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Coffee – When is the best time to drink it?

Coffee is undisputedly the Germans’ favorite drink, with almost one in three people drinking it several times a day. According to the German Coffee Association, each person in Germany consumed an average of 169 liters of coffee in 2021, one liter more than in the previous year. Most people drink it to wake up in the morning. But is that really the ideal time?

Coffee is also the best pick-me-up for me. And it’s healthy too, if various studies are anything to go by. They say that a daily cup of caffeine can promote heart and brain health. And that coffee, when drunk without sugar – thanks to the antioxidants contained in the coffee plant – can offer numerous health benefits such as boosting the metabolism. It is also said to prevent heart failure and strokes.

And finally, the caffeine it contains makes us more alert. However, the wake-up argument is not valid forever. This is because the body gets used to the caffeine kick in the morning over time, which is why it becomes less sensitive to the stimulant over time. This means that you then need more and more coffee to wake you up.

The right coffee timing

Whether with any kind of milk or black, with sugar or (even better!) without – it’s not so much how you drink your coffee, but when. With the right timing, negative effects can be avoided. However, there is no set time for the first coffee of the day. However, a new study has found that drinking coffee too early after getting up can have a negative impact on health.

At least that’s the opinion of US neuroscientist Steven Miller, who took a closer look at coffee consumption. His question was when the optimal time for coffee is. As people have different daily routines, the result cannot be generalized. However, he was certain that the best time to drink your first coffee is one to one and a half hours after getting up.

Additional cortisol boost

Why is this the case? Between 8 and 9 in the morning, the body already produces more of the wake-up hormone cortisol. If you then give it a coffee to wake you up, according to the study, the hormone level can reach an increased stress level, which is associated with an increased susceptibility to illness and weight gain.

On the other hand, drinking your first coffee between 9.30 and 11.30 am or between 1.30 and 5 pm is a great way to boost your energy and performance. This is because the body is already in a cortisol low during these phases and can tolerate the caffeine boost. You shouldn’t drink any more coffee after this time. This is especially true for people who find it difficult to fall asleep at night. Caffeine can disrupt the sleep rhythm, as it works for around eight hours and can still be present in the body before going to bed.

How much is too much?

Is there also a guideline for how much coffee we should consume? If you frequently reach for a cup of coffee, you will find that you have to go to the toilet more often. This is because the beloved hot drink has a diuretic effect and tends to dehydrate the body. That’s why you should also drink plenty of water to replenish the body’s moisture stores. It is not without reason that you are always served a glass of water with your coffee in Austrian coffee houses.

What you should also know: Excessive caffeine consumption can increase oestrogen levels, which can lead to weight gain. Scientists therefore recommend limiting daily consumption to 500 mg of caffeine. In cups, that’s no more than four. Of course, there are alternatives to coffee, but they are not for everyone. They won’t please die-hard fans of the black hot drink like me.

Mugdha Pradhan, nutritionist and founder of iThrive, India’s first online Functional Nutrition Academy, recommends: Yerba mate, a traditional South American tea. It provides a gentle energy boost without forcing an abrupt caffeine spike and is rich in antioxidants. Hot cocoa made from pure cocoa nibs and coconut milk can also improve mood and motivation.

The best water

To make a really tasty coffee, you need the right water, at least according to the coffee experts. “The ideal hardness range is between five and eight carbonate hardness,” says Thomas Steinke, board member of the Dinzler coffee roasting company in Irschenberg, Bavaria. This brings out the best in the aromas. If the water is too soft, the acids in the coffee dominate, while the bitter substances come to the fore if the water is harder. You can find out the degree of hardness in your home region from your local water supplier. Either directly on their website or on request. If you want to know exactly, you can also have a water sample analyzed in the laboratory.

Therefore, do not make coffee with plain tap water. A professional water filter is best, but a normal, commercially available continuous-flow filter will also do. Not only does the coffee benefit from the filtered water, but the machine also does not scale up so quickly. And the water used to make coffee should always be fresh. Therefore, if you have a fully automatic machine with a large tank, be sure to change the water regularly. Portafilter machines with a larger brewing boiler also benefit from regular water changes.

Some people swear by bottled mineral water. This is also an option, especially in areas where the water is chlorinated. But it also contains limescale. That’s why you can’t avoid regular machine cleaning – neither with a water filter nor with mineral water.

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