular in Scandinavia.
These cholesterol-increasing oils are removed in case of instant, machine-ground and capsule coffee.