The immense benefits of infrared coffee have gone widely unknown, which is curious due to the fact that infrared is an enormously hot topic. But when it comes to blasting heat into foods like coffee beans, or making the best Joe ever, nothing holds a candle to infrared. It takes a high-octane roast to next level.
You’ve probably already heard about the benefits of infrared when it comes to saunas, light stands, yoga mats, etc. I personally rock it with my sauna blanket and trusty Joovv.
However chances are you haven’t tapped it in coffee yet, because it’s still pretty rare. In fact the only reason I discovered it myself about a decade ago is because I was out shopping brands for an espresso bar I owned. I wanted the richest, healthiest beans from a sustainable source.
I also wanted Fair Trade, certified organic, and acrylamide-free, or at least low dose, and as luck would have it, I found the perfect blend — a low-acid Arabica from a small local company rocking organic infrared.
Well it definitely made a splash in my happy spot, flying out the door in compostable totes.
But what really sets organic infrared apart is its health benefits. It rocks tons of bioactive phytochemicals and more.
Coffee Lovers
So we all know that coffee is one of the best drinks ever — one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. It rocks espressos, lattes, cappuccinos, affogato, every which way including cold brew, hot brew, mochas, French press.
I served them all and more in my espresso bar using filtered water and compostable cups.
And when it comes to the best mates ever for a supercharged Joe, think adaptogens, organic plant milks, high quality vegan ‘creams,’ sweeteners like stevia, date sugar, blackstrap molasses, bioactive herbs such as rosemary and thyme.
And definitely cacao or a rich dark chocolate with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
Or a dope Bali Blue Moon with organic dark chocolate built in (clickable image).
And then my all-time fave with mushroom adaptogens (get here).
By the way, that coffee is like a triple espresso shot, not joking ☝️ ☕
Infrared Coffee Health Benefits
Coffee offsets a number of conditions including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, neurodegenerative disease. It boosts cognition, memory, vascularity, and metabolism.
It’s also been shown to help curb depression and promote happy mood states, primarily due to its activation of dopamine and serotonin.
Slews of athletes use it, as I’m sure you know, and one report notes it curbs eye disease and macular degeneration.
It’s also been found to . . .
- Boost immune response.
- Reduce inflammation.
- Fight oxidative stress.
- Relieve pain.
- Improve cognition.
- Support mental health.
- Relieve depression.
- Mitigate disease.
- Ramp mitochondrial biogenesis.
- Bolster the biome.
- Boost metabolism.
- Activate brown fat.
- Improve athletic performance
- Release antioxidants.
- Support the nervous system.
- Boosts muscle recovery.
- Increase endurance.
- Promote a healthy weight.
- Increase longevity.
- Offset neurodegenerative disease.
- Reduce type 2 diabetes.
- Reduce cardiovascular disease.
- Protect the liver.
- Offset colon cancer.
- Promote regularity.
Coffee Science Reports
There are countless studies touting the benefits of coffee and its popular bioactive compound, caffeine. In fact caffeine alone became the source of myriad energy products decades ago when it was first isolated.
Nowadays studies note its benefits including reducing the risk of “metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes [2], cardiovascular diseases [3], or some types of cancer [4,5,6]”when moderately consumed. It also aids gastrointestinal health by increasing regularity and “reducing intestinal transit time [7,8].”
Another source found it activates brown adipose tissue (BAT), a boon for health:
“Those who had brown fat [BAT] were less likely to have type 2 diabetes, abnormal lipid levels, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, congestive heart failure, and hypertension. They were also more likely to have favorable blood glucose, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein levels. These effects were greatest in people who had obesity or overweight.”
Nature says “a relatively low dose of caffeine from a single standard cup of coffee” ramps BAT:
“This study examined the effect of caffeine on BAT thermogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Stem cell-derived adipocytes exposed to caffeine (1 mM) showed increased UCP1 protein abundance and cell metabolism with enhanced oxygen consumption and proton leak. These functional responses were associated with browning-like structural changes in mitochondrial and lipid droplet content. Caffeine also increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha expression and mitochondrial biogenesis, together with a number of BAT selective and beige gene markers.”
Well anything that ups brown fat and mitochondrial biogenesis is generally good, be it exercise, heat shock, cold shock, fasting, and hormesis foods.
And of course infrared coffee!
Infrared Coffee Benefits
The best methodology for heating coffee beans is infrared roasting, hands down. It helps preserve bioactive compounds including polyphenols, chlorogenic acids, caffeic acid, alkaloids, and diterpenes.
It’s also kinder to the beans — no scorch, no burn.
According to this report:
“Studies have shown that compared to conventional roasting, infrared roasting showed less increase in radicals on the bean during and after the roasting process. Highly noticeable was the consistent formation of brown-colored compounds showing the bean was uniformly heated and never burned. The infrared roasted beans had a quick increase in the internal temperature and thus suffer less damage on the surface. The study also revealed a uniform and quick decrease in moisture and showed the beans undergo uniform heating even at the core.”
Infrared Coffee Benefits
- Lower acid.
- Evenly heated.
- Never burned.
- Superior taste.
- More aromatic.
- Reduced oxidation.
- Less surface damage.
- Decreased moisture.
- Consistent compound formation.
- Reduced bitterness.
- Kinder to heat-sensitive nutrients.
Other Coffee Facts
Other common coffee roasts include convective and conductive technologies, with convective being the healthier of the two. It’s akin to baking vs. fried, respectively.
Conduction directly torches the beans while convection blasts hot air across. Naturally the latter produces less surface damage.
It’s also advisable to source certified organic beans.
Why Is Organic Coffee Better?
Conventional coffee beans are one of the most heavily sprayed plants and literally deluged with pesticides.
Certified organic, on the other hand . . .
- Cannot be grown with synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or sewage sludge.
- Cannot be genetically engineered or irradiated.
- Cannot contain synthetic growth hormones or antibiotics.
It’s also worth noting that studies comparing organic to conventional foods found “higher antioxidative and antimutagenic activity as well as better inhibition of cancer cell proliferation” in organics.
The Mayo Clinic reports that . . .
“Studies have shown small to moderate increases in some nutrients in organic produce. Organic produce may have more of certain antioxidants and types of flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties. Compared with produce grown using usual (conventional) methods, organically grown produce has lower levels of pesticide residue.”
Which is certainly applicable to green coffee beans and their phenomenal compounds.
You can source organic infrared coffee here > Cascade Estates. (We’re not affiliates and do not receive compensation from this small local company.)
I’m also a fan of Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee with adaptogens, my favorites being Boost — a high caffeine powerhouse with L-Theanine and cordyceps (noted above) — and Think — a Fair Trade Lion’s Mane Chaga nootropic.
You can get them here:
Toast au cafe!
Keep reading!
Hormesis Diet: Top 10 Bioactive Foods
Supplements Vegans (And Most Folks) Need
The medical and health topics covered on the plateofgrass website and blog have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to prevent or cure any disease. This article and its content is presented ‘as is’ for informational purposes only. We may receive a commission if you purchase products on this site.
