Coffee: Good or Bad?

The health effects of coffee are quite controversial.

Depending on who you ask, it is either a super healthy beverage or incredibly harmful.

But despite what you may have heard, there are actually plenty of good things to be said about coffee.

For example, it is high in antioxidants and linked to a reduced risk of many diseases.

However… it also contains caffeine, a stimulant that can cause problems in some people and disrupt sleep.

This article takes a detailed look at coffee and its health effects, examining both the pros and cons.

Coffee Contains Some Essential Nutrients and is Extremely High in Antioxidants

Coffee is more than just dark brown water… many of the nutrients in the coffee beans do make it into the drink.

A typical 8oz (240 ml) cup of coffee contains (1):

• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 11% of the RDA.


• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): 6% of the RDA.


• Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): 2% of the RDA.


• Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 2% of the RDA.


• Folate: 1% of the RDA.


• Manganese: 3% of the RDA.


• Potassium: 3% of the RDA.


• Magnesium: 2% of the RDA.


• Phosphorus: 1% of the RDA.

This may not seem like a lot, but try multiplying with 3, 4, or however many cups you drink per day. It can add up to a significant portion of your daily nutrient intake.

But where coffee really shines is in its high content of antioxidants.

The average person who eats a typical Western diet actually gets more antioxidants from coffee than fruits and vegetables… combined (2, 3).

Bottom Line: Coffee contains a small amount of some vitamins and minerals, which add up if you drink many cups per day. It is also high in antioxidants.

Coffee Contains Caffeine, A Stimulant That Can Enhance Brain Function and Boost Metabolism

Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world (4).

Soft drinks, tea and chocolate all contain caffeine, but coffee is the biggest source.

The caffeine content of a single cup can range from 30-300 mg, but the average cup is somewhere around 90-100 mg.

Caffeine is a known stimulant. In the brain, it blocks the function of an inhibitory neurotransmitter (brain hormone) called Adenosine.

By blocking adenosine, caffeine actually increases activity in the brain and the release of other neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine. This reduces tiredness and makes us feel more alert (5, 6).

There are numerous studies showing that caffeine can lead to a short-term boost in brain function… including improved mood, reaction time, vigilance and general cognitive function (7, 8).

Caffeine can also boost metabolism (calories burned) by 3-11% and even increase exercise performance by 11-12%, on average (9, 10, 11, 12).

However… some of these effects are likely to be short-term. If you drink coffee every day, then you will build a tolerance to it and the effects will be less powerful (13).

There are also some downsides to caffeine, which I’ll get to in a bit.

Bottom Line: The main active compound in coffee is the stimulant caffeine. It can cause a short-term boost in energy levels, brain function, metabolic rate and exercise performance.

Coffee May Help Protect Your Brain in Old Age, Leading to Reduced Risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease and a leading cause of dementia.

Studies have shown that coffee drinkers have up to a 65% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (14, 15, 16).

Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and caused by the death of dopamine-generating neurons in the brain.

Coffee drinkers have a 32-60% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. The more coffee people drink, the lower the risk (17, 18, 19, 20).

Bottom Line: Several studies show that coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease in old age.

Coffee Drinkers Have a Much Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by elevated blood sugars due to resistance to the effects of insulin.

This is a very common disease… it has increased 10-fold in a few decades and now afflicts over 300 million people.

Interestingly, coffee drinkers appear to have a significantly reduced risk of developing this disease, some studies showing that coffee drinkers are up to 23-67% less likely to become diabetic (21, 22, 23, 24).

In one large review study that looked at 18 studies with 457,922 individuals, each daily cup of coffee was linked to a 7% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (25).

Bottom Line: Numerous studies have shown that coffee drinkers have a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Coffee Drinkers Have a Lower Risk of Liver Diseases

The liver is an incredibly important organ that has hundreds of different functions in the body.

It is very sensitive to modern insults like excess alcohol and fructose intake.

The end stage of liver damage is called Cirrhosis, and involves most of the liver being replaced with scar tissue.

Coffee drinkers have up to an 84% lower risk of developing cirrhosis, with the strongest effect for those who drink 4 or more cups per day (26, 27, 28).

Liver cancer is also common… it is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Coffee drinkers have up to a 40% lower risk of liver cancer (29, 30).

Bottom Line: Coffee drinkers have a significantly lower risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer. The more coffee they drink, the lower the risk.

People Who Drink Coffee Are at a Much Lower Risk of Depression and Suicide

Depression is an incredibly common problem.

It is the world’s most common mental disorder and leads to a significantly reduced quality of life.

In one Harvard study from 2011, people who drank the most coffee had a 20% lower risk of becoming depressed (31).

In one review of 3 studies, people who drank 4 or more cups of coffee per day were 53% less likely to commit suicide (32).

Bottom Line: Studies have shown that people who drink coffee have a lower risk of becoming depressed and are significantly less likely to commit suicide.

Some Studies Show That Coffee Drinkers Live Longer

Given that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of many common, deadly diseases (and suicide), it makes sense that coffee could help you live longer.

There is actually some good evidence to support this.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2012 looked at the habits of 402,260 individuals between 50 and 71 years of age (33).

In this study, people who drank coffee had a much lower risk of dying over the 12-13 year study period:

The sweet spot seems to be at 4-5 cups per day, with men having a 12% reduced risk and women a 16% reduced risk.

You can read more about it in this article on how coffee can make you live longer.

Bottom Line: Some studies have shown that coffee drinkers live longer, which makes perfect sense given that they have a lower risk of many diseases. The strongest effect is seen for 4-5 cups per day.

Caffeine Can Cause Anxiety and Disrupt Sleep

It wouldn’t be right to only talk about the good stuff without mentioning the bad.

The truth is… there are some important negative aspects to coffee as well (although this depends on the individual).

Consuming too much caffeine can lead to jitteriness, anxiety, heart palpitations and may even exacerbate panic attacks (34).

If you are sensitive to caffeine and tend to become overstimulated, then perhaps you shouldn’t be drinking coffee.

Another unwanted side effect is that it can disrupt sleep (35). If coffee reduces the quality of your sleep, then try avoiding coffee late in the day, such as after 2pm.

Caffeine can also have some diuretic and blood pressure raising effects, but this usually goes away with regular use. However, an increase in blood pressure of 1-2 mm/Hg may persist (36, 37, 38).

Bottom Line: Caffeine can have various negative effects, such as causing anxiety and disrupting sleep, but this depends greatly on the individual.

Caffeine is Addictive and Missing a Few Cups Can Lead to Withdrawal

One issue with caffeine, is that it can lead to addiction in many people.

When people consume caffeine regularly, they become tolerant to it. It either stops working as it used to, or a larger dose is needed to get the same effects (39).

When people abstain from caffeine, they get withdrawal symptoms like headache, tiredness, brain fog and irritability. This can last for a few days (40, 41).

Tolerance and withdrawal are the hallmarks of physical addiction.

A lot of people (understandably) don’t like the idea of being literally dependant on a chemical substance in order to function properly.

Bottom Line: Caffeine is an addictive substance. It can lead to tolerance and well documented withdrawal symptoms like headache, tiredness and irritability.

The Difference Between Regular and Decaf

Some people opt for decaffeinated coffee instead of regular.

The way decaffeinated coffee is usually made, is by rinsing the coffee beans with solvent chemicals.

Each time this is done, some percentage of the caffeine dissolves in the solvent and this process is repeated until most of the caffeine has been removed.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that even decaffeinated coffee does contain some caffeine, just much less than regular coffee.

Unfortunately, not all of the health benefits of regular coffee apply to decaffeinated coffee. For example, some studies show no reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s or liver diseases for people who drink decaffeinated coffee.

Bottom Line: Decaffeinated coffee is made by extracting caffeine from the coffee beans using solvents. Decaf does not have all of the same health benefits as regular coffee.

Things to Keep in Mind in Order to Maximize The Health Benefits

There are some things you can do in order to maximize the beneficial health effects you get from coffee.

The most important is to NOT add anything unhealthy to it. This includes sugar and any sort of artificial, chemical-laden creamer.

Another important thing is to brew coffee with a paper filter. Unfiltered coffee (such as Turkish or French press) contains cafestol, a substance that can increase cholesterol levels (42, 43).

Also keep in mind that some of the coffee drinks at places like Starbucks can contain hundreds of calories and a whole bunch of sugar. These drinks are NOT healthy.

There are some more tips in this article on 8 ways to make your coffee super healthy.

Bottom Line: It is important not to put sugar or a chemical-laden creamer in your coffee. Brewing with a paper filter can get rid of a cholesterol-raising compound called Cafestol.

Should You be Drinking Coffee?

There are some people who would definitely want to avoid or severely limit coffee consumption, especially pregnant women.

People with anxiety issues, high blood pressure or insomnia might also want to try limiting coffee for a while to see if it helps.

There is also some evidence that people who metabolize caffeine slowly have an increased risk of heart attacks from drinking coffee (44).

All that being said… it does seem clear that for the average person, coffee can have important beneficial effects on health.

If you don’t already drink coffee, then I don’t think these benefits are a compelling reason to start doing it. There are downsides as well.

But if you already drink coffee and you enjoy it, then the benefits appear to far outweigh the negatives.

I personally drink coffee, every day… about 4-5 cups (sometimes more). My health has never been better.

Take Home Message

It’s important to keep in mind that many of the studies in the article are observational studies, which can not prove that coffee caused the beneficial effects.

But given that the effects are strong and consistent among studies, it is a fairly strong indicator that coffee does in fact play a role.

Despite having been demonized in the past, the evidence points to coffee being very healthy… at least for the majority of people.

If anything, coffee belongs in the same category as healthy beverages like green tea.

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6 Reasons to Stop Calling Low-Carb a “Fad” Diet

Crash weight loss diets that enjoy short-term popularity are often referred to as fad diets.

However… this term seems to have lost its meaning.

It has basically just become a term of abuse for any diet that someone disagrees with.

Surprisingly, the low-carb diet is often called a “fad,” usually by people who don’t approve of the diet for some reason.

But I personally think it is unfair to put low-carb in the same category as the Cabbage Soup Diet or the Morning Banana Diet.

This diet (or “way of eating”) has been around for a very long time and has strong scientific evidence to back it up (1, 2, 3).

Here are 6 reasons to stop calling low-carb a “fad” diet.

1. It Has Been Around For at Least One and a Half Century

“Fads” come and go… but low-carb diets have been popular for a long time.

Since way before saturated fat was demonized, low-carb diets were commonly used for the purpose of weight loss.

The world’s first popular diet book was called Letter on Corpulence, published in the year 1863 by an obese English man named William Banting.

In this book, he outlines a low-carb diet that had been prescribed to him by his physician, but many doctors were using low-carb diets to treat obesity at this time.

Only when people started blaming saturated fat and dietary cholesterol for heart disease (which was misguided) did low-carb diets fall out of mainstream favour.

Bottom Line: The first popular low-carb book was published in 1863 and low-carb diets were used by many physicians as early as the 19th century.

2. Atkins’s First Book Was Published in 1972, Way Before The Low-Fat Guidelines Came Out

For decades, we’ve been told to eat a “balanced” low-fat diet.

This diet is low in saturated fat, but high in carbohydrates.

Although it was originally based on weak evidence, it became public policy in the year 1977 with the release of the first set of dietary guidelines for Americans (4).

A similar diet is now recommended all over the world and the recommendations have barely changed since then.

Even though promoters of the low-fat diet like to dismiss low-carb as a “fad,” the first Atkins book was actually published in the year 1972… 5 years before the low-fat guidelines first came out.

Dr. Robert Atkins, arguably the most famous diet book author in history, had lost weight himself using the diet and had been using it on his patients for many years before writing the book.

He originally learned about the diet in a scientific paper written by a physician named Alfred Pennington, published in the Journal of The American Medical Association back in 1963… 14 years before the low-fat guidelines (5).

If “fad” implies something temporary, then we might just as well call the standard low-fat diet a fad. It is rapidly falling out of favour, based on high quality, long-term studies showing that it clearly does not work (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11).

Bottom Line: The first Atkins book was published in 1972, based on a scientific study that Dr. Atkins read about low-carb diets back in 1963. This happened way before the first official low-fat guidelines were published.

3. Entire Populations Have Thrived on Such a Diet, in Excellent Health

There are several examples of populations that have eaten very little carbs, but remained in good health.

Two of the most notable ones are the Inuit and the Masai.

The Inuit lived in the arctic regions of North America and Greenland, where very little plant food was available year-round.

They ate almost nothing but animal foods, but were in excellent health (12, 13).

The Masai in Africa also ate a low-carb, high-fat diet, mostly from meat, milk and cow’s blood. When they were studied, researchers noted that they were in excellent health as long as they ate their traditional diet (14).

Bottom Line: There are several examples of entire populations living on a low-carb, high-fat diet in excellent health for many generations. Two notable examples are the Inuit and the Masai.

4. More Than 20 Randomized Controlled Trials Have Been Published

A lot of people claim that low-carb diets haven’t been shown to be safe and effective.

13 years ago, this may have been true.

But since the year 2002, over 20 randomized controlled trials have been published in respected, peer-reviewed journal.

Not a single serious adverse effect has ever been attributed to the diet.

Not only that… but these studies also show that low-carb diets lead to better results than the low-fat diet still recommended by the mainstream.

Low-carb leads to more weight loss, especially from the abdominal cavity (the dangerous visceral fat). It also significantly improves HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, insulin levels and blood pressure (15, 16, 17, 18, 19).

This diet also changes the size of LDL particles from small, dense to Large… and tends to reduce LDL particle number (all good things). LDL and Total cholesterol levels do not increase, on average, although some individuals may see increases (20, 21).

The truth is, few things in nutrition have been demonstrated as thoroughly as the superiority of low-carb diets.

Bottom Line: Over 20 randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that low-carb diets are both safe and effective. They lead to more weight loss and greater improvements in health markers than the low-fat diet.

5. People Are Able to Stick to it Better Than The Low-Fat Diet

Some people claim that low-carb diets are unsustainable.

The reason, they say, is that cutting out food groups will lead to feelings of deprivation.

However… it’s important to keep in mind that all diets restrict something, either food groups or calories.

Restricting calories is just as likely to lead to feelings of deprivation as restricting food groups.

That being said, most of the controlled trials comparing low-carb and low-fat diets did report the number of people who made it all the way to the end of the study.

These studies clearly showed that there is no huge difference between groups. If anything, more people in the low-carb groups manage to finish.

One plausible explanation for this is that low-carb diets significantly reduce appetite and lead to automatic calorie restriction (22).

This is the reason the low-carb groups are usually allowed to eat until fullness in these studies, while the low-fat groups are calorie restricted and hungry.

Bottom Line: Low-carb diets tend to reduce the appetite, so people can often eat until fullness and still lose weight. This may be the reason that they appear to be even easier to stick to than low-fat diets.

6. Many Health Professionals Use Them in Their Practice

Many health professionals use low-carb diets on their patients.

This is not surprising, given the immense amount of evidence that has accumulated in recent years.

I’ve previously written about 17 doctors and 11 registered dietitians that not only use low-carb and/or paleo diets in their practice, but are actively blogging about it.

Since writing these articles, I have found numerous others… and for each one that starts a blog, you can assume that many more are using the diet in their practice.

Although low-carb diets are clearly not necessary for everyone, studies have shown them to be very effective against certain diseases.

This includes obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome… which happen to be the biggest health problems in the world.

It is simply inexcusable to dismiss this potential cure as a “fad” – then continue to promote a low-fat diet that science has shown to be completely ineffective.

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11 Proven Health Benefits of Quinoa (No. 1 is My Favorite)

Quinoa is the world’s most popular “superfood.”

It is loaded with protein, fiber and minerals, but doesn’t contain any gluten.

Here are 10 proven health benefits of quinoa.

1. Quinoa is Incredibly Nutritious

Quinoa is a grain crop that is grown for its edible seeds. It is pronounced KEEN-wah.

It technically isn’t a cereal grain, but a pseudo-cereal (1).

In other words, it is basically a “seed” which is prepared and eaten similarly to a grain.

Quinoa was an important crop for the Inca Empire back in the day. They referred to it as the “mother of all grains” and believed it to be sacred.

It has been consumed for thousands of years in South America, although it only became trendy and reached “superfood status” a few years ago.

These days, you can find Quinoa and products made with it all over the world… especially in health food stores and restaurants that emphasize natural foods.

There are three main types of quinoa… white, red and black.

This is what they look like:

Here is the nutrient breakdown for 1 cup of cooked quinoa, or 185 grams (2):

• Protein: 8 grams.


• Fiber: 5 grams.


• Manganese: 58% of the RDA.


• Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.


• Phosphorus: 28% of the RDA.


• Folate: 19% of the RDA.


• Copper: 18% of the RDA.


• Iron: 15% of the RDA.


• Zinc: 13% of the RDA.


• Potassium: 9% of the RDA.


• Over 10% of the RDA for Vitamins B1, B2 and B6.


• Small amounts of Calcium, B3 (Niacin) and Vitamin E.

This is coming with a total of 222 calories, with 39 grams of carbs and 4 grams of fat. It also contains a small amount of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Quinoa is non-GMO, Gluten Free and usually grown organically. Even though not technically a grain, it still counts as a “whole grain” food.

NASA scientists have been looking at it as a suitable crop to be grown in outer space, mostly based on its high nutrient content, ease of use and how easy it is to grow (3).

The year 2013 was actually called “The International Year of Quinoa” by the United Nations (UN), based on its high nutrient value and potential to contribute to food security worldwide (4).

Bottom Line: Quinoa is an edible seed that has become very trendy among health conscious people. It is loaded with many important nutrients.

2. Quinoa Contains Potent Bioactive Substances Called Quercetin and Kaempferol

The health effects of real foods go way beyond the vitamins and minerals we’re all familiar with.

There are thousands of trace nutrients in there… and some of them are extremely healthy.

This includes interesting molecules called flavonoids, which are plant antioxidants that have been shown to have all sorts of beneficial effects on health.

Two flavonoids that have been particularly well studied are Quercetin and Kaempferol… and they happen to be found in large amounts in Quinoa (5).

In fact, the quercetin content of quinoa is even higher than typical high-quercetin foods like cranberries (6).

These important molecules have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-cancer and anti-depressant effects… at least in animal studies (7, 8, 9, 10).

By including quinoa in your diet, you will significantly increase your total intake of these (and other) important nutrients.

Bottom Line: Quinoa contains large amounts of flavonoids, including Quercetin and Kaempferol. These are potent plant antioxidants with numerous health benefits.

3. It is Very High in Fiber… Much Higher Than Most Grains

Another important benefit of quinoa is that it is high in fiber.

One study that looked at 4 varieties of quinoa found a range of between 10 and 16 grams of fiber, per every 100 grams of uncooked quinoa (11).

This equals 17-27 grams per cup, which is very high… more than twice as high as most grains. Boiled quinoa contains much less fiber, gram for gram, because it absorbs so much water.

Unfortunately, most of the fiber is insoluble fiber, which doesn’t appear to have the same health benefits as soluble fiber.

That being said, the soluble fiber content is about 2.5 grams per cup (or 1.5 grams per 100 grams), which is still decent.

There are numerous studies showing that soluble fiber can help reduce blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, increase fullness and help with weight loss (12, 13, 14).

Bottom Line: Quinoa is much higher in fiber than most grains, with one source finding 17-27 grams of fiber per cup of uncooked Quinoa.

4. Quinoa is Gluten Free and Perfect For People With Gluten Intolerance

According to a 2013 survey, about a third of people in the U.S. are currently trying to minimize or avoid gluten.

A gluten-free diet can be healthy, as long as it is based on foods that are naturally gluten free.

The problems arise when people eat “gluten free” foods made with refined starches instead.

These foods are no better than their gluten-containing counterparts, because gluten free junk food is still junk food.

Well… many researchers have been looking at quinoa as a suitable ingredient in a gluten-free diet, for people who don’t want to give up staples like breads and pasta.

Studies have shown that by using quinoa instead of typical gluten-free ingredients like refined tapioca, potato, corn and rice flour, it can dramatically increase the nutrient and antioxidant value of the diet (15, 16).

Bottom Line: Quinoa is naturally free of gluten and using it instead of typical gluten-free ingredients can increase the antioxidant and nutrient value of a gluten-free diet.

5. Quinoa is Very High in Protein, With All The Essential Amino Acids That we Need

Protein is made out of amino acids. Some of them are termed “essential” because we can not produce them and need to get them from the diet.

If a food contains all the essential amino acids, it is seen as a “complete” protein.

The problem is that many plant foods are deficient in certain essential amino acids, such as Lysine.

However… quinoa is an exception to this, being particularly high in in all the essential amino acids. For this reason, quinoa is an excellent source of protein. It has both more and better protein than most grains (17).

With 8 grams of quality protein per cup of cooked quinoa (or 4.5 grams per 100 grams), quinoa is an excellent plant-based protein source for vegetarians and vegans.

Bottom Line: Quinoa is high in protein compared to most plant foods and contains all the essential amino acids that we need.

6. Quinoa Has a Low Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly foods raise blood sugar levels.

It is known that eating foods that are high on the glycemic index can stimulate hunger and contribute to obesity (18, 19).

Such foods have also been linked to many of the chronic, Western diseases that are so common today… like diabetes and heart disease (20).

Quinoa has a glycemic index of 53, which is considered low (21).

However… it’s important to keep in mind that quinoa is still pretty high in carbs, so it is not a good choice for a low-carb diet, at least not in large amounts.

Bottom Line: The glycemic index of quinoa is around 53, which is considered low. However, it is still relatively high in carbohydrates.

7. It is High in Minerals That Most People Don’t Get Enough of, Especially Magnesium

There are many nutrients in the modern diet that people tend to be lacking in.

This is particularly true of some minerals… especially Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc and (for women) Iron.

Interestingly, quinoa is very high in all 4 minerals. It is particularly high in magnesium, with one cup having about 30% of the RDA.

The problem is that quinoa contains a substance called phytic acid, which can bind these minerals and reduce their absorption (22).

However, by soaking and/or sprouting the quinoa before cooking it, you can reduce the phytic acid content and make these minerals more bioavailable.

Quinoa is also pretty high in oxalates, which reduce the absorption of calcium and can cause problems for certain individuals with recurring kidney stones (23, 24).

Bottom Line: Quinoa is very high in minerals, but the phytic acid can partly prevent them from being absorbed. Soaking or sprouting quinoa degrades most of the phytic acid.

8. Quinoa May Have Some Major Benefits For Metabolic Health

Given the high amount of beneficial nutrients, it makes sense that quinoa could lead to improvements in metabolic health.

Although this needs to be studied more thoroughly, I did find two studies (one in humans, the other in rats) that examined the effects of quinoa on metabolic health.

The human study found that using quinoa instead of typical gluten-free breads and pastas significantly reduced blood sugar, insulin and triglyceride levels (25).

The rat study found that adding quinoa to a diet high in fructose almost completely inhibited the negative effects of fructose (26).

Bottom Line: Two studies, one in humans and the other in rats, show that quinoa can improve metabolic health. This includes lower blood sugar and triglyceride levels.

9. Quinoa is Loaded With Antioxidants

Quinoa also happens to be very high in antioxidants.

Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals and are believed to help fight ageing and many diseases.

One study looked at antioxidants in 10 foods… 5 cereals, 3 pseudocereals and 2 legumes.

Quinoa had the highest antioxidant content of all 10 (27).

Allowing quinoa seeds to sprout seems to increase the antioxidant content even further (28).

Bottom Line: Quinoa appears to be very high in antioxidants, which are increased even further after the seeds are sprouted.

10. Quinoa Has Several Important Characteristics That Make it a Weight Loss Friendly Food

In order to lose weight, we need to take in fewer calories than we burn.

It is known that certain properties of foods can facilitate this process… either by boosting metabolism (increasing calories out) or reducing appetite (lowering calories in).

Interestingly, quinoa has several such properties.

It is high in protein… which can both increase metabolism and reduce appetite significantly (29).

The high amount of fiber should also help to increase feelings of fullness, making us eat fewer calories overall (30).

The fact that quinoa has a low glycemic index is another important feature, but choosing such foods has been linked to reduced calorie intake (31).

Although there is currently no study that looks at the effects of quinoa on body weight, it seems intuitive that it could be a useful part of a healthy weight loss diet.

Bottom Line: Quinoa is high in fiber, protein and has a low glycemic index. These properties have all been linked to weight loss and improved health.

11. Quinoa is Easy to Incorporate Into Your Diet

The last one is not a health benefit, but still incredibly important.

It is the fact that quinoa is very easy to incorporate into your diet.

It is also tasty and goes well with many foods.

Depending on the type of quinoa, it can be important to rinse it with water in order to get rid of saponins, which are found on the outer layer and can have a bitter flavor.

However, some brands have already been rinsed, so this may not be necessary.

You can buy quinoa in most health food stores and many supermarkets. It is also available on Amazon, with many reviews, testimonials and usage tips from real customers.

Quinoa can be ready to eat in as little as 15-20 minutes:

• Put 2 cups of water in a pot, turn up the heat.


• Add 1 cup of raw quinoa, with a dash of salt.


• Boil for 15-20 minutes.


• Eat.

It should now have absorbed most of the water and gotten a fluffy look. If done right, it should have a mild, nutty flavour and a satisfying crunch.

Then there are dozens of other delicious ways to use quinoa.

For more details, you can read these in-depth instructions on How to Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa or check out these 27 Delicious Quinoa Recipes.

If you have any questions, then click “Show Comments” below and ask away.

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