Instant Coffee Health Risks – is Instant Coffee Bad for You?

It is a myth that instant coffee poses a significant health risk, or is any more dangerous than regular coffee.  The main negative health consequences you can get from drinking instant coffee are the caffeine, unless you drink decaffeinated, and the various toxins that are present in low quantities in all types of coffee.

Healthfulness of instant coffee versus brewed coffee

Chemically, instant coffee and brewed coffee are virtually the same, the only difference is in the way the products are produced.  Instant coffee is either freeze-dried or spray dried after the brewing process in order to dehydrate the coffee.  The consumer simply rehydrates the coffee when he places the instant coffee grounds in a couple of hot water.

But the coffee itself that is processed by the digestive system is virtually the same.  There are no added chemicals or additives in instant coffee that should pose a danger to your health.

The only thing you need to be careful of with instant coffee is watching your caffeine intake, and to be cognizant of the risks involved with becoming addicted to caffeine.  There are also various toxins, at low levels, that a president coffee.

Instant coffee can raise blood glucose levels in some people

Some studies have also shown that coffee has an effect on blood sugar regulation in some individuals.  Some sensitive people find that their blood glucose levels rise after they consume coffee.

If you are overweight or otherwise at risk for developing type II diabetes, it would be a good idea for you to test your blood sugar level after consuming instant coffee to see if it has any effect.

The evidence is still out, however, on this issue because some studies have shown that coffee has the exact opposite effect and that it lowers the risk of developing type II diabetes.  There is very conflicting information currently on this issue, so it is best to take it on a case-by-case basis.

Conclusion:  instant coffee is not bad for you so enjoy it in moderation

The bottom line is that currently there is no evidence that instant coffee poses any risk your health.  You should drink in moderation because of its high caffeine content, and the fact that coffee is highly addictive because of this.  But you shouldn’t have any worries that instant coffee is anymore unhealthy than regular coffee.

Instant coffee may not have the same depth of flavor that an espresso brewed coffee may have, but if you find the convenience of the product worthwhile then by all means, enjoy your daily cup of instant Joe.  It is not my first choice, because I consider myself a coffee connoisseur, but to each his own.