Coffee is healthy – but only if you make it right

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Coffee is an extremely popular pick-me-up – and rightly so! Because coffee, contrary to its often reputation, is very healthy (in moderation, of course). This is due, among other things, to the secondary plant compounds and antioxidants that the delicious brown brew contains. But the decisive factor for coffee to develop its health-promoting properties is the way it is prepared.

Whether Italian-style in the traditional “macchinetta,” with a semi-automatic or fully automatic machine, with a French press, as Turkish coffee/mocha, or with a conventional filter coffee machine – coffee can be prepared in a wide variety of ways. In a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, a team of researchers investigated the healthiest preparation method.

You can make healthy coffee using a filter machine
According to the study, you should opt for filter coffee if you want to enjoy the health-promoting properties of coffee. The popular stimulant has numerous favorable properties, as the researchers point out.

Coffee lowers cholesterol, has anti-inflammatory properties, and prevents liver, heart, and also cancer diseases. Coffee also reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. In addition, coffee enhances the analgesic effect of tablets.

The many phytochemicals and antioxidants in coffee improve cell structure and protect against the development of diseases by acting as free radicals. Coffee also contains great nutrients: magnesium, vitamin D3, and potassium.

Unfiltered coffee? Better not
In other ways of preparing coffee, the health-promoting properties are not as pronounced as in filter coffee. Unfiltered coffee can even increase cholesterol levels, the study shows, which is due to the diterpenes it contains.

So if you like to drink coffee from a press pot or Turkish coffee, you should watch out and consume only moderate amounts here. This is especially true for people with elevated LDL levels, as this increases the risk of calcification of the heart vessels and a heart attack.

However, if you are a coffee lover, you can drink filtered coffee with a clear conscience. According to a European Journal of Preventative Cardiology study, coffee can even prolong life. Up to three cups of coffee, a day has been shown to protect the heart and reduce overall mortality and stroke risk.