What are the differences in cold brew and hot brew coffee? 

Dr. Morris: “Whereas iced coffee is basically hot brew coffee which has then been cooled down, in cold brew the water used to make the coffee is always at room temperature or lower. 

“The absence of heat in the brewing process has two significant effects. First, the length of time required to extract the optimum flavor from the coffee is much longer – indeed many coffee shops prepare their cold brew coffee overnight. Secondly, the so-called low polar compounds (lacking in electronegativity within them) extract very poorly in the absence of heat. Significantly these include the coffee oils. 

“Consequently, hot and cold brew coffee made from the same batch of beans can taste surprisingly different in the cup, with the cold brew generally exhibiting higher degrees of sweetness, a more chocolate type taste, and lower levels of acidity – a term that coffee tasters use in a positive sense to describe the tingling citrusy sensations that one gets, say, from biting into a crisp, fresh apple.” 

Is one healthier than the other? 

Dr. Morris: “So cold brew and hot brew coffees therefore do have significant sensory differences other than temperature, but the extent to which these impact on the health benefits they offer remains moot.” 

Can cold brew coffee boost your metabolism? 

Dr. Morris: “Cold brew coffee still contains caffeine and hence will boost metabolism, though this effect varies significantly from individual to individual.” 

Is cold brew coffee better for your stomach than hot brew coffee since it is less acidic? 

Dr. Morris: “Those people who encounter difficulties with the levels of acidity present in hot brew coffee may well prefer the taste of cold brew. However, there is no reason to think that hot brew coffee is bad for the stomach per se: apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, cream cheese, grapefruit, and even ketchup are all significantly more acidic than black coffee. According to a recent study, 93 percent of commercial beverages available in US supermarkets have a pH below 4, the danger level for dental erosion – by comparison black coffee has a pH of around 5.” 

Does cold brew coffee have more or less caffeine? 

Dr. Morris: “Given caffeine is one of the compounds whose solubility is heavily dependent on the temperature you might have thought there would be less caffeine in cold brew coffee. However, as many coffee shops and producers brew their cold brew as a concentrate, the reverse is often the case. This concentrate is then diluted with water prior to serving so depending on the ratios used, the final product in the cup might have more or less caffeine than its hot-brewed equivalent. To give a practical example, Starbucks states that its Grande Dark Roast Brewed Coffee contains 260 milligrams of caffeine, while the Grande Cold Brew contains 200 grams.” 

Cold brew and hot brew coffee are similar in nutrition, you may notice more people ordering a cold brew than a regular iced coffee at your local coffee shop. As the market and recipes for cold brew coffee increase, so does the popularity to brew your own, at home, in the refrigerator. To learn more about coffee variation and its health benefits visit our other blog. 

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Coffee is part of our daily lives. It helps us wake up in the morning and keeps us going throughout the day. But how often do we ponder the health implications of the numerous cups of coffee we consume? To understand the different nutritional qualities of coffee we reached out to expert Dr. Jonathan Morris, professor of Modern History at the University of Hertfordshire. 

Coffee has been known to help digestion, but it may surprise you to hear it has other benefits. 

According to the National Coffee Association, in addition to aiding digestion, the caffeine associated with coffee beverages can be linked to many health benefits including reduced risk of stroke, diabetes and postmenopausal breast cancer. 

“Coffee contains significant amounts of soluble fiber (in this case hot brewed is an advantage as it extracts better) – in fact the same Starbucks Grande Brewed Coffee would give you around 3 grams or roughly 10% of your daily fiber needs,” Morris said. “Indeed, around 30% of us report that coffee works as a fast-acting laxative – not a bad way to keep you regular as we say in the UK. However, while this works with black coffee, remember that once you add milk, cream, syrups etc. you have converted it from a digestive into a dessert.” 

We asked Dr. Morris what the differences are in the three common roasts of coffee — light, medium and dark. 

“Dark roasts are dominated by the taste of the roast itself, which is why they are often used for inferior quality coffees,” Morris said. “This is particularly important when we consider that of the two species of coffee grown commercially, the cheaper one, Robusta, is widely perceived as having an inferior bitter rubbery taste that is best overcome through dark roasting.” 

Robusta has twice the caffeine content of Arabica, the older species used for coffee production, Morris said. The difference in concentration will likely have a different physiological impact on the body and an undoubted difference in taste, he added.  

“If you are worried about caffeine content, then start by ascertaining if your preferred coffee is made up of 100% Arabica beans,” Morris says. 

What is the health benefit of coffee?
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Although the roasts may taste different, they only have slight health variations. 

“The health implications of the different levels of roasting need to be understood within this context,” Morris said. “If a batch of coffee is split into two parts, one roasted light and the other dark, then the darker roasted will have slightly lower levels of caffeine concentration than the light roasted – but the difference is in the order of 0.1 percent so it’s unlikely to provoke any difference in the physiological experience of the average individual.” 

Dark roasted coffee contains lower levels of Acrylamide, which is suspected of being carcinogenic at very high levels of exposure, Morris said. A California court ruling in 2018 led to a requirement that coffee should be sold with a cancer warning due to the presence of Acrylamide. This ruling was overturned in 2019 because of the overwhelming evidence that such levels were insignificant. Now, counter-literature exists associating coffee drinking with improved health outcomes, Morris explained. Perhaps the most substantive advantage of darker roasted coffee is that it contains more N-methylpyridinium, which inhibits gastric acid production in the stomach. 

Coffee can even boost your metabolism! 

Caffeine has been known to increase the metabolic rate up to 11 percent by increasing how quickly the body burns fat. This effect varies from individual to individual, Morris says. 

Knowing these facts, the question we are all wondering is — how many cups of coffee are safe to consume daily?  

“And so we reach the holy grail of all writing about coffee and health,” Morris said. “By now, you should have hopefully realized that there is no simple answer to this question.”  

The beans used, the type of brew and the size of the cup are significant factors that change the outcome of your consumption, explained Morris.  

“And a lot of those outcomes are somewhat counter-intuitive: for example, that Tall (read small) cup of Brewed Blonde Roast coffee you thought represented the safest way to go in Starbucks comes with 270 mg of caffeine, while the tough guy sipping his Espresso only has to cope with 75 mg,” he said.  

Furthermore, like alcohol, our bodies metabolize caffeine in different capacities and the body can build up a resistance to caffeine if you’re a habitual coffee drinker, Morris said.  

“But don’t give up hope,” says Morris. “Nearly all the macro-analyses of coffee drinkers find that some form of moderate consumption of whatever you prefer in whatever size cup you take it, result in positive health outcomes in comparison to total abstention. Most of them tend to situate that figure as between 1 to 5 cups a day.” 

Because majority of us drink at least one cup of coffee every day, it is important to know how this can affect our health. Coffee has been studied extensively and is shown to improve mood, digestion and reduce risk to some diseases. Take a look at the difference between hot brew coffee and trending cold brew coffee.

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1. All coffee is mountain grown. Coffee beans are the seeds from the coffee plant, which is a small tree that grows in the “Coffee Belt” located in regions around the equator that have adequate temperature and elevation for the plants to thrive. Most coffee plants are grown on the side of mountains, so mechanization of harvesting is not easy. Most producers hire workers to hand strip the ripe fruit, known as cherries, off the trees.

2. Coffee makes a long trip. Green (not yet roasted) coffee beans fill burlap bags and are exported to the countries in which they will be roasted. The United States is not a common place to grow coffee; in fact, the U.S. is the largest importer of green coffee beans in the world.

3. The type of roast determines the caffeine content.  Green coffee beans are roasted to bring out the flavor and aroma. Different brands have varying labels for their roast types, but roasts are commonly separated into four categories:

• Light roasts – light brown color, no oil on bean surface, flavor is most distinct, highest caffeine content.
• Medium roasts – medium brown color, no oil on bean surface, balanced flavor, aroma, and acidity, somewhat less caffeine than light roast. Preferred roast in the United States.
• Medium-dark roasts – rich dark color, some oil on bean surface, aroma and flavor emerge and acidity is gone, even less caffeine.
• Dark roasts – dark brown color, oil sheen on bean surface, “origin” flavor of beans is gone and the flavors come from the roasting process, far less caffeine.

4. Coffee isn’t addictive, but caffeine is. Caffeine is a chemical compound that naturally occurs in coffee beans.

“Caffeine is addictive and stopping it abruptly, or even not drinking it on the weekends, can result in caffeine withdrawal headaches,” Diekman explained. “The best approach is to monitor intake during the week to help avoid the withdrawal, sometimes staying overhydrated can help but generally it is about the caffeine.”

A cup of brewed coffee has, on average, 95 mg of caffeine.

5. Coffee may play a role in weight loss. “Caffeine is a stimulant and it can help you feel energized, which can help you control what you eat. With that said, evidence continues to be mixed on if caffeine is the trigger to weight loss or if it is the fact that the stimulation makes it easier to ignore hunger,” she explained.

As a stimulant, caffeine can enhance your athletic performance but monitor to know which amount is best for you, Diekman advises.  “Too much can lead to an over-agitated state which can make good performance difficult. Excess caffeine is banned in many sanctioned sports – NCAA for one – so athletes need to know what is allowed before they turn to caffeine to help performance. A better choice would be to fuel and train well.

6. Drinking coffee can provide health benefits. Coffee has been much studied to determine health risks and benefits. “Studies do show the potential for several health benefits but at the same time studies show a cause for limiting intake,” she said. “The fact that coffee is from a bean is likely the connection to the health benefits but since the evidence continues to be mixed it is best to not look to it for prevention of disease and to include it, if you enjoy it, in moderate amounts.”

Adding sugar, milk, flavorings or cream to your coffee increases the calorie count, something to keep in mind as you consider your daily intake.

7. National Coffee Day is  September 29.

For many of us, including some of the Best Food Facts team, it is a day we celebrate all year long.

Enjoyed for its flavor, aroma and caffeine content, coffee is one of the world’s favorite beverages.

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Furan is a food chemical that is gaining attention. It is most notably found in coffee, but it has also been detected in canned foods including soups, sauces, pasta and processed baby food.

Dr. Carl Winter, Extension Food Toxicologist and Vice Chair of the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California-Davis, stepped up to answer our questions about this chemical.

What is furan and why is it in coffee and other foods?

Dr. Winter:

Furan is a naturally-occurring chemical that has been found at low levels in several food items. Scientists believe that its origin in food is likely as a breakdown product from traditional heat treatment processes such as cooking and canning.

Furan has been identified as a “possible human carcinogen.” Does that mean it is dangerous?

Dr. Winter:

The important question is not whether furan is a possible carcinogen but rather, “Is there enough furan in the diet to cause any human health risks?” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that “FDA’s preliminary estimate of consumer exposure is well below what FDA expects would cause harmful effects.”

Should parents be concerned that furan has been detected in baby food?

Dr. Winter:

No. According to the FDA, this data is “exploratory and provides only a very limited and incomplete picture of the levels of furan in foods. FDA has no evidence that consumers should alter their infants’ or children’s diets and eating habits to avoid exposure to furan.”

Is it possible to avoid furan and still enjoy coffee?

Dr. Winter:

Furan is produced at low levels when coffee is heated or roasted, so it is likely that consumers drinking coffee will also be consuming low levels of furan. When asked about the need to change consumer eating patterns, the FDA concludes that “FDA’s preliminary exposure data suggest that the levels of furan being found in food are well below levels that would cause harmful effects. Until more is known, FDA recommends that consumers eat a balanced diet, choosing a variety of foods that are low in trans-fat and saturated fat, and rich in high-fiber grains, fruits, and vegetables.”

For more information, visit FDA’s Questions and Answers About Furan.

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We wanted to find out if adding a few hunks of butter to our morning joe is really a good idea, so we reached out to registered dietitian Connie Diekman, Nutrition Communications Consultant and Director of University Nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis, for some insight.

The bulletproof coffee recipe calls for low-mold (mycotoxin-free) coffee beans. What are mycotoxins? Are they harmful?

Connie Diekman: “Mycotoxins are molds that do exist naturally in agricultural crops. In the U.S., the FDA sets limits for the levels of mycotoxins that are considered safe for consumption. Throughout the world, other health agencies set similar guidelines. When mycotoxins accumulate above the safe level they can be harmful for consumption, but FDA monitoring of the food industry does identify the excess of mycotoxins.”

What is the difference between grass-fed butter and grain-fed butter?

Connie Diekman: “The theory behind the claims for grass-fed butter typically are connected to the omega-3 fatty acid that goes up when cattle are grass fed. The problem with this theory is that the amount of omega-3 in the meat or milk of grass-fed cattle is significantly less than that found in good sources of omega-3, so that it would require larger quantities of the butter to equal the omega-3 of salmon, tuna, sardines, walnuts, flax or canola oil.”

What is MCT oil?

Connie Diekman: “MCT oils or medium-chain triglycerides are fatty acids that have a shorter length resulting in different digestion and absorption. They have been used for decades to help people who need more calories but who have compromised digestion get the energy they need. Recent interest in them is related to a few animal studies that seem to indicate a role for them in satiety, but these studies are preliminary in the animals and need to be done in humans. So any claims associated with a benefit to weight loss are at this point preliminary and not supported by science.”

Bulletproof coffee is a part of the Bulletproof diet. What are your thoughts on this diet and what do you recommend people consider before starting this diet?

Connie Diekman: “The bulletproof diet is basically a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, a diet that has had many variations over the years. High-protein diets help with satiety so that you can consume fewer calories more comfortably, but the heavy emphasis on animal foods is not healthful. Current scientific evidence shows that consuming more plant foods is the correct path to health. Plant foods provide a wide variety of phytonutrients that act to promote health, reduce inflammation and act as antioxidants.

Some recommendations of the Bulletproof diet are similar to a healthful eating plan – reduce added sugar intake, enjoy what you eat, use spices and herbs to enhance flavor – but skipping more healthful plant foods to consume more fats is not moving in the right direction. There is a reason this is a diet – it is not an eating pattern that can be maintained for a period of time – and that is the key to healthy eating – an eating pattern you enjoy and that you can maintain for life.”

The inventor of Bulletproof coffee claims that replacing breakfast with this 450-plus calorie drink will suppress hunger, promote weight loss and provide mental clarity – is there any truth to this claim? Is it a good idea to skip breakfast in favor of Bulletproof coffee?

Connie Diekman: “Fad diets all have claims to their fame but what is important in terms of health and a healthy weight is what the science shows. There is no significant evidence to indicate that MCT oil – or as they brand it, XCT oil – promotes weight loss or reduces body fat. Very small-scale, and often animal, studies have looked at MCT oil and weight loss and thus far no conclusive evidence exists. So don’t skip a powerhouse breakfast of whole grains, fruit, low-fat dairy and if you like – a little bit of protein – for this cup of coffee.”

So don’t skip a powerhouse breakfast of whole grains, fruit, low-fat dairy and if you like-a little bit of protein-for this cup of coffee
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