You might have heard of alkaline coffee. It claims to be the better alternative to regular coffee. Those who market it praise the many health benefits of alkaline coffee. But are they correct? Find out in our article about alkaline coffee benefits and side effects, where we will take an in-depth look at the recent fad of alkaline coffee.
Some people think that a lot of our health problems are caused by increased acidity. Thus, to reduce the acidity, a healthy person should stay away from such acidic foods and drinks like meat and animal products, carbonated drinks, coffee, sugar and many other things. Instead, they should consume more fruits, vegetables, and natural drinks that are more alkaline. This style of eating is called an alkaline diet.
But what choice is there for people who cannot imagine their life without coffee?
The answer seems quite simple:
Alkaline coffee. Let’s take a moment to figure out what it is.
What is alkaline coffee?
For those who want to stick to the alkaline diet and still get the taste and feel of coffee, a few companies came up with alkaline coffee. According to its creators, it is a much better and healthier version of regular coffee; it is basically like coffee 2.0.
It is usually made from Arabica coffee, wheat grass, ginseng and/or several types of mushrooms. The main selling point of alkaline coffee is that it has a really low amount of caffeine and a very high amount of phytonutrients. This makes it much healthier than any regular coffee.
What benefits does it claim to have?
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Every producer of alkaline coffee always has a long list of health benefits of coffee to share. Here is the list of the most commonly known benefits of alkaline coffee:
- Prevents numerous diseases (Parkinson’s, diabetes, arthritis, rheumatism, heart diseases);
- Prevents cancer cells from forming and multiplying;
- Reduces damage caused by excessive smoking and drinking;
- Enhances the work of the immune system;
- Heightens alertness and reduces fatigue;
- Increases cognitive functions;
- Removes toxins from the body;
- Aids blood circulation and lowers cholesterol levels;
- Improves the overall health state and more.
Now, when it comes to side effects, all of the makers of alkaline coffee claim that their products have none of the usual side effects of coffee. This means that alkaline coffee should not cause:
- insomnia;
- nausea;
- upset stomach;
- headache;
- anxiety;
- increased heart rate and others.
By this point, you should understand that we are getting a bit sceptical. All of what we have mentioned before seems too good to be true. But is it actually? Find out below.
Can we trust those claims?
To answer this question, we have to return to the topic of alkaline diet.
Despite it being around for ages and having lots of devout followers, in all actuality, the alkaline diet is nothing more than a placebo. Research has shown that the acidity or alkalinity of what we eat does not affect our body’s pH levels. Alkaline diet is not dangerous per se, but it is not phenomenal either. Also, alkaline diet is not very healthy because it omits many foods that are important for the human body.
When it comes to alkaline coffee, it is safe to say that it simply cannot have those magical qualities we have talked about before. After all, it is still just coffee, only that it has other ‘mysterious’ ingredients and costs more. It might leave you feeling better than when you take a regular cup of coffee, but it definitely cannot prevent diseases (especially cancer) or heal your existing ailments.
As for the side effects, we cannot say for certain. As the main ingredient of alkaline coffee is, well, coffee, it would make sense to assume that it would have the same side effects. In addition to that, who knows what alkaline coffee manufacturers put in their products? For all we know, someone might be allergic to one of the ingredients.
To sum it up, does alkaline coffee actually have any significant health benefits? Not very likely. It might be slightly healthier than regular coffee but there is no evidence supporting the claims about its miraculous benefits.
Now, is it bad for you? Probably not. After all, if the manufacturers are to be believed, alkaline coffee is made of natural ingredients that are not likely to harm you, but they are also not very likely to do much good.
In the end, you get to make the choice whether to drink it or not. If you think that alkaline coffee would be better for you than regular coffee, then go ahead, try it and tell us how it makes you feel. However, it is still more expensive than regular coffee, so are the ephemeral promises really worth it? It is up to you.
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Source: Naij.com
ROSY CREST
Wednesday 20 September 2017