Consumed in moderation (three to four cups a day), coffee is considered a drink beneficial to health. A natural cerebral stimulant, it increases alertness, energy and the ability to concentrate. Some studies have also found a link between coffee consumption and a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease, cancer and cardiovascular disease. If it comes from organic farming, therefore free of synthetic chemicals, its consumption is all the more beneficial.
Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world – it is even the third most consumed beverage after water and tea. The French consume an average of 5.4 kg of coffee per inhabitant each year; but we are very far from the biggest coffee drinkers:in first place in the ranking, the Finns consume 12 kg of coffee per inhabitant and per year.
Such quantities involve areas of intensive cultivation in the main coffee-producing countries (Brazil, Vietnam and Indonesia forming the top three), whose agricultural practices and working conditions are not always ideal. Buying organic coffee means choosing a healthier product, because it is grown from natural substances, but also more respectful of the environment (organic farming generates less pollution of soils and waterways). Free of harmful products, coffee will reveal its multiple benefits all the better.
Caffeine — found in both coffee and tea, but also in so-called “energy” drinks or cola-based sodas — is a molecule that acts on neurotransmitters in the central nervous system; it has a positive effect on mood, increases alertness and helps fight drowsiness. On the other hand, when consumed in excess, caffeine can irritate the stomach, increase nervousness and disrupt sleep. Heart palpitations can also result from excessive coffee consumption.
Coffee is a complex mixture of over a thousand chemicals. Apart from caffeine, this plant contains many phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic acids - known for their antioxidant properties - and quinic acid, as well as diterpenes, including cafestol and kahweol, with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. inflammatory.
Namely, coffee – which comes in the form of green beans before roasting (which consists of roasting the beans to reveal their aroma) – undergoes a complete transformation before ending up in your cup. The type of bean (arabica or robusta), degree of roast and method of preparation, including grind setting and type of brew (filter, espresso, etc.), will all influence the chemical composition. beverage finish. For example, filtered coffee will contain no (or very few) diterpenes unlike espresso coffee.
Perhaps it is time to review your method of preparation, because according to a Japanese study published in 2018, cafestol and kahweol have a protective effect against prostate cancer:their action inhibits the proliferation and migration cancer cells.
Several studies have also analyzed the relationship between coffee consumption and mortality, but the nature of this relationship has long remained unclear. A dose-response meta-analysis of some of these studies, published in 2014, shed some light on the subject. From this analysis, the largest risk reductions were observed for 4 cups per day for all-cause mortality, and for 3 cups per day for cardiovascular mortality.
Similarly, a large study of half a million people followed for 10 years (taken from the UK Biobank database) showed that coffee consumption was inversely associated with mortality, including among people who drank 8 cups or more per day!
Studies on the consumption of coffee and its effects on health are very numerous. British researchers have thus undertaken to examine in detail more than 200 meta-analyses on the subject. They report in The BMJ that overall, coffee consumption is more likely to benefit health than harm it; in particular, they point out that drinking coffee is associated with a lower risk of several specific cancers and neurological, metabolic and hepatic diseases.
To fully benefit from these virtues, it is preferable to orient your choice towards coffee from organic farming, grown without synthetic chemicals — the product must therefore include a recognized organic label on its packaging (the French label AB or the European organic label). Regarding the packaging, the best choice is undoubtedly to opt for coffee beans, both for the taste (because the beans retain the aroma better than ground coffee), and for the quality (the beans intended for ground coffee are generally selected on less strict criteria).
Organic coffee also exists in capsules, but this type of single-use packaging represents a real ecological disaster – which therefore goes against the principles conveyed by organic farming. According to an article by FranceInfo, more than 9 billion of these pods are sold worldwide each year, or 40,000 tonnes of aluminum waste. While some manufacturers advertise the fact that their aluminum capsules are "100% recyclable", in practice this does not mean that 100% is actually recycled. And for good reason:only 10% of sorting centers are equipped with "eddy current" machines, which allow aluminum to be sorted — and the collection of capsules must still be efficient...
Apart from environmental and health considerations, buying organic coffee most of the time contributes to fair trade (the two labels are very often linked), guaranteeing fair remuneration for small producers. One more reason to opt for this beneficial drink!
