8 Health Benefits of Cold Coffee and How to Prepare It

Coffee is drunk cold as this method makes the drink less bitter than hot coffee.

Although most studies on the health benefits of coffee use hot coffee, the cold version of this drink is believed to have many of the same benefits.

Here are 8 impressive benefits of iced coffee, along with how to prepare them.

May speed up your metabolism

Metabolism is the process by which your body uses food to create energy.

The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn at rest.

Just like hot coffee, iced coffee contains caffeine, which has been shown to increase resting metabolic rate by 11% (, ).

Caffeine speeds up metabolism, increasing the rate of fat burning.

In a study of 8 men, taking caffeine resulted in a 13% increase in calorie burning, as well as a 2-fold increase in fat burning - much stronger effects than after taking a placebo or beta blockers (blood pressure lowering medications) () .

Summary:

The caffeine in iced coffee can increase the number of calories you burn at rest. This can make it easier to lose excess body weight or maintain it at a certain level.

May improve your mood

The caffeine in iced coffee can improve your mood.

Scientists have found that caffeine consumption improves mood, especially among sleep-deprived people ().

A review of studies of more than 370,000 people found that those who drank coffee had lower rates of depression. In fact, for every cup of coffee consumed per day, the risk of depression decreased by 8% ().

Some studies even suggest that caffeine could be used as a dietary supplement to improve mood and brain function in older adults.

In a study of 12 adults aged 63–74 years, taking 3 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight improved mood by 17%. This amount of caffeine is equivalent to about two cups of coffee for an average-sized person (,).

Caffeine also improved their ability to react to an object moving towards them, indicating that it increases concentration and alertness ().

Summary:

Drinking iced coffee can improve your mood, reduce your risk of depression, and improve brain function.

May reduce the risk of heart disease

Cardiovascular disease is an umbrella term for several diseases and conditions that can affect your heart, including coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke. It is the number one cause of death worldwide ().

Cold brew coffee contains compounds that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, including caffeine, phenolic compounds, magnesium, trigonelline, quinides and lignans. They increase insulin sensitivity, stabilize blood sugar levels and lower blood pressure (, ).

The drink also contains chlorogenic acids (CHAs) and diterpenes, which act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents (,).

Drinking 3–5 cups of coffee (450–750 ml) per day can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 15% compared to people who do not drink coffee ().

There is no evidence that drinking more than 3 to 5 cups per day increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, although this effect has not been studied in people who consume more than 600 mg of caffeine per day, the equivalent of about 6 cups of coffee (, , ).

However, people with uncontrolled high blood pressure should avoid regularly consuming caffeine as it can raise their blood pressure further ().

Summary:

Drinking iced coffee regularly can improve your heart health. However, caffeine consumption should be limited or avoided if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Taste qualities

Experts urge not to drink cold coffee precisely because of the taste. Over time, it loses its aroma as aromatics and oils oxidize when exposed to oxygen. Brian claims that the taste of yesterday's coffee deteriorates greatly. This happens even if you store it in the refrigerator. In addition, the drink can absorb extraneous odors from the environment, as a result of which its aroma may not be the most pleasant.

And the last thing worth remembering is the beneficial properties of the drink. Yesterday's coffee practically does not have them. After drinking it, you will not feel any invigorating effect. And all because antioxidants degrade and can lead to exacerbation of some chronic diseases.

May reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease in which blood sugar levels are too high. If left untreated, this disease can lead to many serious complications.

Drinking iced coffee may reduce your risk of developing this disease. In fact, drinking at least 4 to 6 cups of coffee per day is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes ().

This beneficial property may be largely due to the chlorogenic acids present in coffee, which are powerful antioxidants ().

Cold brew coffee can also regulate gut peptides, which are hormones in your digestive system that control and slow digestion and keep blood sugar levels stable (,).

One study of 36,900 people aged 45–74 found that those who drank at least 4 cups of coffee per day had a 30% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who did not drink coffee daily ().

A review of three large studies of more than 1 million people found that those who increased their coffee consumption over 4 years had an 11% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared with a 17% higher risk. in those who reduced their coffee consumption by more than 1 cup per day ().

Summary:

Drinking iced coffee regularly will help keep your blood sugar levels stable and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The benefits and harms of cold brew coffee

In the West, real madness is happening - cold brew coffee, or more correctly, cold brew coffee, has suddenly become fashionable. This is 100% raw (and, of course, vegan) coffee - supposedly quite attractive to those who lead a healthy and active lifestyle*.

Preparing cold brew coffee is simple, but time-consuming: it is infused for at least 12 hours in cold water.

Some people put it straight into the refrigerator (so it takes even longer to brew, up to a day), others leave it in the kitchen: they brew it in water at room temperature. The coffee is tasty, not very strong, and almost not bitter at all. The aroma is stronger, and the taste is more “fruity” and sweet - without adding sugar!

Sometimes coffee is considered a harmful drink, when combined with soda and alcohol. But at the same time, in fact, coffee contains about 1000 types (only types!) of antioxidants, and according to recent scientific data, coffee is the main source of antioxidants in the human diet. Now coffee is “in disgrace”; it is considered to be a harmful drink, but it is possible that the progressive world is on the verge of a new wave of “coffee renaissance”. And this wave is definitely cold!

There are already quite a few lovers of the new fashionable drink: this is more than 10% of the number of people who drink coffee, data for the USA as of May 2015. They claim that cold brew coffee:

• More useful, because contains 75% less caffeine - so you can drink 3 more of it a day than hot;
• More useful, because its acid-base balance is shifted closer to alkaline – 3 times stronger than that of regular “hot brew” coffee. In particular, the idea of ​​the benefits of cold brew coffee is actively promoted by well-known US nutrition expert Vicki Edgson: she is convinced that such coffee alkalizes the body.
• It tastes better because... aromatic substances (and there are hundreds of them in coffee) are not subjected to heat treatment, which means they are not released from the infusion into the air, but remain in it;
• It tastes better because... “raw” coffee has significantly less bitterness and “acidity”.
• Easier to brew: “cold brew” does not require either the knowledge or skill required to prepare delicious coffee at home, even using coffee machines.
• Keeps longer. Theoretically, cold brew coffee in the refrigerator does not spoil for about 2 weeks. But in practice, the taste of raw coffee lasts for two days. For comparison, the taste of coffee brewed with hot water deteriorates as soon as it cools down - and deteriorates again if it is heated!

But, as always, when talking about the benefits of something, it’s a good idea to take into account the “cons” too! And iced coffee and tea have them; Data on this matter are contradictory, here is the most complete list possible - the possible consequences of abuse, intake in large quantities:

• Anxiety states;
• Insomnia;
• Stomach upset (diarrhea);
• High blood pressure;
• Arrhythmia (chronic heart disease);
• Osteoporosis;
• Obesity (if you abuse added sugar and cream);
• Lethal dose: 23 liters. (However, the same amount of water is also lethal).

These are dangerous properties of any type of coffee, not specifically “raw” brewed coffee.

Coffee has attracted people for thousands of years mainly because of its caffeine content, a government-sanctioned means of “altering the state of consciousness” (along with alcohol and tobacco), i.e., in a sense, a drug. But we shouldn’t forget about the aroma and taste of coffee, which is more important than anything else for connoisseurs and gourmets of coffee drinks. There is an abyss between cheap and dull-tasting “coffee from a bag” and natural coffee prepared by a professional from a coffee shop.

Thus, if we talk about the value of coffee, we have at least 3 scales:

1. Strength (the content of caffeine - a chemical substance, the benefits and harms of which scientists still debate fiercely);

2. The taste of the finished drink (largely depends not even on the variety, but on the skill and method of preparation!);

3. Useful and harmful properties (also largely depend on cooking).

For many people, the following are also important:

4. “carbon miles” embedded in the product that ended up on our table,

5. presence or absence of certification as “organic”,

6. ethical labor put into the product: some companies are certified as “free of child labor”, Fairtrade and other similar standards.

7. Product packaging can also be excessive and difficult to recycle, rational - average environmental friendliness - or minimal and easily recyclable, i.e. highly environmentally friendly. But how nice it would be if our habits did not cause much harm to the environment even after using the product!

In general, as in the case of the taste of coffee, the scale of “environmental friendliness” and ethicality of coffee is huge: from dubious powder produced as a result of child labor and the use of pesticides (often in Asian and African countries), to truly certified Organic, Fairtrade and freshly ground coffee packed in cardboard directly from the bag (this type of coffee is popular in developed countries such as the Russian Federation and the USA). All these “nuances,” you see, can make coffee “bitter” or “sweet”: as in the famous film by R. Polanski: “For her the Moon was bitter, but for me it was sweet like a peach”...

But now another scale, or indicator of coffee quality, has been added to this already rich taste and ethical-ecological bouquet:

8. cooking temperature! And it seems that along this line, raw foodists, vegans and vegetarians can easily win by doing…. "cold" coffee!

Be that as it may, while scientists argue about the benefits and harms of coffee (and tea), cold and hot, many consumers say “yes” to coffee and allow themselves a cup or two of the invigorating drink a day. Including, as a kind of “compensation” for giving up many other products of questionable usefulness or downright harmful: such as snacks, carbonated drinks, white bread, sugar and “junk food” from fast food establishments.

Interesting facts:

• Cold brew coffee is sometimes confused with “iced coffee” or simply cold coffee/iced coffee, which is traditionally included in the menu of almost all coffee shops. But iced coffee is not raw coffee, but regular espresso (single or double) poured over ice cubes, sometimes with the addition of caramel, ice cream, cream or milk, etc. And cold coffee frappe is generally made on the basis of instant powder.
• The fashion for cold brew coffee first appeared in... 1964, after the invention of the Toddy Method and the Toddy Machine - a patented glass for cold brew coffee authored by chemist Toddy Simpson. They say that “everything new is well forgotten old,” and indeed, it is difficult not to remember this saying when watching the growth of the cold brew coffee trend.

___ * It is known that drinking coffee in small quantities (1-3 cups per day) can increase the results of sports training by about 10%, helps reduce excess weight (because it dulls appetite), protects against a number of chronic diseases (including including rectal cancer, Alzheimer's disease), has anti-carcinogenic properties. According to the National Institutes of Health Research (USA) in 2015, several cups of coffee a day reduce the risk of death from any cause (except cancer) by 10%; also see more about the benefits of regular coffee consumption.

May reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease

In addition to improving your focus and mood, iced coffee can benefit your brain in other ways.

Caffeine stimulates your nervous system and can affect your brain function.

One recent study found that drinking coffee may protect your brain from age-related diseases ().

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are neurodegenerative diseases - meaning that they are caused by the death of brain cells that occurs over time. Both diseases can lead to dementia, a weakness that makes everyday activities difficult.

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by significant memory loss, while Parkinson's disease often causes physical tremors and stiffness ().

One observational study found that people who drank 3–5 cups of coffee a day in midlife had a 65% lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease later in life ().

Another observational study noted that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease. In fact, men who drink more than four cups of coffee a day are five times less likely to develop this disease (,).

It appears that some compounds in coffee, such as phenylindanes and the compounds harmane and non-garmane, provide protection against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease (, , , ).

Keep in mind that decaffeinated coffee does not have the same protective properties as caffeinated coffee ().

Summary:

Cold brew coffee contains compounds called phenylindanes, as well as lower amounts of harmane and non-garmane compounds. These compounds may help protect your brain from age-related diseases.

May be easier on your stomach than hot coffee

Many people avoid coffee because it is an acidic drink that can stimulate acid reflux.

Acid reflux is a condition in which stomach acid often flows from the stomach back into the esophagus, causing irritation ().

The acidity of coffee has also been blamed for other ailments such as indigestion and heartburn.

The pH scale measures how acidic or alkaline a solution is and ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral, lower numbers more acidic, and higher numbers more alkaline.

Iced and hot coffee typically have similar acidity levels, around 5–6 on the pH scale, although this can vary between individual varieties.

However, some studies have shown that cold brew is slightly less acidic, which means it may be less irritating to the stomach (,).

Another reason why this drink may be less irritating than hot coffee is because it contains unrefined polysaccharides.

These carbohydrates, or chains of sugar molecules, boost your digestive system's immunity. This can reduce intestinal irritation and the unpleasant effects of coffee's acidity on the stomach ().

Summary:

Cold brew coffee is only slightly less acidic than hot coffee, but contains compounds that can protect your stomach from that acidity. Thus, it may cause fewer unpleasant digestive symptoms than hot coffee.

May Help You Live Longer

Drinking iced coffee may reduce your overall risk of death, as well as death from diseases caused by specific diseases (, ,).

A long-term study of 229,119 men and 173,141 women aged 50–71 found that the more coffee people drank, the lower their risk of death from heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injury, accidents, diabetes and infections ( ).

One reason for this association may be that coffee is high in antioxidants.

Antioxidants are compounds that help prevent cell damage that can lead to chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. These diseases can significantly shorten your life expectancy.

Coffee contains powerful antioxidants such as polyphenols, hydroxycinnamates and chlorogenic acid (, ,).

Although research shows that hot coffee contains more antioxidants than cold coffee, the latter contains some very strong antioxidants such as caffeoylquinic acid (CCA) (,).

Summary:

Although cold coffee contains fewer antioxidants than hot coffee, it is full of compounds that have high antioxidant activity. Antioxidants help prevent diseases that can shorten your life expectancy.

How dangerous is it to drink iced coffee?

If you made a drink and it ended up sitting on the table for several hours, then it is better to stop drinking it. According to microbiologist and food scientist Brian Quoc Le, this is dangerous to health. According to him, black coffee is an unfavorable environment for the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, since it does not contain protein and sugar, so they have nothing to feed on. But if you added these products to the drink, you will no longer be able to drink it within a few hours. It can accumulate mold and some byproducts, which can be dangerous for people with allergies. Therefore, you need to think carefully before drinking coffee prepared the day before.

Iced and hot coffee contain the same amount of caffeine

Cold brew coffee is prepared as a concentrate intended to be diluted with water, usually in a 1:1 ratio.

The concentrate is incredibly strong on its own. In fact, undiluted, it contains about 200 mg of caffeine per cup.

However, diluting the concentrate, as is common practice, reduces the caffeine content of the final product, bringing it closer to that of regular coffee.

Although caffeine content may vary depending on brewing method, the difference in caffeine content between hot coffee and iced coffee is negligible ().

The average cup of hot coffee contains about 95 mg of caffeine, compared to about 100 mg for a typical cold brew.

Summary:

Iced coffee and hot coffee contain the same amount of caffeine. However, if you were to drink cold brew coffee without diluting it, you would get twice the caffeine.

Can coffee be too cold?

An obvious advantage of iced coffee is that it helps cool the body in hot weather. However, this should not be overdone. Nutritionists do not recommend drinking drinks whose temperature is below 12 degrees.

Lidiya Kvashnina

nutritionist

Most often, cold coffee is served with ice. And drinks with temperatures below 12-15 degrees expose the gastrointestinal tract to increased stress. They slow down digestive processes and block the ability of enzymes to effectively break down food.

Beating the heat: what to drink before training to gain strength?

What should you not mix alcohol with?

How to make iced coffee

So how do you make iced coffee? You can easily make iced coffee at home. Here is the recipe:

• First, buy whole roasted coffee beans from a local store or online and roughly grind them.
• Add 230 grams of ground coffee to a large jar and gently mix it with 2 cups (480 ml) water.
• Cover the jar and let the coffee steep in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.
• Place cheesecloth in a fine mesh strainer and pour the brewed coffee into another jar.
• Get rid of any particulate matter that accumulates on the gauze. The liquid that remains is your cold brew coffee concentrate.
• Cover the jar with an airtight lid and store the concentrate in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

When you're ready to drink it, add 1/2 cup (120 ml) cold water to 1/2 cup (120 ml) iced coffee concentrate. Add ice and cream to the cup if desired.

Summary:

Although brewing iced coffee takes significantly longer than preparing hot coffee, it is very easy to prepare at home. Mix coarsely ground coffee beans with cold water, let steep for 12–24 hours, strain, and then dilute the concentrate with water in a 1:1 ratio.

Best Recipes

Citrus coffee

First, you need to brew 300 ml of brewed coffee. You should wait until the liquid cools down.

After this, you need to take a shaker or a screw-on container. It contains 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, preferably freshly squeezed, 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and crushed ice. The components are poured with coffee. The mixture needs to be shaken well. Serve nicely in a glass with a slice of lime.

Coffee with cola and cherry juice

100 ml of coffee is mixed with ice cubes. Add 50 ml of cherry juice and 50 ml of Coca-Cola. Everything is mixed and the drink is ready. It cooks very quickly.

Mint chocolate iced coffee

You need to brew 300-350 ml of coffee and melt 30-50 g of chocolate while still hot. Add 50 g of ice cream, ice cubes crushed in a blender and up to 4 tablespoons of mint liqueur or syrup to the cooled drink. After stirring the mixture, you need to add another 30 g of ice cream and sprinkle with crushed ice. Before serving, you can decorate with grated chocolate or mint leaves.

Summarize

• Iced coffee is a pleasant alternative to hot coffee that you can easily prepare at home.
• It has many of the same beneficial properties, but is less sour and less bitter, which may make it more easily tolerated by sensitive people.
• If you want to try something new, try iced coffee and compare it to your regular cup of hot coffee.

The article was prepared by experts for informational purposes only. It should not be used as a guide for treating medical conditions and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. In case of illness or any symptoms, you should always consult a doctor and not self-medicate.

Tags: Coffee

About the author: Alexander Fedorov

Candidate of Biological Sciences, biologist, nutrition expert. Graduated from Stavropol State University with a degree in Biology at the Faculty of Biology and Chemistry.

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