Will Eating Coffee Beans Give You Energy?

Love the smell of coffee beans? I certainly do! Do you ever pop a coffee bean in your mouth as you grind your java? I started to notice a boost from chewing coffee beans. I began to wonder if eating coffee beans can have the same effect as drinking a cup of joe.

Yes, eating coffee beans does give you a boost of energy. In fact, eating coffee beans allows caffeine to enter your system faster than from a cup of coffee. Eating just 8 roasted coffee beans can give you the same peak alertness as a full cup of coffee. The boost arrives quicker but is much shorter-lived.

As I researched the topic further, I found numerous health benefits associated with eating coffee beans. I’m not here to convince you to start chewing coffee instead of drinking it, but instead, I want to tell you what I uncovered.

Eating Coffee Beans Gives More than Energy

Caffeine in coffee works by inhibiting adenosine, a hormone that causes tiredness and sleepiness. Eating and drinking coffee makes us more awake and alert.

A sip of coffee, or even the smell of coffee beans, is enough to focus our minds. On average, it can take up to 30 minutes for a cup of coffee to reach its peak effect. When eating coffee beans, the peak comes after about 3 minutes but the boost in alertness is much shorter lasting.

Eating coffee has other benefits besides the famous pick-me-up.

Coffee is known to be an excellent source of antioxidants, and studies have shown that it reduces the risk of diabetes and has other properties that produce anti-inflammatory effects.

It will also boost metabolism leading to the ability to lose weight more rapidly.

Further studies have indicated that eating green coffee bean extract appears to reduce blood pressure in people with high systolic and diastolic readings.

Other benefits of coffee beans are reduced risk of the following:

• Heart disease and stroke.
• Liver disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Depression, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease
• Certain cancers

Keeping some roasted coffee beans available to chew on while you work increases your ability to focus and stay productive.

On the downside, consuming too much caffeine may disturb your sleep, so limit consumption to earlier in the day.

Want to know the best time for a cup of coffee? Find out here!

How Many Coffee Beans Can You Eat?

Since eating coffee beans will give you energy, you may be wondering, how many coffee beans is it safe to eat?

Individual tolerance to coffee and coffee beans varies. Most people can safely consume 4-6 cups of coffee per day. The amount of caffeine found in a coffee bean varies depending on both size and roasting. The Arabica coffee bean contains less caffeine than the Robusta.

A chocolate-covered coffee bean has 12 mg of caffeine in each bean. So you could eat about 35-40 of these a day without exceeding the safe level of caffeine.

Rember that caffeine is also found in other foods, drinks, or supplements that you are regularly consuming. Many soda drinks contain caffeine, and so does some chocolate.

Does Coffee Make You Hyperactive?

Coffee doesn’t make you hyperactive, it just makes you more alert and focused. That’s because coffee impacts the brain and central nervous system, boosting memory and mood as well as focus.

As few as 5 coffee beans chewed and absorbed orally have been shown to improve attention span. If you are already hyperactive or suffer attention deficit, this may be what you need to hold your attention for longer.

A recent study showed improved contentment levels after consuming between 5-8 coffee beans.

Can You Eat Raw Coffee Beans?

Yes, raw coffee beans are often used as a snack. In fact, coffee was chewed on for years before someone roasted the beans and turned them into the coffee we enjoy today.

Raw beans taste woody and sometimes a bit bitter, and can also be hard to chew.

They are quite safe to eat and are highly concentrated. People with sensitive gastrointestinal tracts may suffer heartburn or stomach upsets from consuming too many green coffee beans.

Some people even find that eating coffee beans green has a laxative effect.

People with irritable bowel conditions may be better to avoid green coffee beans.

Coffee Beans are Safe to Eat

If you don’t want to drink coffee you can still get the effects by eating the coffee beans.

Interestingly, many drink decaf coffee and although nearly all the coffee/caffeine is removed, the decaf is laden with antioxidants and still delivers many benefits.

Coffee and Memory

Coffee is a central nervous system stimulant, and this is why it makes you alert while improving your focus.

In fact, it is the world’s most widely used psychoactive drug.

The difference between coffee and other psychoactive substances, coffee is legal and not regulated in any way. Fortunately, the effect wears off and it does not cause any damage, and then we have more coffee!

Coffee will certainly make you more alert, and will therefore give you energy.

A 2016 study showed that a single cup of coffee drunk 30 minutes before memory testing, totally reversed the decline of memory in older adults. The test was carried out in the afternoon.

In all cases, the memory showed a remarkable improvement.

Many older people suffering from memory decline may benefit from a cup of coffee with every meal to improve memory and alertness.

Studies into long-term memory and coffee are now being conducted to see if the coffee produces the same good results as in short-term memory.

Summary

Coffee is actually a nootropic or a smart drug, as when it is ingested it bolsters memory and enhances cognition.

The improvement in focus that occurs when we have a cup of coffee is worth investigating further as it appears to have genuine therapeutic effects.

So will eating coffee beans give you energy? is just part of the story, as they give a whole lot more by delivering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to our bodies.