Does It Matter If Coffee Is Organic?
The term “organic” can mean a lot to some people, and seem like a fad to others. With some foods like a banana that has a hard shell, buying organic might not be as crucial. Something that is fully exposed like berries have a higher risk of containing pesticides and harsh chemicals. We wouldn’t want to drink water with harmful chemicals, so let’s dive into what’s going on with the coffee you’re drinking.
Yes, organic coffee does matter and is much superior to conventional coffee. Organic coffee is grown in healthier conditions such as higher quality soil and water, and is not grown with pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Non-organic coffee is one of the most chemically treated beverages on the market. Aside from that, organic coffee is also richer in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Coffee is not something you want to go cheap on, especially if you’re drinking it every day. The occasional french fries cooked in bad oils isn’t going to kill you. Everyday, yeah you might eventually come across a problem. Coffee is something people consume a lot of, and frequently. With this in mind, you don’t want to be consuming pesticides and harmful toxins every day. Continue reading to learn more about the benefits of organic coffee.
Organic vs. Non-Organic
Coffee is a global favorite among countless people, so it’s crucial to understand its quality. When it’s consumed daily by so many, caution should be taken when choosing a roast to ensure it’s not actually going to do more harm than good.
Benefits of Organic Coffee
There are a handful of benefits to buying organic coffee versus non-organic. They might not seem like big deals up front, but over time can have a lasting impact on our bodies.
Grown without pesticides: organic coffee is not sprayed with pesticides, fungicides, or any of the bad “-cides” and chemicals that would otherwise be used. It also has not been genetically modified or altered synthetically in any way. These safety measures ensure you’re not getting toxins in your product.
Better farming methods: for weeds, organic farmers will use more natural methods for removal. They might burn or handpick weeds to ensure a higher quality plant and standard.
More nutrient-dense: without the use of harmful chemicals, the nutrients and antioxidants in the plant are not destroyed. This makes the end product even healthier for its consumers.
Detriments of Conventional Coffee
Knowing that non-organic coffee is treated heavily with harsh chemicals, you do want to read a few labels before throwing any old coffee in your cart. If you end up getting an occasional “bad” cup of coffee that might not be as clean as you want it to, then that’s probably not going to do much. But if you like to enjoy a couple cups each day (guilty as charged), then you really might want to evaluate your options.
Loaded with harmful chemicals: the soil for conventional farming gets fumigated and fertilized with petroleum-filled chemicals and finished off with a spray for pests. Other than that, there’s a small chance the beans might get soaked in insecticides before being planted.
May be more acidic: high acidity can cause irritation in the stomach or esophagus which could also be a result of lower quality brewing along with a lower quality bean.
More dangerous for farmers: farmers have to handle the chemicals that get sprayed on crops, which is not a safe job. Working with dangerous materials like that can cause negative health effects later in life.
When it comes to deciding whether you should spend the extra money or not to buy organic coffee, do it. If you’re going to drink coffee, then 1) you might as well drink a quality, good tasting coffee anyway and 2) make sure what you’re drinking regularly isn’t harmful to your body. Organic coffee is simply better for you than conventional coffee.
Decaf vs. Regular
For like the 12 people that exist who genuinely enjoy the taste of good coffee, you’ll want to be wary about decaf as well. As innocent and enticing as it may seem, decaf coffee goes through even more chemical processes to extract the caffeine from the bean.
There are some methods that require hours of rinsing the coffee beans in chemical compounds in order to decaffeinate the beans, but that can be harmful to one’s health and typically ruins the flavor of the coffee as well.
One of the more common decaffeination methods for organic coffee is the Swiss Water Process, where they extract a batch of beans but use that water because it will have taken on the flavor profile of the coffee. This will ensure the beans don’t lose their flavor along with the caffeine, while avoiding the use of dangerous solvents.
Other Things to Watch Out For
Although organic coffee is the way to go, there are still a few other factors that go into making sure you get the highest quality roast:
No requirement for lab testing: organic is already above and beyond what is actually required based on food and beverage laws. As is such, there is no requirement for strict lab testing, allowing potential room for error. If testing is not done on the process and final product, there may be some amount of toxicity.
Can still be roasted improperly: even the best bean can be ruined by a shitty process. Now, it’s unlikely that people producing organic coffee will do everything else with a lower standard, but some coffees get too hot. This can ruin beans and even cause some toxins to form.
Unknown storage conditions: if not stored properly, the coffee may grow mold or other types of toxins. These toxins can cause chronic inflammation if consumed regularly, leading to health issues over time.
At the end of the day, just getting organic coffee is a great start. Sometimes it’s hard to find one with all the extras, but do the best you can and at minimum by certified organic coffee.
Conclusion
Let’s be honest, coffee is pretty f**k*ng amazing. However, it’s important to make sure you have a quality, amazing coffee so that you can enjoy it while also knowing it’s not doing your body harm.
Hopefully this article helped shed some light on what to look for when picking out a coffee. It may seem like a nuisance, but there are more and more delicious coffees coming out and are being processed from start to finish the correct way. The more we go after the good stuff, the more that will catch on.
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. This is to act as information only and should not be taken as a medical recommendation or prescription. Always consult with your doctor before changing your medicinal regimen.