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Healthy Instant Coffee

Healthy Instant Coffee

6 min read AUG 10, 2022

Did you know that there’s actually a difference between instant and regular coffee? If you’re set on consuming instant coffee only, then there are ways to make healthy instant coffee.

However, choosing regular coffee may be a healthier alternative.

In this article, you’ll find out if instant coffee is good for you. We also discuss the caffeine in instant coffee and how to make instant coffee healthy.

What This Article Covers:

Is Instant Coffee Good for You?

Instant coffee may be quick and convenient, but is it really good for you?

If you’re comparing instant coffee to regular, you may want to choose the latter. Instant coffee has some health benefits and can taste good, but the best part about it is its convenience. Instant coffee may also be higher in a chemical called acrylamide.

However, if you’re looking for a slightly healthier coffee, choosing roasted or ground coffee may be the better option.

Regular coffee may be slightly higher in antioxidants and caffeine.

Instant coffee isn’t bad for you, however, regular coffee may be healthier.

How Is Instant Coffee Made?

Instant coffee is made by brewing regular coffee beans to create a concentrated form. After the coffee is brewed, the water is then removed to make a dehydrated, dry powder. You stir this into boiling water when making your cup of coffee.

Instant coffee is a quick alternative when you don’t have time to brew your own coffee. Instant coffee usually has a long shelf-life. This also makes it convenient for travel purposes.

There are two methods of making instant coffee. These are:

Freeze-drying: This is when the coffee gets frozen. It is then cut into small particles which are dried at a low temperature.

Spray drying: This is when the coffee is sprayed into hot air. This allows the droplets to dry and transform into a fine powder.

Caffeine in Instant Coffee

Instant coffee may not be the best solution if you’re looking for an extreme caffeine boost. Sure, it has an adequate amount of caffeine to give you a little pick-me-up. However, it has less caffeine than regular coffee.

If your aim is to reduce your caffeine intake then this may work for you. Keep in mind that caffeine does have a few health benefits too. Caffeine has been linked to a decrease in the risk of type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

One cup of instant coffee has between 30 and 90 milligrams of caffeine. Regular coffee, however, contains between 70 and 140 mg.

Does Instant Coffee Contain Fewer Antioxidants?

Coffee usually contains many antioxidants. Antioxidants lower your risk of certain cancers and other chronic diseases.

However, instant coffee may contain fewer antioxidants than regular coffee.

Chlorogenic acids are polyphenols that have antioxidant activity. A recent study showed that instant coffee contains the least amount of chlorogenic acids. Regular roasted and ground coffee contains the most.

If you’re not bothered about the antioxidants in your coffee, then this shouldn’t matter too much. However, if you’re looking for a choice of coffee that has a higher amount of antioxidants, then it would be better to opt for roasted or ground coffee beans.

Using coffee pods in your coffee machine can be a quick and convenient way to brew your morning coffee. By using coffee pods, you can get the benefit of the extra antioxidants. There are also many varieties of organic coffee pods available out there.

Lifeboost Coffee has an excellent range of ESE coffee pods that come in all sorts of roast depth and flavors

Instant Coffee and Harmful Chemicals

Instant coffee contains the chemical acrylamide which forms when you roast coffee beans.

Compared to freshly roasted coffee, instant coffee contains up to twice as much acrylamide.

You should stay away from acrylamide as much as possible. This is because it’s considered neurotoxic and carcinogenic. If acrylamide develops in your system, it can cause nerve damage. If you’re exposed to this chemical too often, it can be linked to an increased risk of cancer.

This doesn’t, however, call for too much concern if you’re drinking a normal quantity of coffee. The amount of acrylamide you get from your diet isn’t enough to cause serious health concerns.

If you prefer to avoid this chemical, however, opting for a regular roast or ground coffee may be better.

In other words, instant coffee isn’t unhealthy. It just depends on your personal preference on whether you prefer a coffee variant with less of these chemicals or not.

How to Make Your Instant Coffee Healthier

Choose a High-Quality Organic Coffee

A high-quality coffee depends on how the beans are grown and how they are processed.

Coffee beans that are not sprayed with synthetic pesticides and chemicals are healthier than those that are. These are called organic coffee beans.

Choose an organic brand of coffee if you wish to have a healthier choice of coffee.

Drink Black Coffee

Coffee is generally healthy, however, if you add sugar to your coffee, this may be harmful to your body.

Sugar is linked to many serious diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

Coffee without sugar may not be everyone’s first choice. Alternatively, you can use natural sweeteners such as xylitol to sweeten your coffee.

There are a wide variety of sugar substitutes on the market. You just need to find the ones that are healthy to consume.

Is black coffee unhealthy? The answer is no. Black coffee may be one of the healthiest types of coffee to drink.

Cutting back on the sugar is great for weight loss and you can find many healthy coffee recipes for weight loss in our blog section.

Add Healthy Spices

You can spice up your coffee with a few different healthy additions. Try our organic decaf pumpkin spice coffee beans to get a taste of which flavors you might want to add.

how to make your Instant coffee healthier

Cinnamon is a great spice to add to your coffee. It helps to lower blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides in diabetics.

Chai latte is a drink that contains cinnamon. Making a healthy chai tea latte can be a great addition to your morning routine.

Cocoa is also a delicious addition to coffee. Cocoa is packed with antioxidants. It also has many health benefits. This includes reducing the risk of heart disease

Other things you can try adding to your cup of coffee are ginger, citrus fruits, coconut, or collagen.

Avoid Processed Creamers

Artificial creamers are usually highly processed. Many low-fat creamers sometimes contain ingredients that are harmful to your body.

Although there isn’t much research on creamers, it may be helpful to be aware of the ingredients. The ingredients may be different for each brand.

Opting for natural food, however, is always the healthier option. You can substitute your non-dairy creamer for almond or coconut milk as a vegan option with flavors that perfectly complement the savory notes of dark coffee.

Milk products are an excellent source of protein. Try to choose grass-fed cow’s milk as this contains higher quantities of vitamin K which is good for healthy bones.

Substitute Your Coffee for Decaf in the Evenings

Coffee contains a decent amount of caffeine. This is great for providing you with lasting energy.

However, it’s always best to avoid drinking coffee later on in the day. This is because coffee may keep you awake at night.

You need to find out how much coffee is healthy for you.

Getting adequate sleep at night is crucial for your overall physical and mental health.

This doesn’t mean that you need to go coffee-free after 2 pm. Many coffee brands offer decaf options. Finding an organic decaf coffee will be the healthiest option. Just because you’re drinking decaf, doesn’t mean your coffee has to be boring.

Lifeboost has decaffeinated options of some of our most popular brews, including the delicious Cinnamon Blueberry Crumble Dark Roast coffee beans.

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