We love coffee and if you are reading this, I’m sure you love it too. But I bet you have been wondering if black coffee is better for you than other types of caffeinated drinks?
We talked about the health benefits of coffee in this post, but I’m sure there are still more questions you have or you wouldn’t be reading this.
Below, we explain why black coffee is better than the following other 7 caffeinated beverages.
What is Caffeine?
First, we need to explain why we are drinking coffee…the caffeine!
Caffeine is the most widely consumed stimulant drug in the world. It’s in your coffee naturally and is the reason for the jolt of energy that makes you able to start your day.
Caffeine can also help you increase your mood and concentration. When consumed in moderation, it can be quite beneficial.
Caffeine can help you with weight loss, sports performance, brain function and memory.
Using too much can be a bad thing, so be aware of your intake.
Caffeine can increase anxiety and depression, raise blood sugar, increase insomnia, and can make you jittery.
1. Green Tea
First, let me say that green tea and coffee are both healthy and safe.
Green tea may be the better choice for people who struggle with anxiety or insomnia. On the other hand, coffee may be better if you’re looking for increased alertness or improved physical performance.
If you want the instant kick in caffeine, we suggest you pick up a cup of black coffee.
Both green tea and coffee have antioxidants, which help reduce the effects of free radicals in the body. Both have polyphenols, which have been shown to have anti-cancer properties.
2. Energy Drinks
Energy drinks have a ton of sugar, whereas black coffee has none. It virtually has no calories. (How can you pass this up?)
And just because an energy drink says sugar-free…that doesn’t speak truth! They actually have artificial sweeteners in them.
The caffeine content between coffee and energy drinks is almost the same. Plus, coffee doesn’t have any ingredients that you can’t pronounce or have no idea what they are.
3. Pre-Workout
Pre-workout supplements can give you more energy, but if you aren’t working out then you should just stick to coffee.
Pre-workout contains ingredients that can help with muscle growth, recovery, and training intensity.
But beware…pre-workouts can have long-term effects like increased heart rate and increased blood pressure. Also, be careful of taking it later in the day…the caffeine can keep you from sleeping when it’s time to snooze.
4. Coffee with Cream
Black coffee is going to contain no calories. Coffee with cream will have calories, the amount will depend on what cream you add.
If your cream is milk, it can contain fat. If your cream is creamer, it can contain sugar.
But did you know that the milk added to coffee can reduce the acidity of the coffee? This could be helpful if acidity is a problem for you.
If you are curious about other possible coffee add-ins, see this post where we explain lots of other options that may surprise you.
5. Soda
It might seem that drinking a soda may make you feel like you have more energy than when you drink coffee, but this is because the soda has sugar. Black coffee has none.
Black coffee has more caffeine than soda…
Soda usually has between 25 and 50 milligrams of caffeine, while coffee has near 100 milligrams.
SO…get the caffeine, without the sugar.
6. Diet Soda
Don’t let the word diet trick you, these seemingly tasty drinks contain sugar substitutes which can be bad for you…sometimes worse for you than sugar.
The artificial sweeteners in diet soda can increase your risk for obesity because artificial sweeteners interfere with a hormone in the body that regulates blood sugar.
If you are thinking twice about this choice, you should just stick with black coffee because not only is it rich in antioxidants, but it won’t trick your blood sugar.
7. Espresso
Espresso is a very strong black coffee. And yes, its caffeine content is higher, but we consume it in 2 ounce servings so you won’t get as much caffeine from it than you would from drinking an entire cup of black coffee.
A cup of black coffee contains 80-185 mg of caffeine per 8 oz. while espresso contains 60-100 mg per 2 oz. So unless you plan on having multiple espresso’s I would just stick to the black coffee.
Why Stick With Regular Joe
There are so many reasons why you should stick with a cup of regular ole black coffee. It can reduce your cancer risk, prevent Alzheimer’s, increase your mood, help manage diabetes, keep obesity in check, and prevent Parkinson’s. (see how here)
Black coffee is high in antioxidants, which fight cell damage and it contains high levels of B2, caffeine, and magnesium.
A few of our favorite ways to prepare black coffee are the Pour-Over method, the French Press, and the Aeropress.
Using great coffee that’s fresh and full of flavor will only make the coffee drinking experience even better!
If you need help keeping your beans fresh, you can see how we do it here.
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