The Benefits of Drinking Organic Coffee

Coffee. The name of the drink we love so much. It’s there to pick us up when we’re down, give us a push when we’re tired, the ‘on’ switch of our better self. We know we’re not the only ones who love coffee this much - 64 percent of Americans drink coffee daily, with the average person drinking 3 cups per day. That’s 400 million cups of coffee being drunk on a daily basis. Is it fair to call it the elixir of life? But when it comes to the quality of coffee, many are doing them a disservice by drinking non-organic coffee - here’s why you need to upgrade your cup and go organic.

What is organic coffee?   

As with all organic produce, organic coffee is coffee that has been produced without the use of artificial chemical substances, like pesticides, herbicides, additives, fertilizers or synthetics. Organic coffee has been approved by the US Department of Agriculture as a food or beverage product that has been manufactured naturally, without the use of these dangerous chemicals. For those of us who are health conscious - the 36 percent of us who buy organic fruits and vegetables - are you transferring the same ethos to your coffee?

What are the benefits of organic coffee?

Organic produce is superior because it is natural and untouched, grown by nature rather than through chemical processing. The chemicals used in non-organic agriculture are extensive and hazardous to our health. It’s the reason why the company that produces Roundup, a common herbicide, has been sued repeatedly due to its association with cancer. As you may have guessed, exposure to chemicals that kill weeds and insects, and cause a plant to rapidly grow - are not entirely safe or recommended for human exposure. They are known endocrine disruptors, meaning they affect your hormones, ability to self-regulate and cognitive performance. 

So when it comes to understanding the benefit of organic coffee, it becomes clearer: organic coffee is natural, meaning it’s coming straight from nature. Coffee is a stimulant, with biohackers like Bulletproof’s Dave Asprey calling it one of the most powerful and natural nootropics you can use. The caffeine compound of coffee makes it a nootropic, which is essentially a cognitive enhancer, helping to improve your reaction time, alertness, memory recall and retention, and making you feel awake.

Aside from this, organic coffee is high in antioxidants - more so than green tea. When you go organic, you’ll be intaking more than 1,000 antioxidants, which work to fight free radicals and oxidative stress. Antioxidant intake is associated with slower aging, less disease, cognitive performance, better skin, healthier heart and so many more amazing benefits.

In addition to the benefits listed for your personal health and performance, organic coffee has extensive environmental and agricultural benefits. Organic farming is better for the soil because there are less artificial chemicals used, meaning that a farmer can yield more over time and there is less ecological damage.

If coffee is your drink of choice, make sure you know where you’re sourcing it from. Remember that not all coffee is made equal, and non-organic coffee is known to have more negative side effects like anxiety and pesticide exposure, so don’t take the risk. Plus, if you care about the planet - go organic.