Roseane Santos is an unabashed defender of coffee and the nutritional benefits she says it has on the body.
Santos, a South University pharmacy instructor, is the co-author of “An Unashamed Defense of Coffee: 101 Reasons to Drink Coffee Without Guilt.”
“Coffee has a lot of misconceptions — it’s really great for us,” said Santos who runs a research unit on coffee and health in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at South University.
“This research has really helped me understand the unique aspects of the bean and has played a major role in my personal and professional life,” she said.
Santos and her research team explore the differences between seeds, methods of roasting, techniques of brewing and the effects of coffee and caffeine on people.
A cup of joe consists of more than just coffee and caffeine, she said.
“Coffee is one of the healthiest beverages that you can drink. When you have a cup, you’re drinking water, minerals, vitamins, potassium, calcium, protein, fiber, vitamin D, iron, zinc, and natural antioxidants,” Santos said. “The caffeine inside of a cup is less than two percent, two percent meaning the caffeine is highly concentrated.”
The other 98 percent, she said, consists of vitamins and minerals, minus the sugar or creamer added to the beverage.
If you’re dousing your coffee with
creamer, sugar or other sweeteners or flavoring, you’re missing out on the health benefits and just adding calories to your cup, Santos said.
She suggests replacing the creamer with milk and using sugar in moderation or not at all.
The coffee bean itself is unique, Santos said, and consists of a compound called, chlorogenic that helps neutralize free radicals in the body.
Free radicals are cells that cause the body to age faster, gain weight and lose elasticity.
There are many varieties of coffee, Santos said.
“You can have dark, medium or light. Strong or not strong, but there are two main species: Arabica or Robusta,” she said.
Arabica originally is from mountains in the southwest highlands of Ethiopia and contains less caffeine, Santos said. Robusta is from sub-Saharan Africa and is the more bitter of the two.
“These are the two main seeds,” she said, “and with these seeds you can have your coffee made any way.”
The darker the ground, the less nutrition the coffee has, Santos said. The lighter the roast the better the drink is for you.
“Coffee has been linked to lowering the risks of strokes, dementia, type 2 diabetes, cancers and Parkinson’s disease,” Santos said. “This drink is good for you, and it’s scientifically proven to do these things.”
Coffee also has been linked to lowering blood levels, increasing concentration and boosting your energy as well as improving memory, she said.
For the best tasting coffee and maximum vitamin intake, Santos said, you should drink a medium roast and not exceed four cups a day.
“There’s no reason for feeling guilty about drinking coffee,” she said. “Coffee has way too many misconceptions — the majority of them aren’t true— coffee doesn’t stain your teeth, coffee is good for you, coffee has very little caffeine, coffee doesn’t cause health problems.
“Coffee is the best thing to drink, and it prevents illnesses as well as improving your daily productivity.”