Past few years people are researching on benefits of coffee more than ever. Do they lower the diseases like heart diseases or Parkinson’s to having a large number of antioxidants? These caffeine-containing beans are one of the blessings.
So, most of the research shows how much coffee is beneficial for us. This makes people wonder what if we eat the beans directly? Will that give us more benefits?
So, the question is roaming around the world, but also the question “Why one should even consider eating beans?” is also popular. What if you have just purchased a good packet of whole beans. It would go to waste?
First, let’s get to know the basics of beans and about eating them.
Is Coffee Edible?
Let’s not keep messing around, as we all know the simple and short answer is yes! you can munch on coffee beans.
It’s obvious, right? We have at some point seen a chocolate cover showing coffee beans. It means coffee beans can be consumed. The real and intriguing question is are you willing to eat them?
Which One to Eat?
First, let us see what are coffee beans exactly.
Do you know where they come from? Coffee beans are found on coffee plants. They are harvested from the coffee cherries by either machines or humans. There are many ways of doing this job, then they are stored as green beans.
So, while we are considering eating them, we should think about both green and roasted.
Eating non-roasted is a way of eating too, but it might not be liked by everyone. People who have eaten them describe as tasting like grass or wood and very acidic because they don’t form any caramelized taste without the roasting process. And of course, they will be hard as they are beans. It will be difficult for you to chew.
While roasted beans are much better in taste. Pleasant flavor and won’t be as hard as green beans. Still, they are a little hard.
Difference between Drink and Beans
So, they both have the same effects whether you eat or drink. But even if the benefits are great the side effects are much worse.
Now, we know what coffee beans are how they are. And also, we know they are indeed edible. Now, let us see what are the benefits and other negative effects of consuming these pre-roasted beans.
The Advantages
Let’s start with something good let us see what benefits are brought by directly munching on beans rather than brewing and drinking.
Antioxidants – Mostly coffee beans’ health benefits come from high concentrated antioxidants which come in form of acids. To be specific, it is chlorogenic acid. Cardiovascular and inflammation are reduced by these phenolic acids.
Green beans have almost double the antioxidants that in green tea. Per gram of beans contain about 150 mg of antioxidants. While roasting these antioxidants are reduced to almost 50-70 percent. And more of it is gone while brewing.
So, if what you are looking for is antioxidants then eating green or light roasted beans is a good way.
Fibers- Beans have a lot of fiber in them. With just 30 beans you can get almost 3 grams of fiber, or you will get 10 percent of what you should eat every day. And on the other hand, you get 0 percent of fiber from brewed coffee.
There are many ways fiber can benefit your body. For instance, it can bulk up your stool when it passes through the digestive tract. Also, it will make you feel full even after consuming a small amount of food. It is good for weight management.
Caffeine- You will consume much more caffeine if you eat instead of drink coffee. Caffeine is absorbed through mucous membranes from the mouth.
Some research has shown caffeine can benefit you by improving memory, mental health, decrease chances of type 2 diabetes, and lower fatigue.
But people who are trying to put a hold on their caffeine intake, for example, pregnant women or if you have a baby to breastfeed, or people having high blood pressure should stick to drinking brewed coffee as it will contain less caffeine.
If you have a sleeping problem try to stay as far away as possible from eating beans. Because caffeine can cause sleep disruptions, mostly at night. Per coffee bean will contain almost 5-10 mg of caffeine, and the recommended consumption of caffeine is 400 mg per day.
Disadvantages
Heartburn- People suffering from acid sensitivity can give you really painful burning in your middle body. And knowing beans contain more acid eating them will be a big No!
Along with the acid they already contain, they also have many other acids like caffeine or catechols which can boost the production of acid in your stomach. And these acids are more in beans than in a brewed coffee.
Cholesterol- There are some proofs of an increase in bad cholesterol (Low-Density Lipoprotein) by eating more than by drinking. Because there are 2 compounds kahweol and cafestol in coffee beans 10-40 times more than in brew.
Still, this is not for sure that there is any relation between cholesterol and eating beans. It is still smart, to avoid it if you have any cholesterol-related issues.
Laxative Effect- Without going deeper into the details, it is known that coffee gives a laxative effect which is good for you most of the time. However, taking it in a bulk quantity can have a problem for you. So, think before taking beans as they can bring discomfort for you.
Taste- Maybe you love that dark strong taste of espresso or black coffee, but it is nowhere close to what coffee beans taste.
It is for sure most people would avoid eating beans because of the taste or texture. But there are ways to eat them for a delicious experience.
The most loved way might be eating beans by dipping them into melted chocolate. This not only makes it tastier but also increases fat and sugar content. One more way of eating unroasted beans is to eat them with something already beaked. Maybe with protein-rich shakes.
So, Eat or Not?
So here you go, you got to know that only beans can be eaten but also, they might be used as a medicine. You are safe unless you have high cholesterol, acid reflux or you are pregnant. Adding coffee beans to your diet can be healthy for you.
So, you like eating them directly or covered in chocolate? You like green or roasted? It really cannot be answered until you try it yourself. So just make sure you are on the safe side and have a bite of this natural phenomenon.
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