Instant grain Coffee
Instant grain coffee is associated with the taste of childhood for many people. It is still given in preschools. Despite the fact that with age we change our tastes towards caffeine coffee due to its stimulating effect, cereal coffee still has a group of its amateurs.
Chicory (Grain) Coffee: A Healthy Alternative to Coffee?
Instant grain coffee is the essence of roasted cereals such as barley, rye, spelled or wheat. Often, its taste is varied with various additives. Coffees with chicory, sugar beet or spices are available on the market. Natural cereal coffee does not contain preservatives or dyes. Grain coffee is significantly different from classic brewed coffee. Because it does not contain caffeine, it does not change the pressure, so it is indicated for people suffering from hypertension and because it does not have a stimulating effect, it can be consumed before bedtime.
Due to this difference between regular and cereal coffee, it’s given to children, pregnant women and people with gastrointestinal diseases that should not drink caffeine coffee, but is this a good idea? I will explain it Chicory coffee, due to the fact that it can be roasted from various cereal mixtures, also has its own palette of flavors and aromas. Additionally, it can be sweetened or served with milk or cream. It is tasty both warm on winter evenings and as iced coffee drunk on hot days.
Properties
Cereal coffee, in addition to being a low-calorie drink, is also a source of dietary fiber, thanks to which it supports intestinal peristalsis and reduces hunger. Cereal coffee contains such nutrients as phosphorus, potassium, zinc, iron, as well as group B vitamins. Thanks to the content of polyphenols, it has antioxidant effects. Other properties include: support of the nervous system, alleviation of gastrointestinal mucosa irritation, support of bile secretion and reduction of bad cholesterol. In addition, coffee beans with the addition of chicory, due to the inulin content, have a probiotic effect.
Disadvantages of grain coffee!!!
Despite the many advantages of chicory coffee, the disadvantages should not be overlooked. Because it is a product from heat-treated cereals, it has a high glycemic index. For this reason, it is not recommended in the diet of people with diabetes. Also, do not forget that cereal coffee contains gluten, which is why people with intolerance and celiac disease cannot drink it. However, there is a type of gluten-free coffee, so-called acorn coffee, which can also include people with celiac disease in your diet. Grain coffee contains high volume of acrylamide! Children and pregnant womens should avoid this!
Is Instant Grain Coffee Good for You?
The biggest question surrounding Roasted Grain coffee is whether or not it is good for you, and the answer is a resounding “no.”
Here is the latest research from the Food and Nutrition Institute in Warsaw in Poland. Acrylamide is formed during the thermal processing of food, especially of the potato and cereal products, coffee and coffee substitutes. Because of its neurotoxic, genotoxic and carcinogenic effects it can pose a health risk. Aim. The determination of acrylamide content in coffee substitutes available in Poland and estimation of exposure of the Polish population to acrylamide derived from these products.
Material & Method. They analyzed the acrylamide levels in 12 types of coffee substitutes purchased on the Warsaw market, using the LC-MS/MS methods. The results were used to estimate the acrylamide exposure of consumers who participated in the National Household Food Consumption and Anthropometric Survey. Results.
The average acrylamide content in coffee substitutes was 718 μg/kg (the range from 124 to 1412 μg/kg). We found that the mean acrylamide content was almost 4 times higher in coffee substitutes with the addition of roasted chicory as compared to cereal-based coffee. For the total Polish population, the estimated acrylamide mean exposure from coffee substitutes was 0.0023 μg/kg b.w./day. These products supplied less than 1% of total dietary acrylamide intake.
Among the people consuming coffee substitutes, the estimated exposure was already over 25 times higher. We found out significantly highest (p<0.05) exposure to acrylamide from coffee substitutes in the population of youngest children, and the lowest among adults.
Conclusion. The results show that coffee substitutes may be a significant source of acrylamide, especially among people who regularly consume these products in larger quantities. Therefore, it seems necessary to verify the dietary guidelines recommending consumption of coffee substitutes in ‘sensitive’ groups, and to educate consumers that these products may also be a significant source of acrylamide in the diet.