There seems to be a bit of confusion when it comes to including or excluding coffee for the sake of your health. Because everyone is different, not every person will have the same reaction to caffeine intake.
While some may need it just to start the day, others will find themselves feeling jittery, experiencing rapid heartbeat or anxiety.
No two cups of coffee are alike either, as there are many factors that determine the quality and healthiness of your coffee.
Don’t fall into the belief that coffee is all bad. Coffee has been proven to help you burn fat, lower your risk of Type II diabetes, protect you from Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and even Parkinson’s (1).
On the flip side, coffee also has its negative side effects. Coffee can cause ulcers, IBS, raise your acidity level as well as irritate the intestinal tract. It’s also highly addictive as it releases the stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine (2).
When it comes to making sure your coffee as health friendly as possible, acidity should be considered as a factor.
Acidity in Coffee (and How to Counteract it With THIS Spice)
Your pH level is the measurement given to determine the acidity and alkalinity of the body. When the body becomes overly acidic, the physiologic activity in your body is influenced including your metabolism, pain, and diseases (3).
Unfortunately, coffee contributes to your body’s acidity rate. On the pH scale, coffee falls at about 5.0, where foods that are beneficial to health fall at around 7.4 (4).
While alkaline coffee has yet to be discovered, there is a trick based out of the Middle East that can help reduce its acidity level.
By adding cardamom to coffee, you can actually neutralize it (5). Cardamom helps with digestion, detoxification, blood pressure, and even has anti-inflammatory properties (6). Combining a few pinches of the spice to a 12-ounce cup of coffee will add healing properties as well as a strong and unique flavor.
How To Make Acid-Free Coffee
Turkish coffee has it’s own fan base due to it’s rich and delicious flavor. The secret ingredient to this cup of happiness is cardamom. Try the recipe below to fully appreciate the flavors and health benefits of cardamom-infused coffee.
To make Cardamom coffee you will need the following:
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 tablespoon of finely ground Arabic coffee
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Sugar (optional) or preferably another low glycemic sweetener (stevia, raw honey)
To brew the coffee, you will need an ibrik (a Turkish coffee pot) if you have one or a saucepan.
- Bring water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and add coffee with cardamom.
- Return to heat to bring to boil again until the coffee foams, then remove from heat.
- Repeat step 2.
- Pour in a cup. Let stand for a few minutes, and serve (do not stir)
Enjoy!