The nation’s top nutrition panel recently did something it has never done before.

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion weighed in on whether people should be drinking coffee.

Beyond that, the panel offered an unusual suggestion for coffee drinkers.

The ODPHP suggested that coffee lovers stop worrying about whether their beloved drink is bad for them.

But more interestingly, they said coffee lovers might even want to consider drinking a bit more!

Why You Might Want to Go for That Refill …

“We saw that coffee has a lot of health benefits,” said Miriam Nelson, a professor at Tufts University and one of the committee’s members.

“Specifically, when you’re drinking more than a couple cups per day,” she added

So not only can you continue to drink coffee, these experts say you could drink even more … up to five cups a day.

I’m a big fan of coffee myself. So, I commend the ODPHP for this welcome recommendation.

But the government agency forgot to mention the most important part of coffee consumption.

And that is quality.

A Pound of Prevention

You don’t need to pay big bucks to really take advantage of coffee’s many health benefits.

But you do need to make sure you’re drinking only the highest-quality, lowest-toxin coffee.

And that all starts with your coffee beans.

The debate about whether or not coffee is healthy has dragged on for quite some time.

That’s because studies that attempt to link coffee to health don’t control for two important considerations:

•  Processing methods, or

•  The source of the beans.

This means coffee beans used in lab studies were likely contaminated with something called mycotoxins.

Avoid the Mold

Mycotoxins are damaging compounds created by molds which grow on coffee beans (among other things).

Some types of coffee have more mycotoxins than others. That’s why you see some studies showing a benefit to drinking coffee, and others showing negative health effects.

I’m not talking about a “coffee buzz” and potential sleeplessness, shakiness or other temporary symptoms.

These molds can cause many health problems including cardiomyopathy, cancer, hypertension, kidney disease and even brain damage.

The problem isn’t coffee, though. It’s the mold on your coffee.

Mycotoxins are in almost all low-quality brands of coffee. One study showed that 91.7% of green coffee beans were contaminated with mold. (You can click here for the full study.)

This is before the beans were processed, which allows even more mold to grow.

What Goes into a Healthy Cup of Coffee?

It’s important to get all the benefits of coffee without the negative health effects.

What many of us consider “regular” coffee may not be “healthy” coffee.

As java junkies, we need to make sure we are drinking high-quality, low-toxin coffee. That means …

•  The beans should be harvested from a single family-owned estate. The estate should not allow chemicals (herbicides, pesticides, etc.).

•  The place where the coffee beans are grown should be at least 1,200 meters (about three-quarters of a mile) above sea level. This is the level some experts consider high enough to produce high-quality coffee.

•  Experienced coffee harvesters should hand-pick the coffee beans — skilled people who know how to pick only perfectly ripe berries.

•  The beans that form the basis of our morning joe should be carefully produced. They should be tested with new and old methods to target the lowest toxin content vs. normal coffee.

Most coffee beans are processed by leaving them in the sun and elements to wither and dry. An alternate process is to press them and allow them to ferment (spoil) to remove the outer layer of the bean.

That doesn’t sound very appetizing, does it?

Both techniques are known to enhance flavor, but they also lower the bean quality. Worse, they produce significant levels of mycotoxins.

There are a couple more steps to making sure you’re coffee is fit for you to drink …

•  High-quality, low-toxin beans should be mechanically processed right after picking, using only clean cold water. This more-expensive process is safer. That’s because it dramatically reduces harmful molds or bacteria that could damage your health.

•  And finally, the beans should be roasted in small batches under the strictest conditions.Roasting the beans enhances their antioxidant power to provide you with a healthier, tastier cup of coffee.

Now, that might sound like a pretty tall order, just to make sure you’re drinking the right kind of coffee.

That’s why I’ve already found for you what I believe to be the highest-quality, lowest-toxin beans on the market.

Below are three brands worth considering when it comes to sourcing your coffee beans.

•  Upgraded Coffee

•  Caveman Coffee

•  Longevity Coffee

I have no affiliation with any of these companies; they are simply the best when it comes to the quality of their coffee beans.

As always, I ask that you do your due diligence on the healthy ideas I offer each week. Be sure to check with your doctor to see how coffee fits into your healthy routine. If so, I encourage you to consider upgrading your regular joe.

Just remember, sourcing your coffee beans is critical if you want to reap the many health benefits of coffee.

To your health and wealth,

Brad Hoppmann
Publisher
Uncommon Wisdom Daily