Coffee for health
Inside these ripening Rubiaceae cherries are coffee beans... and they're bursting with antioxidants.
By following following the science and harnessing nature, we've crafted the healthiest possible coffee for both you and the planet.
Our lab results & certificationsOur Process
Believe it or not, coffee beans aren't beans at all, they're actually the seeds of a fruit which grows on a tree!
Through poor processing and over roasting coffee can lose most of it's natural, fruity goodness. But worse still, most acquire potentially harmful contaminants like mycotoxins and pesticides (1).
Exhale coffee looks and tastes like any other. But our unique process involving 9 different, independent lab tests locks in more of coffee's healthiest compounds while keeping out the bad. All done in the most sustainable way, without sacrificing on taste.
Our 3 pillars of health, sustainability and taste are equally prioritised through every stage of our process.
An F&B revolution
We believe food is medicine
We're a chronically sick society. 40% of adults have at least one long-term health condition.
Food has the power to both prevent and heal. So if food is medicine, imagine the potential if all the food we consume was treated with the same love and care we treat our coffee?
We share the blueprint of our process above in the hope that it inspires other businesses to join our mission and to produce food in a more naturally healthy way.
Our independent lab tests
For your health
Our process involved 9 different tests at independent laboratories across Europe to find a coffee with more of the good stuff and less of the bad.
We're constantly testing coffees from across the globe looking for the next best thing.
Here's what we test for, along with certificates. There are too many to upload and refresh them all so if you want a certificate for a specific coffee please email hey@exhalecoffee.com and Laura will be happy to help.
You can learn more about what all this means for your health over on our Science page.
The science on coffeeAntioxidants
We all need antioxidants to fight stress and help us recover from our increasingly hectic lifestyles. Our bodies produce some, but if you're over stressed, perhaps because of work, live in a polluted city, aren't sleeping enough or are overtraining you probably need more.
Multiple studies show coffee is the single biggest source of antioxidants in the Western diet contributing up to 66% of your total dietary intake (2). Which is mind boggling.
Exhale Coffee has been independently verified to provide the equivalent of 12 punnets of blueberries or 55 oranges worth of antioxidants in one single cup!
Our full, 15-page Antioxidant lab report
Chlorogenic Acid
Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is the most abundant and the most researched polyphenol in coffee and studies show it has antioxidant, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and neuroprotective effects to name a few.
It would be reductionist to credit all of coffee's health benefits to CGA, but it's the compound (or actually group of compounds) cited by the most studies as being responsible for coffee's benefits.
Most of our process is focused on crafting a coffee high in CGAs, while still optimising for other, well-studied, healthy compounds such as melanoidins, cafestol and kahweol.
We've tested for CGAs perhaps close to 100 times but attached is one such certificate.
Polyphenols
Polyphenols are plant-based phytonutrients which have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in human.
They also promote a variety of other mechanisms in the body which support your brain health, gut health and liver health to name a few.
It's coffee's polyphenols (specifically chlorogenic acid) which are most often cited as being responsible for coffees health benefits.
Vitamins
Coffee is a natural source of an array of vitamins and minerals including riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B5, calcium, sodium, magnesium and potassium.
But it is especially high in vitamin B3 with 2 cups providing 20% of your RDA. This makes it one of your diets richest sources behind meats.
Mould and Yeast
Moulds and yeasts produce mycotoxins. These pose a 'serious risk to human health' and is a particular issue in coffee with one study showing it provides 12% of your total daily exposure to them!
Read more in our article 'Mycotoxins in coffee: Do we really need to avoid them?'
This is why it's important to drink a coffee that's been independently lab tested to be free from them.
Pesticides
Coffee is one of the worlds most sprayed crops with pesticides. Some say it's the most sprayed food crop!
Non-organic pesticides have proven, detrimental effects on both human health and environmental health. One in-particular, Glyphosate, has received especially bad press for destroying our planet.
Read more in our article on 'Is Organic Coffee better for you or the planet?'
We buy coffee only from organic farms, then lab test to ensure it's free from pesticides.
Ochratoxin A (a mycotoxin)
Ochratoxin A is a type of mycotoxin. These pose a 'serious risk to human health' and is a particular issue in coffee.
Read more in our article 'Mycotoxins in coffee: Do we really need to avoid them?'
This is why it's important to drink a coffee that's been independently lab tested to be free from them.
Aflatoxins (a mycotoxin)
Aflatoxin is a type of mycotoxin. These pose a 'serious risk to human health' and is a particular issue in coffee.
Read more in our article 'Mycotoxins in coffee: Do we really need to avoid them?'
This is why it's important to drink a coffee that's been independently lab tested to be free from them.
Heavy Metals
From our research, heavy metals are less of an issue in coffee than moulds, mycotoxins and pesticides which we should all avoid. But if you already know you have an issue with them, then it is worth drinking a lab tested coffee like Exhale.
Bonus: Caffeine
We continually test our coffees for a variety of the above compounds under different conditions.
But recently, we tested all three of our coffees for caffeine.
Read more about those results in our article 'The caffeine content of Exhale Coffees'
Our sustainability certificates
For the planet's health
We believe waste is a dirty word so tirelessly searched to find our plastic free, compostable packaging. And we're pretty proud of it!
We want to do things in the right way. Ethical sourcing, organic farming practices and the highest levels of sustainability are all minimum requirements in our supply chain.
We're not perfect, but we're genuinely trying the best we can.
Here are a few of the certificates we've acquired along the way, but you can learn more on our Sustainability Page.
Sustainability commitmentsB Corp
Since before we launched our impact on the planet has been considered at every stage of our process and throughout our supply chain.
Honestly, there could be a healthier coffee out there, but if for example it didn't pay a fair price to the farmer we wouldn't touch it.
After 2 years of hard work since before we launched, in July 2022 our efforts were recognised and we became a fully certified B Corp.
B Corps are a new wave of business that have committed, legally, to use business as a force for good. To equally prioritise our impact on the planet and society alongside profits.
1% For the Planet
1% For the Planet is an international organisation whose members contribute at least 1% of annual revenue to environmental causes protecting the environment. This offers accountability, prevents greenwashing and "certifies reputable giving".
We're proud to be supporting coral reef restoration projects through Counting Coral, and the protection of our natural environments through Trash Free Trails. Read more on our Sustainability page.
Soil Association Organic
See above for our views on the use of pesticides. Or read more about organic farming in our article 'Is Organic Coffee better for you or the planet?'
For confirmation of our Soil Association Organic certification
Plastic free & Compostable
"Plastic pollution is growing relentlessly as waste management and recycling fall short"
- OECD Global Plastics Outlook - 2022
Only 9% of plastic waste is recycled globally, and it's only marginally better in the UK at 14%. The rest, 91%, ends up in landfill, incinerated or uncollected.
Rather than being part of the problem, we took the bold decision to go plastic free despite it costing us more. We use compostable pouches made 100% from non-GMO plants from renewable sources.
It's not the perfect solution (we're constantly on the hunt for that) but we've saved 1.4 tonnes of single use plastic from landfill and our oceans already.
We also took a huge stride towards the perfect solution when in March 2023 we switched to only offer 2x the coffee in the same sized pouches - halving the amount of packaging we use overnight.
FSC Certified
All paper and cardboard we use comes from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified sources. I.e. well-managed, renewable forests.
The FSC is a not-for-profit organisation established to promote the responsible management of the world's forests.
We hold the highest standards, not only of ourselves, but of all of our partners across our entire supply chain.
We buy our mailer boxes from Lil Packaging. You can read more about their FSC certified sources on their website here. They're also pretty epic across the board with regard to sustainability.
We buy our printed materials from Print UK. You can read all about their awesome environmental pledges on their website here.
Fair Trade
Our current coffee is Fair Trade certified, but most speciality coffees aren't certified so our next one may not be.
Fair Trade certification is more relevant for low grade coffees - it guarantees a minimum price is paid to the farm but this is still a fairly low price. It perhaps works well for some generally lower quality or commodity coffees, but even then it has it's critics.
We only buy speciality grade coffee which, because of it's high quality, attracts a price many times more than the Fair Trade price.
Mountain Water Process
Our organic decaf has been decaffeinated using the Mountain Water Process which uses only the purest glacial water from the highest mountain in Mexico, the Pico De Orizaba, and absolutely no nasty chemicals.
Read all about it in our article 'What's the deal with decaf'
Our non-negotiables
For sensational taste
Can you imagine a life without delicious coffee? We can't. So we're on a mission to prove you don't have to sacrifice taste when making healthier choices.
We source speciality grade beans then comparative taste test at every stage to guarantee an incredible tasting cup of coffee - both with and without milk!
Try a 150g Taster PackSpeciality Grade
The world’s best coffees are scored by the Speciality Coffee Association out of 100. Speciality grade coffees must score over 80/100 and represent the world’s most exciting and best tasting coffee’s. Ours scored 84 which puts it in the top few percent of coffees globally for taste and traceability.
Small batch roasted
Our coffee is roasted in small batches by our roasting partners and bff's at Press in Brixton on their 12kg Giesen. We're based out of their roastery ourselves too so work closely with them.
Larger, industrial-scale roasters simply can't achieve the same quality in terms of roast consistency and taste. They also can't achieve the same nuanced control over the roasting process to maximise the health benefits in our coffee without sacrificing the taste. Believe us, we've tested them too!
Taste testing
At every stage of our process listed above we taste test our coffees. A process called 'cupping'. If a crop of coffee, or a roast profile doesn't taste good enough we exclude it and don't even send for lab testing.
In theory there could be a better way of roasting our coffee to obtain higher levels of say CGAs, but it simply didn't taste good enough.
The secret to health optimisation is consistency. And the most effective healthy swaps are the ones you can consistently stick to for the rest of your life!
We're massive coffee geeks and so Exhale coffee had to taste good enough for us and our customers to drink everyday for the rest of their lives!
We think we've found it and hope you agree.
Fresh roasted
Coffee's healthiest compounds start to slowly degrade from the moment it's roasted. From our own tests they degrade by 12% after 6 weeks (or just 2% if stored in an Airscape storage container!).
Coffee also starts to stale and lose it's delicious and more nuanced flavours, espeically if buying ground coffee.
Coffee is a fresh product and you want to drink it that way.
So we roast our coffee weekly for that week's orders.
For our full guide explaining why coffee is both healthier and more delicious when fresh as well as tips on how to keep it fresh for longer, read our full guide on how to store coffee.
100% Arabica
There are 2 main varieties of coffee - Arabica and Robusta (although there are dozens more that aren't commonly used).
Arabica coffee generally has a more complex and nuanced flavor profile compared to Robusta coffee. Arabica beans are known for their delicate and flavorful notes, often with a fruity or floral aroma, and a range of flavors that can include caramel, chocolate, nutty, and even citrusy notes.
On the other hand, Robusta coffee tends to have a more straightforward, earthy, and bitter taste. It is often used in blends or for making espresso due to its strong, bold flavor and high caffeine content.
In terms of quality, Arabica coffee is generally considered superior to Robusta coffee and so is the only one considered for 'Speciality Grade' status.
Single Origin
Buying single origin coffee is better for both for the coffee drinker and for the coffee industry as a whole. Here are some reasons why we chose to only buy single origin coffee:
- Quality: Single origin coffee is typically grown and processed with more attention, resulting in higher-quality beans that offer a more distinct flavor profile. This can make for a more delicious cup of coffee.
- Transparency: When you buy single origin coffee, you can learn more about where your coffee comes from, including the specific region, farm, and sometimes even the named farmer who grew it. This transparency can help ensure that the coffee was produced ethically and sustainably.
- Supporting local farmers: By buying single origin coffee, we are supporting local farmers and their communities, rather than contributing to the profits of large coffee corporations.
- Environmental impact: Single origin coffee can be grown and harvested in ways that are more environmentally sustainable, with practices like shade-grown farming and responsible water management. Read more about this in our article on the benefits of organic coffee.
Overall, buying single origin coffee can help promote quality, transparency, sustainability, and support for local farmers and communities.
Our healthy, organic coffees
In 450g pouches double the size of regular bags of coffee to minimise our impact on the environment by halving the packaging used, and halving the carbon footprint from half the deliveries.
Learn more in
Your Exhale Journal
We've written our own fully cited articles on everything from coffee's impact on cholesterol to why athletes need antioxidants. Here are a few of our faves:
