Questions about the health effects of instant coffee

Some coffee connoisseurs may look down on instant coffee, but many others love the convenience of this drink. You just add instant coffee to hot water, stir, and drink. According toHealthline, instant coffee consumption accounts for about 50% of total coffee consumption in some countries.

Instant coffee tends to be more bitter and sour than roasted coffee because some of its oils are lost during processing. The quality of instant coffee varies depending on the brand and the production method.

Caffeine content

If you're looking to cut back on your caffeine intake, you may be happy to know that instant coffee contains less caffeine than ground coffee. According to the USDA, an 8-ounce cup of ground coffee contains 95 mg of caffeine, while an instant cup contains 62 mg.

For most healthy people, the safe level of caffeine intake is 400mg per day. So you can drink 3-4 cups of ground coffee or 6 cups of instant coffee. Pregnant women should be cautious because of the risk of premature birth and miscarriage, and should not consume more than 200mg of caffeine.

Effect

Instant and ground coffee have similar health benefits and potential risks. “Both are good sources of antioxidants, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and depression,” says Michael Ross MacDonald, senior cardiologist at the Harley Street Heart Centre in Singapore. He also notes that both forms of coffee can increase alertness, energy, and concentration.

“Research shows that some of the beneficial compounds like chlorogenic acid in instant coffee are due to the processing method,” shares nutritionist Chrissy Arsenault.

Research published in journalEuropean Preventive Cardiologydemonstrated that drinking 2 to 3 cups of any coffee (ground, instant, or decaffeinated) was associated with reduced cardiovascular disease and mortality.

Limit

Many people are concerned about the acrylamide content in instant coffee. This is a substance that can cause nerve damage if exposed to large amounts on a regular basis.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), instant coffee contains more acrylamide than roasted coffee. However, experts assess that the acrylamide content in instant coffee is still relatively low and safe.

Just like ground coffee, some people may experience negative symptoms such as jitters, anxiety, or tremors when drinking instant coffee if they are sensitive to caffeine. In that case, you should switch to herbal tea or decaffeinated coffee.