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Eating Coffee Beans - Is it safe? Benefits and Side Effects

Dave Carter

Published: August 13, 2021

Last updated: September 4, 2024

Did you know that eating coffee beans is not only a way to get your daily dose of caffeine, but it is also good for you? You can eat the whole raw bean or roast them to unlock their full flavor. Roasting is done by either heating up in an oven or frying them in oil until they turn brown and crispy. Coffee beans are a type of seed that comes from the coffee plant. 

They are roasted to make black coffee that can be consumed as a beverage or used in various ways. Some people don't know that recent research has been done on whether or not it is safe for humans to eat these seeds found inside their favourite morning drink. Also, there is a lot of misinformation about the consumption of coffee beans. Some people think that you should roast your own beans so that they're not exposed to toxins from roasting, while others believe that this is an unnecessary process and will only lead to more waste. 

There are also some who believe it is okay to eat coffee beans as long as you wash them thoroughly first! With all these questions and misinformation out there, this article will answer all these questions and bring you to enlightenment concerning eating coffee beans (and in case you want to enjoy coffee in a "normal way", you should check out article 10 best small coffee makers)!

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What are the Pros and Cons of Eating Coffee Beans?

What are the Pros and Cons of Eating Coffee Beans

No coffee? No problem! Coffee beans have lots of benefits, and they're amazingly simple to make. They taste great, too, especially with a dash or two of cinnamon sprinkled on top as a finishing touch for an extra flavor explosion in your mouth!

Coffee beans have all the perks you need without any headaches that come with drinking it from one cup at break time; caffeine gets into our bloodstream faster when we consume them this way than if we were to drink it through tea leaves instead. 

Coffee beans have many benefits that make them a great addition to your diet. However, they also have some cons, and thus you need to consider them before you start consuming these beans. Let us look at the pros and cons of eating coffee beans!

Pros

  • Coffee beans are a great source of antioxidants.
  • They can help you lose weight by reducing your appetite and boosting metabolism.
  • Drinking coffee is linked to lower rates of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
  • It helps with mental clarity and concentration - drinking it before studying or doing work can lead to better focus.
  • Coffee beans have been shown to reduce the risk of a heart attack in men under 50 years old who drink 3 cups per day.

CONS

  • Coffee beans can cause an allergic reaction in some people.
  • Coffee beans have been known to irritate the lining of the stomach and cause heartburn.
  • The caffeine in coffee beans can cause insomnia and other sleep problems.
  • Caffeine is addictive, so you may experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop drinking coffee.
  • Too much caffeine from too many cups of coffee will make it difficult for your heart to pump blood effectively through your body.

Can you Eat Coffee Beans?

Tips on How Can You Eat Coffee Beans

Most coffee lovers often ask, can you eat coffee beans? YES! Coffee beans are edible but not always tasty. Coffee beans should never be eaten raw because they may pass through your body undigested, which would make them act like a laxative.

Steam roast the coffee before eating. Never eat coffee stored for more than one year since it will become rancid in that time frame and taste foul. Coffee beans are rich in cellulose and have an incredibly bitter taste. 

They may be used as a protein source if roasted. Although they are edible, some people may suffer from gastric distress after eating them due to the hard seed covering and large particle size. Their mucilage is capable of causing diarrhoea.

Raw coffee beans contain caffeine, among other alkaloids, that can produce both stimulant and depressant effects on the central nervous system. There are several known mechanisms whereby coffee consumption affects the risk for certain diseases.

Roasted coffee beans contain a natural sugar called D-glucose. You can eat them alone as you would any roasted, spiced nut or seed. They are used to make the dark, bitter beverage that we call coffee today. Whole coffee beans contain caffeine and other stimulants such as theophylline (which stimulates your heart). Consuming too many coffee beans could be fatal because of their high concentration of caffeine. 

A 12-ounce cup of brewed coffee has about 200 milligrams (mg) of caffeine in it - about half comes from the decaffeinated beans and half from the caffeinated ones. Most people don't find them very palatable. Any underage who eats beans may suffer from insomnia or have difficulty sleeping.

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans Recipe

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans Recipe at Home

Cocoa beans make better chocolate when blended with coffee beans. The addition of roasted and ground coffee to unsweetened cocoa powder produces an awesome chocolate experience.

The taste is strong and spiced with coffee but balanced by the cocoa. These chocolates are great for making various desserts and sweets, or just enjoy them as-is for an awesome chocolate treat! You can eat spiced coffee bean flavoured chocolate. When spiced correctly, the spiced flavor and aroma of roasted coffee beans will produce an amazing spiced chocolate treat. 

The same applies to the spiced roasted ground version too. It's not recommended for children under age 18 to consume these regularly unless given specific medical instructions from their doctor. Because of the caffeine content, only a small amount is needed to cause insomnia or even death the darker versions are more potent.

It is best to avoid spiced coffee bean chocolate treats altogether if you are pregnant. Any pregnant woman who eats coffee grounds affects the unborn babies' heart rate. Here is a chocolate covered coffee beans recipe for you!

Ingredients:

  • 10 cups (2 pounds) bitter-sweet dark chocolate pieces/chips
  • 1 cup roasted coffee beans
  • Cocoa Powder
  • Water
  • Raw sugar

Preparation:

  • Ground the roasted coffee beans finely in a blender until powdery.
  • Add 2 cups raw sugar into a bowl - mix well.
  • Heat 1 Cup Water in a medium saucepan over low heat.
  • Add Coffee Beans and let simmer until Dark Brown colour starts to develop & sugar dissolves completely.
  • Remove from heat and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
  • Add Ground Coffee Beans into melted chocolate and mix to incorporate with spiced chocolate.
  • Spoon batter by rounded tablespoon onto a paper baking sheet.
  • Smooth surfaces in a circular motion, then dip the bottom of the spoon into cocoa powder. Tap off the excess powder before smoothing again to coat.
  • Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes or until firm.
  • Chocolate covered coffee bean recipe is ready to be eaten after chilling.

Can you Eat Coffee Grounds?

Can You Eat Coffee Grounds Safely

As a coffee lover, can you eat coffee grounds? The short answer is YES! Coffee is considered one of the most consumed drinks in the world. It is always best to drink coffee when freshly brewed, but sometimes we need our caffeine fix a bit later, and that is where ground coffee comes into play.

However, as delicious as they are, people often wonder if it is safe to eat coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are actually considered safe to eat, as it does not pose any serious health risks. Studies conducted by the University of California found that coffee grounds are actually rich in some useful microorganisms that may help improve our digestive system. 

They also give out more calories than they contain, so it would not hurt to use them as a healthy alternative for cooking. You can also spice up your coffee beans to make them more palatable. Some people add spiced coffee grounds directly into cakes or cookies for spiced flavour. You can find spiced chocolate cake recipes with spiced ground cocoa beans. In contrast, others simply consume them without crashing or spicing them. Coffee grounds are eaten regularly around the world. 

However, you should follow moderation when eating spiced coffee grounds. The spiced flavour is very spiced and can easily make you sick if consumed in large quantities. So if you are going to eat coffee grounds, it is best to spice them lightly.

Below are some of the commonly asked questions concerning ground coffee that we shall answer today!

Is Eating Coffee Grounds the Same as Drinking coffee?

Some might think that eating coffee grounds is the same as drinking coffee, but they are different. The two may share many similar properties and effects on our health. However, it is not the same thing at all. Drinking or consuming coffee refers to having any liquid coffee in your mouth while eating, or consuming coffee grounds refers to chewing them directly. 

When people grind their coffee beans, they also spit out the ground ones, which generally gives us the impression that these both mean the same thing. However, you should note that one does not replace the other. Drinkers of strong brewed coffees tend to wake up easier than ground-eaters do from sleep. While ground eaters have increased energy levels during waking hours, drinkers enjoy a night of deep sleep.

How Do I Eat My Ground Coffee?

There are many different ways you can enjoy your ground coffee. If you grind them finely, it is possible to sprinkle them over foods and eat them as toppings or condiments. They can also be added to a special recipe for baking spiced cakes and cookies. You may even toast some of the grounds before eating them or consuming them with coffee.

How Long Should I Wait After Grinding My Beans to Consume Them?

Just like the expiry date for herbs and spices, the same applies to ground beans too. It is recommended that they are consumed straight away after grinding or within five minutes at most to gain maximum nutrition from your prepared batch. If you are looking forward to reaping maximum health benefits from drinking these nutritious beverages, try preparing your own strong brewed coffee with a special grinder. The process is very simple and inexpensive too.

Do Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans Have Caffeine?

Do Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans Have Caffeine Facts

As we all know, chocolate covered beans are edible but do chocolate covered espresso beans have caffeine? The answer is YES! Chocolate espresso beans contain caffeine that is known as a stimulant.

They are natural compounds that can be found in various plants and vegetables. Stimulants form to help increase alertness, concentration, sensations of well-being, elevated mood and energy levels. 

As we all know, coffee beans eaten also contain caffeine; therefore, chocolate covered espresso beans have caffeine too. Espresso caffeinated coffee has 90 mg of caffeine per cup, while non-caffeinated coffee contains only 3mg of caffeine.

The caffeine content in chocolate differs depending on its type, how they are made, and what percentage of cacao is contained in them. Chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa has more caffeine than those that contain low amounts of it.

Are Coffee Grounds Digestible?

The answer is YES! Coffee grounds can be digested by humans as well as other mammals such as dogs and cats. The stomach acids will digest these coffee grounds and enzymes in your stomach. Therefore, they would go through the digestive tract to reach your intestines.

However, you may want to ensure that these are thoroughly washed before using them for cooking or eating, as you don't know what kind of bacteria might have been there which may cause stomach upsets!

Kinds of Chocolate to Use in Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans

There are various kinds of chocolates available in the market, but what kind would one use for making these delicious chocolate-covered espresso beans? There are two main types: sweetened and unsweetened cocoa powder. The latter is preferred as it is pure unsweetened chocolate, while the sweetened one contains added sugar. 

Since you will be eating these delicious chocolate-covered espresso beans immediately after making them yourself, you might want to choose a less sweet variety of chocolates so that you wouldn't need to add more sugar for your taste.

Unsweetened chocolate is also fortified with extra magnesium, which can be a good source of vitamins and minerals in your diet. Magnesium is important for relieving stress, anxiety, insomnia, and depression, increasing relaxation. 

For those who like additives in their chocolates, you don't have to worry as some tasty ingredients such as nuts, fruit, candy bits, and other piquant flavours will taste different from the rest!

10 Best Coffee Machines

The Best Coffee Machines that You Can Buy Online.
Extensively Reviewed by a Coffee-Enthusiastic.

The Best Coffee Machine Reviews

Conclusion

The caffeine in coffee beans can have a powerful effect on your health. It is important to understand the different ways you can use these beans and their benefits to make an informed decision about how to consume them. As you can see, there are many benefits to eating coffee beans. We recommend adding this food additive to your diet to boost your immune system and live healthier overall.

Dave Carter

As a coffee enthusiastic I share with you my latest and greatest coffee news and insights. I always interested in trying out new things about the best bean of the world which I sahre to you all as I want you to also enjoy the cup of coffee as much as I do. Due to my experience I will collect newest information for you I find around the globe, buy machines to help you understand and rate them correctly which may help you to decide better which one to buy. I´m always open to your feedback, so don´t hesitate to contact me anytime :-)

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