BIG Science
The Epidemiology
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the UK, with around 95 million cups consumed every day. It should come as no surprise then that it's also one of the most studied, with 8,420 reports published in the last decade alone.
Most of these studies have been epidemiological or observational in nature, meaning they look for associations between drinking coffee and specific health outcomes. Some studies are huge, with over a million participants spanning multiple decades. The good news is that the overwhelming majority conclude that coffee is good for your health and associated with a reduced risk of contracting some of the world's worst diseases (1).
Coffee - A Healthy Obsession
More recently, research has been undertaken examining the mechanisms behind the health benefits of coffee. Scientists have proven coffee drinkers have lower levels of Tumour Necrosis Factor - Alpha (2,3), lower levels of C-reactive protein (4), higher levels of adiponectin (5) and longer Telomeres (6,7). They have found compounds in coffee that are 'potent' inhibitors of your Sirtuins (8) and others that 'significantly inhibit' DNA Methylation (9). Now, none of that may mean anything to you, but together with the epidemiological studies they present a convincing case to support our theory that coffee is the ultimate 'superfood'.
More of the good stuff
Of the 1,000+ compounds found in coffee, polyphenols are most often cited as being the most beneficial. These special phytochemicals are present in many fruits and veggies and chlorogenic acid is the most abundant form found in coffee. It has antioxidant, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antiviral and antibacterial effects (10). However, levels vary immensely from product to product(11), but we're the only company in the world to source and roast coffee to both maximise the levels of polyphenols and measure their antioxidant power using independent laboratories across the UK and Europe.
Read more about how in the 'Our Process' page.
...and less of the bad
Over and above this we aim to offer a more complete package of health by only buying organically farmed coffee and then testing to make sure they're free from mycotoxins, pesticides, toxins and heavy metals.
While the government has set guidelines for the safe levels of these, we know some of our community already have a high body burden when it comes to environmental toxins and are seeking the 'cleanest' coffee possible so we want our coffee to be as pure as it is all natural.
We're continuously engaged with the latest science on nutrition, and as we grow we will expand our testing to include some of the other compounds found in coffee.
Bitesize science
What's in it for you?
-
Antioxidants
protect you from
free radicals -
Enhance
physical
performance -
-
Support
your
longevity -
Brain
support
Antioxidants protect you from free radicals
Live in a polluted city? Stressed at work? Not getting enough sleep? Overtraining for your next race?Partying too hard? Crushing it at the gym?
We all need antioxidants to help us recover from our increasingly hectic lifestyles. Our bodies produce some, but if you tick any of the above boxes 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 (12-18). And exhale coffee is sourced and roasted to provide more than any other.
Enhance physical performance
Caffeine is one of the few proven ergogenic aids to athletic performance (19-23). Meaning if you have a cup of coffee before sport you're likely to kick ass.
However, the high polyphenol levels found in exhale coffee also help reduce the oxidative stress caused by exercising, helping you recover faster (24,25). They also level out the effects of caffeine for a longer, smoother high. Double win.
Makes you happier
Nobody wants to be unhappy, it sucks. Studies have shown that polyphenols, like those found by the bucket load in exhale coffee, have anxiolytic effects meaning they reduce anxiousness (26).
Epidemiological studies also show that coffee drinkers have a lower incidence of depression (27,28). But this could also be due to the social aspect of drinking a coffee, or simply because coffee is like a warm hug in a cup. Aaaaahh.
Support your longevity
Your DNA is important. But more important to your longevity is the epigenetic expression of your DNA, i.e. which of your genes are turned on or off. Well there's something called DNA methylation which controls this and it's a very accurate way of predicting when all your accumulated DNA damage will start taking its toll. (29,30,31).
Studies show that Chlorogenic Acid (the main Polyphenol we optimise for in exhale coffee) significantly inhibits DNA Methylation in meaningful ways' (32,33).
Boost your brain's performance
Memory, cognition, neuroprotection - coffee does it all (34).
Scientific research shows that polyphenol rich foods are a natural way to support a healthy brain (35). They also inhibit neuroinflammation, (36), support neuroplasticity (37), and enhance the circulation of pro-cognitive neurotrophic factors (38). Who wouldn't want more of those?
Did we mention exhale coffee has more polyphenols than any other coffee tested?
Above all, enjoy as part of a healthy, varied lifestyle
As much as you may want to, you can't live off coffee alone (unlike the coffee berry beetle! - (39)). So all the usual caveats apply around consuming coffee as part of a healthy, varied diet.
To be honest, the science is clear: you need to eat a varied diet of predominantly good stuff, which means lots and lots of fruit and veggies.
We're just saying we want to see the health benefits of coffee viewed in the same league as fresh fruits and vegetables. So much so that we made it our vision statement. Fortunately, scientists agree with us (40).
Rather than asking 'is coffee a guilty treat?', perhaps the question we should be asking is 'is it time to write a prescription for coffee?' (41) ;o).
