Filter, espresso, instant… which is the best coffee for your health?

Are there certain cafes to avoid? Dr. Astrid Nehlig, emeritus director of research at Insurm and author of the book “Coffee and Health, All About the Multiple Virtues of this Beverage”, helps us see things more clearly.

“Coffee often gets negative press“, Dr. Astrid Nehlig believes. However, its virtues have long been highlighted.”Apart from giving a little boost in the morning, it has cognitive properties. It reduces reaction time, improves concentration“, lists the scientist.”In the long term, it also stimulates digestion, helping to prevent Parkinson’s disease and to a lesser extent Alzheimer’s disease.”

Is all coffee the same?

But that’s not all : “Its main benefit is to prevent type 2 diabetes in all populations; it will help prevent liver and endometrial cancer; finally it protects the cardiovascular system (especially from the risk of heart attack and stroke.)”

However, is all coffee the same? For Astrid Nehlig, “This is very difficult to answer because few studies have been done on this topic. But according to what has been published, whether it is filter coffee, espresso, coffee in pods, capsules or instant coffee, all are the same.“

On the other hand, some should be avoided. “This is the case for Turkish coffee or French press coffee. In fact, the field is constantly exposed to water. However, lipids are more concentrated in coffee where the grounds have been in contact with water for longer periods of time. The risk of hypercholesterolemia is real“

Filter or espresso, which is “stronger”?

Because it is thicker and richer in flavor, espresso is often considered higher in caffeine. However, this is not the case. “An espresso contains 60 to 80 mg of caffeine“, warns Dr. Astrid Nehlig. On the other hand, in filter coffee, the water takes time to pour into the grounds and is thus loaded with caffeine molecules. So a classic cup will be more “loaded” than an espresso.

With milk?

Another question, should you pour milk in your coffee? And does this affect health? One would be tempted to answer the first question that everyone does what they want. On the other hand, the other is important. A study conducted by the University of Copenhagen in 2023 showed that milk protein combined with coffee antioxidants doubled the anti-inflammatory properties of the drink!

Arabica or Robusta?

Here again the question is important. According to the scientist, “Robusta has twice the antioxidants…but twice the caffeine, Experts point out. However, antioxidants balance out the caffeine content. The important thing is that one dose should not contain more than 200mg of caffeine and 400mg per day. On the other hand, Robusta is more bitter and, in my opinion, is often considered significantly less good in terms of flavor than Arabica.“