You know the puzzled looks you get whenever you enjoy a cup of your delicious bitter coffee? If the answer is yes, then this is the article for you.
We, who know about coffee, fully understand your desire to enjoy it in its ‘pure’ version, savouring 100% of its strong aroma and without ‘contaminating’ it with the sweetness of sugar.
But what if we told you that, besides being a delicacy for refined palates, bitter coffee is also able to bring great benefits to your health? At this point your victory over sweet coffee lovers would really be complete! Yet, believe it or not, this is the case and as you read on, we will tell you why.
Is bitter coffee bad?
Let us make one thing clear right away. Precisely because we know about coffee, we love it in all its forms, which means that we do not criticise at all people who like to enjoy it in a sweet version. What we would like to make clear, however, is that drinking bitter coffee does no harm at all.
After all, think about it for a moment: why should drinking coffee without sugar hurt you? Paradoxically, it is precisely sugar that causes harm, which, if consumed in excessive quantities, is as bad for our teeth as it is for our figure.
This concept obviously also applies to coffee which, in itself, is certainly not harmful: neither sweet nor bitter. Your health could in fact only deteriorate if you overdo the consumption of this beverage, but otherwise you can rest assured.
But not only that. Precisely because you belong to that ‘lucky’ category of people who do not need to sweeten their coffee, drinking it bitter and in moderate quantities can only benefit you both physically and mentally. In a moment, let’s see why, but first let’s take a look at some considerations on the true taste of coffee.
The true taste of (bitter) coffee
Many coffee lovers wonder what causes the drink’s characteristic bitter taste. The answer lies mainly in the presence of caffeine, which is one of the alkaloids responsible for the bitter taste. Indeed, the higher the concentration of caffeine in a cup, the more pronounced the bitterness will be. It is important to consider the choice of blend, as different coffee varieties have different caffeine concentrations. For example, the Robusta variety contains about 2.8 % caffeine, while Arabica contains about 1.7 %.
Besides the amount of caffeine, other factors influence the bitterness of coffee. One of these is the level of roasting: the darker the coffee is roasted, the greater the bitterness component. This is because during roasting, the heat breaks down the cell walls of the beans, releasing bitter compounds. The method of extraction also plays a crucial role. An over-extracted coffee, for example, can taste burnt and astringent, as the hot water extracts more bitter compounds from the coffee. Over-extraction can be caused by grinding the coffee too finely or pressing it too hard in the filter.
In conclusion, paying attention to these parameters can significantly improve the taste experience, keeping the coffee bitter at the right level of pleasantness.
Benefits of bitter coffee
As we have already told you, the benefits of bitter coffee are indeed many and involve numerous parts of our organism. But that’s not all: believe it or not, sugar-free coffee is also able to improve the health of some of our most important organs. But let’s start at the beginning.
Low in calories
In this respect, bitter coffee wins 3 to 10 against sweet coffee, in the literal sense of the figures. While a cup of coffee without sugar contains no more than 3 calories, the moment you sweeten it, the calories go up to 10. So much for the swimming costume test!
Gives you more energy
Caffeine is a powerful ally for those seeking an energy boost, especially in the morning when our body needs a boost to get through the day. This alkaloid, found in coffee, is renowned for its stimulating properties, which is why many choose it to speed up waking up or to improve concentration during long study sessions. However, adding sugar to coffee can reduce these energising benefits. Sugar can in fact cause a rapid rise in blood insulin levels, leading to a subsequent feeling of tiredness and drowsiness.
Consuming bitter coffee therefore allows you to take full advantage of the invigorating properties of caffeine without the interference of sugar-induced energy depletion.
Facilitates digestive processes
If you suffer from digestive disorders, drinking bitter coffee could prove to be a useful aid, as one of its greatest benefits is that it increases the gastric secretions necessary to start the digestive process. Which means that indulging in a good cup of bitter coffee immediately after a meal is an excellent habit.
Prevents diabetes
Drunk bitter, coffee has the merit of intervening on digestion: on the one hand, as we have already seen, by aiding its proper functioning; on the other, by acting specifically on the metabolism of carbohydrates which, if taken in excessive doses, contribute to raising blood glucose levels.
This substance, in turn, is directly responsible for the onset of type 2 diabetes, the non-insulin-dependent type. This means, in simple terms, that regular consumption of bitter coffee can help you keep your blood sugar levels under control, thus preventing the risk of diabetes.
Protects the liver
Another organ of our body that enjoys particular benefits from the intake of bitter coffee is undoubtedly the liver. Several studies have shown a positive correlation between liver health and coffee intake, which would protect it from the dreaded liver cirrhosis.
The aim of such research was to understand, once and for all, whether the fact that coffee was bad for the liver was true or not. The results obtained, however, showed the exact opposite: when taken in moderate quantities, coffee not only does not harm the liver, but protects it with its antioxidant properties.
Keeps the heart healthy
Besides being good for the liver, coffee can also benefit the heart. In fact, another study has shown that even heart patients, who have already suffered a heart attack, can still afford to drink 2 to 4 cups of coffee a day without risking any contraindications.
The credit for this record, however, does not lie with caffeine, but with the substances contained in coffee beans, namely polyphenols and antioxidants, which protect our heart and help keep it healthy.
Prevents dental caries
Even when it comes to the health of our teeth, we are faced with a paradox: if, in fact, it is true that caffeine helps fight the proliferation of bacteria, hindering the formation of tartar and caries, sweetening it with sugar means inhibiting these benefits completely, thus reversing the situation.
So, here is a more than valid reason to continue drinking bitter coffee (if you already do) or to adopt this healthy habit: less sitting in the dentist’s chair!
Can fight migraine
Caffeine is also an excellent ally if you suffer from migraine. Not only because of its vasoconstricting power, which allows it to constrict blood vessels, but also because of its great analgesic properties. Suffice it to say, in this regard, that many migraine medications contain small amounts of caffeine in them!
This, however, should never lead you to overdo coffee consumption. As is well known, too much caffeine may cause you difficulties in getting to sleep, thus increasing your headache. So always keep in mind the old Latin adage ‘Cum grano salis’ and adjust accordingly.
Is it better to drink bitter or sweet coffee?
And here we come to the age-old question: the final challenge between bitter and sweet coffee lovers. Which of these two beverages deserves to be crowned the winner? Based on the countless benefits of bitter coffee, the answer would seem obvious. But in reality, this is not the case at all.
While it is true that sugar is not the healthiest food in the world, it is also a fact that taken in small quantities it can act as an excellent ‘tonic’, giving us as much energy as, and more than, caffeine. That is why the best solution is always to drink coffee the way you like it: sweet or bitter, taking care to choose only and exclusively quality drinks and prepared in the right way.
After all, it is a well-known fact that if you want to drink good coffee, you should do so with the right machine, such as a lever machine. The peculiarity of this model is in fact its unique ability to preserve all the flavour of the coffee, so that you can enjoy 100% of its goodness. So what are you waiting for? Discover the right coffee machine for you and savour the true essence of this beverage. We bet you won’t need to sweeten it with sugar anymore!
