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Is Medium Roast Coffee Healthier?
Coffee’s delicious aroma and warmth is more than enough to get us going in the morning, it can also improve our health overall. Studies have linked moderate coffee consumption with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, inflammation reduction and type 2 diabetes mellitus mellitus mellitus mellitus mellitus mellitus. However, it is essential that you select the most suitable roast for your needs as different beans and brewing methods can alter its benefits. A medium roast will always offer a balanced and satisfying cup of Joe. Medium roast coffee is often chosen due to its complex sensory profile and well-rounded flavor, making it suitable for pour-over and drip coffee brewing as well as espresso drinks. Medium roast coffee makes an excellent ingredient in many dishes, from sweet treats like cakes and pastries to hearty mole sauces. Furthermore, its lower cost helps more people enjoy premium coffee beverages.
Roasting beans alters their chemical makeup, giving them a unique flavor profile that often includes fruity notes, nuts and caramel flavors. Roasted beans tend to become darker with time and can even have a slight smokey or chocolate-like aroma. As coffee is roasted, its sugars caramelize to create a delectable and aromatic experience, which can be enhanced with spice or chocolate for extra spice or chocolatey flair. At the same time, moisture from within its beans evaporates to leave lighter and puffier beans. These beans are also more susceptible to heat than traditional beans and can easily burn with overexposure (3), leading to some loss of their natural oils and possibly extracting some of their caffeine content as part of the roasting process. Lighter roasts typically have higher caffeine levels than dark ones due to being heated at lower temperatures for shorter times (2), though due to longer roasting processes at high temperatures they may contain more of the “bad” type of caffeine known as acrylamide (3).
Research suggests that light roast coffee offers slightly higher levels of antioxidants, polyphenols and amino acids compared to its darker roast counterpart. Light roasts may also offer additional health-promoting properties like chlorogenic acid – a powerful anti-inflammatory compound which has been proven to lower blood sugar levels while simultaneously strengthening immunity (4). Light roast coffees could potentially also lower risk for diabetes mellitus type 2, reduce cholesterol and restore red blood cell vitamin E and glutathione levels (5).
Medium roasts contain more balanced caffeine levels with fewer acidic side effects associated with highly caffeinated drinks, making it suitable for those with stomach sensitivities or difficulty managing sudden surges of energy (6). A gradual rise in energy from medium roast coffee means you won’t experience the jitters and crashes associated with some forms of caffeine consumption.