For many of us, life without it feels almost impossible. It's the first thing we reach for every morning and it's very aroma gives us life. But it can actually be a major hazard to our health. We're talking about coffee. Did you know it can be chock full of toxic molds that are reportedly linked to illnesses such as cardiomyopathy, cancer, hypertension and even brain damage when consumed in high doses?! Sounds extreme, but its the truth.
There is a very little control and insight into coffee bean processing and bean sourcing which can lead to contamination with mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are hazardous compounds produced by the molds that grow on our beloved beans. And it's said compounds that can be making you feel sick, foggy brained, flu-like etc. The opposite of why you're drinking it, right? And we're not making this up! One study found that 91.7% of green coffee beans were moldy while another study showed 52% of green coffee beans were.
So what can we do about it?
- Switch to warm water and lemon: It's a natural flu fighter and liver detoxifier!
- Avoid cheap blends: Blends usually use the cheapest beans from multiple areas which are subject to less screaming.
- Say "no way" to decaf: Decaf is also on the bottom of the totem pole in terms of quality so again, the screening. Caffeine also acts as a natural anti-insect and antifungal defense mechanism for the plant so no caffeine means more mold and fungus. No thanks.
4. Look for coffee that is labeled "mycotoxin free": Certain brands take this issue seriously, and go through an extensive screening process to make sure their beans are as high quality and contaminant free as possible. They generally use Arabica Beans (which are the least likely to grow mold). Bulletproof Certified Clean Coffee is a great option, but I recently stumbled across (and am now pretty fond of) Isagenix Micotoxin Free Coffee. Admittedly, I'm not a big drinker of this particular beverage, but this was smooth, nutty and some of the best coffee I've ever tasted. Not to mention it's also has green tea extract and it organic. So this is the stuff that's definitely going into my weekly latte!