Coffee's hidden health benefits | James Hoffmann and Prof. Tim Spector

Many of us love coffee, but we may not be aware of its health benefits. If you thought coffee was just a caffeine kick, think again.

In today's episode, Jonathan, Prof. Tim Spector, and coffee expert James Hoffmann explore the intricate relationship between coffee and health. They uncover truths and myths about caffeine and describe coffee’s fascinating role in improving gut health.

Tim also shares exciting news about soon-to-be published research. The topic: coffee and the gut microbiome. Plus, James brews coffee live in the studio and helps us understand the different coffee variants. He even dives into the world of coffee kombucha.

James Hoffmann is an English barista, YouTuber, entrepreneur, coffee consultant, and author. He came to prominence after winning the World Barista Championship in 2007 and is credited as a pioneer of Britain's third-wave coffee movement.

Tim is a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, director of the Twins UK study, scientific co-founder of ZOE, and one of the world’s leading researchers.

Timecodes:
00:00 Introduction
01:50 Quickfire Questions
04:24 Why are we all so obsessed with coffee?
05:02 What are the health benefits associated with coffee?
06:40 There is a lot more fibre in coffee than you think
09:47 The effects of caffeine and gender differences
12:31 Why is coffee full of polyphenals?
15:12 Tim’s new research teaser…
21:21 What is the health relationship between fibre, microbes and our bodies?
27:32 Should we all start drinking coffee and should we choose decaf?
31:52 Modern coffee is all about flavour
33:03 Does the way that we make coffee impact our health?
37:55 James explains his mini laboratory!
43:42 Why is coffee not regulated in coffee shop chains?
44:35 What is the best way to make coffee?
44:40 Coffee #1 Filter Coffee
47:10 Coffee #2 Decaf Coffee
51:00 Coffee #3 Instant Coffee
1:00:50 How does caffeine affect high blood pressure?
1:05:36 Summary

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here:

Mentioned in today's episode:

Books:

[VanMan]

I'm 58. I've been drinking coffee daily since I was 14. For the last 20 or 30 years I've been reading articles debating the benefits or hazards of coffee, claiming it's bad for you, claiming it's good for you, claiming it's neither. You'll never hear the end of it. I will continue to have my morning coffee for the duration of my life.

[cliffcastle]

Thanks for putting this video together and for all the valuable information. As a coffee roaster, I would like to offer some additional comments. Coffee is essentially the pit of a cherry meaning that coffee "beans" are actually "seeds." Once coffee has been processed, green beans can be stored for a long time (years) without losing much nutritional value. However, once coffee has been roasted, the clock begins to tick. The flavor and nutritional value begin to diminish and after a couple of 6-8 weeks the difference is very apparent. Even more critical is the grinding date. Once beans have been ground, the clock ticks even faster. After a week of being ground, coffee starts getting stale. The takeaway is to buy your beans as soon after the roast date as possible (allowing 72 hours for degassing). And do not grind the beans until you are ready to use them. Outside of the origin and quality coffee beans themselves, these two things are critical to the end result.

[OscarHorseman]

It’s crazy no one here is talking about “the hidden herbs” by Anette Ray…

[jimihenrik]

Few years ago I decided to live healthier and one of the things I wanted to change was to consume less soft drinks. I was daily drinking stuff like coca cola at work. I vowed to completly give that up and only consume water, cofffee and tea instead. The tea didn't stick, because I didn't enjoy the taste, but the water and coffe proved to be a comfortable choice. Some people told me I was exchanging one harm with another. But I felt so much better and healthier with my choice, that I stuck with it. Awesome to hear that coffee is not as unhelathy as rumored after all (as I expected already).

[brianhawthorne]

I love the look on Tim’s face as James discusses the differences in coffee types. He had that “I can see another paper in this” look.

[stringcodger]

My father explained to me back in the 1980s there was magic in coffee, the vast number of his eldest patients (late 90s and a few 100 year olds) were coffee drinkers. He kept his coffee habit as well into his mid 90s. I never doubted and intentionally ignored all the doctors asking me to stop coffee over the decades.

[themangochannel]

The most amazing lesson for me from this is that two cups of coffee has more fibre than a banana! Really interesting, as usual - thank you!

[Stuman]

I just started the vid. I do like James’ videos. I thought I’d mention, as an Audhd-er (ADHD+Autism) I saw a video talking about dopamine.
She said, ” why do “we” sometimes feel more relaxed after a nice coffee? It satisfies a dopamine shortage. The chase for that unknown anxiety satiation.

[krimke]

I appreciate the avoidance of the japanese tradition to acknowledge every single word from your guest. There's too many podcasters in practise, dubbing their guests with; Yeah, yeah, yes, yes, mmhm, mhm, mmm, mmm, , " But nodding the head back and fwds to every word said, is really a new way to do this. LOL, , it's quite fascinating! glad there's more than 1 camera angle. Oh, yeah, and of course, great subject! Great talk! :)

[lau.mclaren]

loved this! James and Tim were a perfect combination as guests. Also the summaries at the end of your episodes are great 👌🏼

[racheljaneroberts]

So many of my healthy friends have been moving to barley coffee and then looking at me with pity and disdain as I sip my expresso. Thank you. I feel sooo justified!

[peterjordan-turner]

So the good news is that James Hoffmann is going to live forever.

[terrihoornstra]

Thank you! I grew up in Wisconsin with coffee as my warm morning beverage. I had to give up the caffeine due to heart palpitations, so had to switch to decaf, and I am so happy that it has the same health benefits. I still love coffee and have found good-tasting decafs.

[miketranfaglia]

James is great! I'm a home coffee roaster, so I'm obviously a big coffee fancier. His advice about water is spot on---the flavor of your coffee will depend on the water almost as much as the coffee. Good coffee is not cheap, so use good water. But you can also play with it a little; if your coffee is too acidic for your taste, you can use hard water to mellow it out. If it's flat and needs more acid, use spring water or even distilled. My well water is very hard, but my water softener removes some of the minerals and adds a bit of salt, which makes nice, tasty coffee.

[harrietendean]

So interesting, but from a coffee loving tea enthusiast Tim please note that green and black teas can contain equal amounts of caffeine. 13:50 They can be made from leaves from the same plants. Green and white teas can even contain more caffeine than black teas. It’s complicated, varietal, terroir, growing season, processing method etc can all have an impact on the chemical composition of the leaves. 🍃

[tammieprintupakaamaarukah]

Finally, someone confirms that a pinch of salt takes coffee flavor to another level!!!

[cassif]

Love it when specialists tell me that my addiction is actually healthy

[sandraelder]

THANK YOU for covering decaf!!! I recently had to switch due to acid reflux & I’ve been depressed about the prospect. Now I feel more hopeful that my delicious coffee days are not over.

[cycoklr]

Started drinking coffee occasionally in the early 1960s when I was still in elementary school against my parents' wishes. Since 1980 I don't remember a day without coffee. I quit tobacco and hard drinking in 1983. Almost 71 now, living an active lifestyle, good vision, no maintenance meds and at 16% body fat. I can't attribute my good health to coffee but 2-3 cups a day does not seem to have made a dent in my physical condition. I've ran the gamut from instant to espresso but settled with French press as my current choice.

[risasklutteredkitchen]

I’ve been having gut issues for most of my life, Early on (5 yo), I had constipation. Up until pregnancy (34), I had a lot of the same issues. When I got pregnant, that all shifted and I was able to go everyday. After I delivered, I started having opposite issues. Never had problems with that. On and off, I’ve had the opposite of constipation. A little here and there. It is especially terrible when I am at work and I have to run up-and-down the stairs to the bathroom. So, I started eating homemade yogurt (plain) on a twice a month basis. Eating it every night with a touch of stevia and a little bit of berries OR some night time magnesium powder. I wake up and have no gas, no issues, , no problems at work. Then I heard about l.reuteri fermented dairy. I finally broke down and bought the tablets to make the fermented dairy. I finally made a batch of it and I started it last night. So far, I have no gas and I had a normal bowel movement. Sorry TMI. So I can’t wait to see your body response to this. I love kimchi. It is wonderful. I also eat fermented sauerkraut found in the dairy aisle. You could probably try that too, as it is very good for the micro biome too.