- April 7, 2025
Coffee is often seen as a magical elixir that fuels our mornings, boosts our brainpower, and gives us energy to tackle the day. High-quality coffee can be a powerful tool, offering cognitive benefits, enhanced memory, and even physical improvements. However, not all coffee is created equal. In fact, bad coffee can sap your energy, weaken your performance, and harm your health.
In this post, we’ll explore why certain coffees make you feel worse rather than better, and how the hidden toxins in low-grade coffee beans can sabotage your health and performance. We’ll also offer practical tips on choosing the best coffee for optimizing both your brain and body.
When made from the right beans and processed correctly, coffee can be much more than just a source of caffeine. It’s packed with antioxidants and other compounds that improve brain function, increase focus, and even promote fat loss. Studies have shown that coffee drinkers may experience better memory retention, enhanced cognitive performance, and lower risks of various chronic diseases.
Interestingly, coffee can influence your body much like mind-body exercises such as Tai Chi or Qi Gong. By energizing your nervous system and improving circulation, good coffee can help you feel balanced, alert, and physically stronger. For those aiming to maximize their mental and physical performance, coffee is a valuable tool.
But, as many coffee drinkers have discovered, not all coffee provides these benefits. In fact, drinking the wrong type of coffee can leave you feeling jittery, anxious, and fatigued, with side effects ranging from joint pain to brain fog. So, what’s going wrong?
Like many, I started drinking coffee in college to fuel my late-night study sessions. At first, I thought I’d struck gold—my focus improved, and my grades shot up. However, I began to experience troubling side effects. I felt jittery, anxious, and over time, I started developing joint pain. Eventually, the cognitive boost I’d been relying on faded, leaving me mentally drained after the caffeine wore off.
The strange part? This didn’t happen every time I drank coffee. When I traveled to Europe, I could enjoy coffee without the same negative effects. It took me years of trial and error, but I eventually uncovered the secret behind my inconsistent coffee experiences.
The problem wasn’t coffee itself—it was the quality of the coffee I was drinking.
The issue with most commercially available coffee isn’t the caffeine or even the coffee beans themselves—it’s the hidden toxins that come along for the ride. Most low-quality coffee beans are contaminated with mold, which produces harmful compounds known as mycotoxins. These toxins can cause a wide range of health problems, from fatigue and joint pain to more serious conditions like kidney disease, cancer, and even brain damage.
When I finally realized that the poor-quality coffee I had been drinking was filled with these toxins, everything made sense. My body was reacting to the mold and mycotoxins, which were negating any potential benefits of the coffee itself. But how can you tell the difference between good coffee and bad coffee? And why are some coffees worse than others?
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by mold, which grows on coffee beans during the cultivation, processing, and storage stages. Even before the beans are roasted, many are already contaminated with mycotoxins. One study found that over 91% of green coffee beans were contaminated with mold before they were processed. The roasting process can destroy some of these toxins, but not all, and some studies have shown that up to 50% of brewed coffee contains mycotoxins.
Mycotoxins pose a significant health risk because they are linked to serious conditions like kidney disease, hypertension, and cognitive decline. Ochratoxin A (OTA), one of the most common mycotoxins found in coffee, is particularly harmful—it can damage your kidneys, suppress your immune system, and even cause cancer.
These toxins not only affect your health but also your coffee’s taste. If you’ve ever found that your coffee tastes bitter or requires sugar to be palatable, there’s a good chance it’s contaminated with mold.
You might have noticed conflicting reports about coffee’s health benefits in the media. Some studies praise coffee for its antioxidant properties and cognitive benefits, while others warn against its consumption due to potential health risks. This confusion often arises because these studies fail to distinguish between different types of coffee. Most studies on coffee and health don’t account for factors like bean quality, processing methods, or contamination levels.
When researchers study coffee without controlling for these variables, the results are skewed. If you’re drinking moldy coffee, the harmful effects of the mycotoxins will likely outweigh any potential health benefits from the coffee itself.
Cheap coffee blends are often made from low-grade beans sourced from multiple regions. These beans are more likely to be contaminated with mold, as mass-market coffee producers often prioritize quantity over quality. When you buy coffee from big brands with a green mermaid logo or similar, you’re more likely to be consuming a blend of cheap, moldy beans.
One way to reduce your exposure to mycotoxins is to buy single-origin coffee from reputable sources. Single-origin coffee is sourced from one specific region, and it’s typically easier to trace the quality of the beans. By choosing single-origin beans, you can avoid blends that mix coffee from multiple sources, which increases the likelihood of mold contamination.
Wet processing, while not perfect, is generally a cleaner method than natural processing. With wet processing, the coffee beans are washed and fermented in water to remove the outer layer. Although there’s still a risk of mold contamination, wet-processed beans tend to have fewer mycotoxins compared to naturally processed beans, which are left out in the sun to dry—where they can collect mold, dirt, and even bird droppings.
Decaf coffee poses an even higher risk of mycotoxin contamination. Caffeine naturally helps protect coffee beans from mold and other contaminants. When you remove the caffeine, you leave the beans more vulnerable to mold growth. This is one reason why decaf coffee often tastes worse than regular coffee and may leave you feeling more fatigued.
By choosing clean, toxin-free coffee, you can enjoy all the benefits of coffee without the downsides. High-quality coffee improves brain function, enhances memory, and boosts focus and alertness. It’s also a powerful thermogenic, meaning it helps your body burn fat more efficiently.
Coffee is also one of the richest sources of antioxidants in the typical Western diet. These antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, reducing oxidative stress in the body and lowering the risk of chronic diseases. Coffee drinkers tend to have a lower risk of conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and even certain types of cancer.
Additionally, coffee has been shown to enhance physical performance by increasing adrenaline levels and improving muscle contractions. This makes it an excellent pre-workout drink for those looking to boost their athletic performance.
The next time you reach for a cup of coffee, remember that not all coffee is created equal. Low-quality, mass-market coffee may give you a temporary caffeine buzz, but the hidden toxins in it can leave you feeling weak, foggy, and fatigued. High-quality coffee, on the other hand, can elevate your energy, sharpen your mind, and even improve your overall health.
By making the switch to clean, single-origin, and properly processed coffee, you can enjoy the true benefits of coffee without the hidden risks. Your body and mind will thank you.
Low-quality coffee beans often contain mycotoxins, which can trigger anxiety, jitters, and other negative side effects. Choosing higher-quality, mold-free coffee can help you avoid these issues.
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by mold that grows on coffee beans during storage and processing. These toxins are common in low-grade coffee and can contribute to health problems like brain fog, fatigue, and even kidney damage.
Not necessarily. Decaf coffee is often more contaminated with mycotoxins because caffeine acts as a natural defense against mold. Without caffeine, decaf coffee beans are more vulnerable to mold growth.
Single-origin, wet-processed coffee made from high-quality beans is your best bet for a healthy, mold-free coffee experience. Avoid blends and low-cost mass-market brands, as they’re more likely to contain mycotoxins.
While you can’t always detect mold contamination by taste, coffee that’s overly bitter or requires sugar to mask its flavor is often a sign of poor quality.
nataly@bioupgraded.com
@bioupgraded
Dallas, TX, USA
