Heart palpitations after drinking coffee are not the fault of caffeine! The real culprit is this...

Are you a coffee addict who loves drinking coffee? It is hard to imagine that Taiwan consumes hundreds of billions of cups of coffee every year. However, how to enjoy the health benefits of coffee is a science. Studies have shown that drinking a good cup of fine coffee can protect the liver, aid metabolism, and even prevent dementia; however, some people may experience discomfort such as palpitations and headaches after drinking coffee. Why is there such a big difference? Come and listen to the detailed explanation from a professional baker.

Drinking coffee has many health benefits, roasters share their experience

Many people have a special liking for drinking coffee, and even feel listless if they don't drink it. Some people feel that they have become healthier after drinking coffee for many years. Jian Ziluan, a professional roaster certified by the International Coffee Specialties Association, shared his experience as a person who has experienced it. He said that he started drinking coffee more than 10 years ago. At that time, he was only in his 20s but he suffered from gout, with an average of three attacks per year. After he started drinking coffee for a period of time, he felt that the chance of gout attacks was significantly reduced. In order to share the health benefits of drinking coffee with everyone, I have been focusing on coffee research and improving roasting techniques since 4 or 5 years ago, hoping to bring a cup of high-quality specialty coffee to coffee lovers.

Jian Zihong, CEO of Qiao Yu Company, said that a good cup of coffee first depends on the coffee bean variety. There are currently three main coffee bean varieties, including Arabica, Robusta and Liberica. Arabica has diverse flavors, but the tree is delicate, prone to pests and diseases, and difficult to care for. Robusta is drought-resistant and easy to grow, but its caffeine content is 3 to 5 times higher than Arabica. Therefore, better boutique coffees are made from Arabica.

Lightly roasted coffee has a variety of flavors, including fruity and floral aromas.

In addition, coffee roasting technology is also critical. It is best to use light roasting during the roasting process to retain more chlorogenic acid. Chlorogenic acid is the main component that affects the fruit acid taste in coffee and is also a good antioxidant. Antioxidants can alleviate cell inflammation, protect cells in the body from attack, and have the effect of fighting aging and disease. Lightly roasted coffee will produce fruity and floral aromas, and you can taste aromas of fruit lemon, black currant, oxalic acid, etc.; if the coffee is heavily roasted, only the burnt bitter taste will remain, and the taste will be relatively flat. Therefore, it is recommended to drink good coffee for good health, and it is best to choose lightly roasted high-quality coffee.

Drink coffee safely to avoid ochratoxins

Coffee not only has a multi-layered flavor and a good taste, but safety is more important. Nowadays, imported coffee beans are shipped by ship, which often takes several months. Due to improper storage, they are prone to mold. The most powerful toxin is "ochratoxin" in coffee beans. Ochratoxins are toxins produced when improper storage of grains leads to excessive growth of mold. The most important source of ochratoxin in coffee beans is raw beans. If the temperature and humidity of the raw beans are not properly controlled during the pre-processing process, including the seeds, seed coats, and pulp, they may be affected by mold.

Ochratoxin not only damages the liver, but also the kidneys. Ochratoxins must be exposed to a high temperature of 220 degrees for 5 minutes to destroy 70% of them; however, it is difficult to reach such a high temperature of 200 degrees when roasting coffee beans, and the time is only a dozen seconds at most. Therefore, it is difficult to remove ochratoxins using roasting methods. The best way is to directly test the imported raw beans to eliminate the possibility of eating beans containing ochratoxin to ensure safety.

Three conditions for good coffee: good coffee beans, light roasting, and proper brewing

Why does some people experience palpitations, night sweats, and insomnia after drinking coffee? In addition to excessive caffeine intake, Jian Zihong said that defective beans are also related. Coffee may become moldy or over-fermented during the growing or processing process. Therefore, it is necessary to first remove the defective beans in order to obtain good raw beans to make good coffee, and be careful not to roast them too heavily, light roasting is better; and adopt a suitable brewing method. These three elements combined are the important conditions for making good coffee.

Remind that the certification standards for "specialty coffee" include: "non-toxic, effective, and healthy". Consumers should choose coffee that has passed SGS's 470 pesticide tests, has no pesticide and ochratoxin residues, has a roasting date, and is marked with the roaster's signature, indicating that this batch of beans has been roasted by professional roasters based on the best characteristics of the beans, so it can have the best flavor.

In addition, it is not recommended to store coffee beans in the refrigerator. Strange odors will enter the coffee beans, and moisture will directly stick to them when they are taken out, which is not conducive to preservation. Therefore, just put them in a cool and dry place. Buy fresh coffee beans and drink them within 3 months. Don’t buy large packages. It is best to package them in small, opaque kraft paper bags equipped with a one-way exhaust valve.