Coffee on a diet.

In our editorial team, we recently had a discussion about whether or not we can live without coffee. And if you can, how can you replace it?

The history and origins of coffee are not fully known, but it is assumed that the first references to this black beverage date back to the 9th century in modern-day Ethiopia. Coffee was not thought to have arrived in Poland until several hundred years later, around the 16th century.

According to the latest statistics, it is estimated that the average person on our planet consumes more than one kilogram of coffee a year. The real record-holders, however, are the Finns, who consume an average of 12 kilograms of the beverage per year – in contrast, in Poland, we consume less than 2.5 kilograms of coffee per head per year.

Well, now that we have the most important statistics behind us, let’s move on to the aforementioned discussion. What do we really value coffee the most? Among its most important qualities, three are most often mentioned: it gives us energy, we like the taste or we drink it for certain health benefits. In fact, each of these three points can be disputed, but today we will focus on something else.

Is it possible to replace coffee?

Here it is immediately worth asking the second question – why should we do this? There are several reasons, but most of them come down to health contraindications. With classic coffee, large doses of caffeine can cause excessive muscle cell and heart activity, which in turn very often leads to disorders of the nervous system. Pregnant and breastfeeding women in particular should be careful with the amount of the drink they consume.

Coffee can also cause indigestion, stomach pain, burning in the oesophagus, intestinal cramps, nausea or even pressure in the liver and gallbladder area. Naturally, there is also quite a large group of people who simply do not like the taste of coffee or have become bored with it and the “ritual” of consuming it. What to do when we cannot or do not want to drink coffee?

The most popular substitutes with health contraindications are those without caffeine. These include decaffeinated coffee, cereal coffee and, for example, ginger root. In the case of the former, the almost identical taste and aroma will be a huge advantage for coffee drinkers, while the second and third options have a number of health-promoting properties.

How much caffeine does coffee have?

Depending on how it is prepared and its volume, we can find the following caffeine doses in coffee:

• espresso – 65 mg of caffeine in 25-35 ml of coffee,
• brewed coffee – up to 140 mg of caffeine in 250 ml of coffee,
• drip coffee – up to 240 mg of caffeine in 250 ml of coffee,
• instant coffee – up to 80 mg of caffeine in 220 ml of coffee.

When looking for alternatives that have caffeine and have similar stimulating properties to the black beverage, it is definitely worth starting with tea. As with coffee, the caffeine dose will depend on the length of brewing and the quality and type of leaves. White tea, for example, can have as much as over 70 mg of caffeine per standard cup of infusion; in a cup of Earl Grey you’ll find 40 mg.

It is only one step from tea to Yerba, which is becoming increasingly popular on the Polish market. Not everyone will like the intensive and specific taste of Yerba Mate, but in terms of caffeine content it is only slightly below coffee.

Other healthy substitutes for coffee include matcha, guarana, cocoa and green coffee. The latter received a lot of attention a few years ago when its positive effect on weight loss was studied. It differs from the classic black coffee in that its beans have not been roasted, which reduces its aroma, but it does have more antioxidants.

Unhealthy alternatives

There are also not entirely healthy substitutes on the market, foods that are heavily processed or have a very high sugar content. These include caffeinated sweets, gum, bars and energy bars.

Energy drinks are one of the most popular coffee substitutes. They are characterised by very high sugar levels and high calories of 40-50 kcal per 100 ml. In addition, a standard can contains between 80 and 120 mg of caffeine.

Coffee on a diet – can you or can’t you?

We usually drink coffee to get started because of its stimulating properties. The principle of caffeine’s action is to dilate peripheral blood vessels, which results in oxygenation of the body. This makes it easier to concentrate, collect our thoughts or cope with the feeling of sleepiness. What is more important, caffeine does not have addictive properties, so in the case of coffee, we can talk about a habit or habit of drinking rather than addiction to it.

At the same time, it is worth bearing in mind the previously mentioned contraindications to health; if very large quantities of coffee are consumed, for example, it can also lead to calcium leaching from the bones or to caffeine-induced nervousness. The latter occurs when the concentration of caffeine in the body is too high, which in turn leads to increased irritability, irritability, racing thoughts and difficulty falling asleep.

But to answer the most important question – yes, you can drink coffee on a diet. We recommend that you consume no more than 2 cups of unsweetened coffee per day while on a diet. Remember that the maximum daily dose of caffeine should also not exceed 300 mg – tea and other drinks are also included in this balance. Naturally, black coffee, without milk or sugar, will also be significantly less calorific.

Product	Energy value
3-in-1 coffee drink in a sachet	100 kcal
Ready-made coffee creamer	100 kcal
half a glass of 3.2% milk	65 kcl
teaspoon of white sugar	40 kcal
black coffee without sugar	5-20 kcal

Be sure to let us know in the comments if you’ve tried substituting coffee in any way, how it worked for you and what your favourite type of coffee is.

If you want to monitor your caffeine intake, use the Fitatu app. More information about Fitatu can be found at: https://www.fitatu.com/