Coffee gourmets claim that alternating coffee and water prolongs the aftertaste of your favorite drink. But doctors see considerable health benefits in the widespread Eastern custom.
The way we prepare and drink coffee reflects the pace of our lives and individual aesthetic and taste preferences. European variants of fast machine “doping” have practically turned the art of drinking coffee into an attempt to catch up with the fast passing time. According to coffee gurus, the only way to enjoy hot espresso while maintaining a balanced aftertaste for a long time is to take a few sips of chilled water before drinking it. The tasteless, cool liquid will “clean up” the receptors responsible for receiving proper pleasure. But there is another, medical aspect to understanding why you should definitely drink a glass of cool water after coffee.
Why do they drink?
drink water with coffee , pursuing different goals:
- to cleanse taste buds and enhance sensations;
- to refresh yourself and quench your thirst;
- to prevent the effect of dehydration and eliminate dark plaque on teeth.
It is also following the ancient traditions that came to us from the East. However, in Turkey, the birthplace of the coffee drink, water began to be served much later than in Ancient Greece, where the coffee ceremony originates.
Methods of use
In southern and European countries, they drink water with espresso or just black coffee in different ways. Residents of Europe are more accustomed to alternating sips of coffee with water, while southerners start drinking water after a hot drink.
Each method of administration gives a different effect:
- If you drink a hot drink alternately with cold water, your taste buds will be cleansed. Each new sip of coffee is rich and bright;
- If you drink water after espresso, the dehydrating effect of coffee on the body is reduced and the coffee aftertaste is removed.
Why is drinking coffee with chilled water becoming increasingly popular?
Arguments for"
Gourmets around the world savor espresso combined with cold water. This is not so much a tribute to fashion as concern for health.
To obtain high-quality espresso, properly grind the beans in a coffee grinder before preparing. At the same time, the concentration of taste increases and the caffeine content increases. For people with hypertension or heart disease, drinking a concentrated drink (espresso) may increase your blood pressure. But if you drink plenty of water after coffee, your blood pressure will drop.
It is recommended to drink water after drinking coffee for people who care about their oral cavity. After all, coffee beans, crushed in a coffee grinder and passed through a coffee machine press, leave plaque on the teeth. It is quite difficult to get rid of it later - the pigment penetrates deeply into the tooth enamel. But if after each coffee drink you drink water that washes away the plaque, your teeth will retain their natural color for a long time.
In the summer heat, many coffee lovers try to limit the usual amount of consumption of their favorite drink. Why deny yourself something pleasant when you can drink water after an espresso and thereby lower your body temperature?
Establishments specializing in coffee serve visitors a slice of lime or lemon along with water during the hot season. This addition significantly reduces the feeling of thirst and perfectly eliminates the bitter aftertaste of coffee.
What water to use
An experienced barista must be able not only to prepare an excellent drink, but also to serve it correctly. The presentation of the coffee also includes the choice of water served with the drink. Recommended water options include:
- soft, with a neutral taste and balanced composition;
- bottled;
- boiled;
- mineral (carbonated or still).
To the common question of why you can’t use hard water, the answer is simple: the salts in its composition affect the receptors, which can affect the taste of the drink.
Is it necessary to do this?
The need to drink water is due to important reasons. The main ones are eliminating possible harm and obtaining as much benefit as possible.
And also for:
- maintaining acid-base balance;
- reducing the risk of dehydration, which manifests itself under the influence of caffeine and theobromine on kidney activity;
- preventing surges in blood pressure (water neutralizes the effect of caffeine, which prevents heart rhythm disturbances);
- preventing darkening of tooth enamel (the pigment contained in coffee is removed as water is consumed);
- eliminate heartburn that occurs due to increased acidity in the stomach after drinking.
In addition to the above aspects, a glass of water after coffee, in addition to prolonging the aromatic aftertaste, mitigates the negative impact of alkaloids (caffeine and theobromine) present in coffee beans on the body.
To avoid possible harm from the coffee product, be sure to combine it with water.
What drinks are served with water and when to drink it?
Following the recommendations on how to drink coffee will allow you to fully enjoy your favorite drink without harm to your health.
In the modern world, in cafes, restaurants and coffee shops there is a tradition of bringing water to such types of drinks as:
- different types of espresso (for example, ristretto or coretto);
- oriental coffee.
There are no clear rules on how to drink coffee; usually water is consumed in one of two ways:
- take a few sips before, preparing the receptors, and drink the remaining liquid after;
- alternate each sip of coffee with a sip of water; drink it in small sips, holding it in the mouth for a few seconds, thus cleansing and preparing the receptors for a new portion, which allows you to more fully appreciate the taste.
Does it matter what kind of coffee you drink?
It is a deeply mistaken opinion that only drinking a drink made from ground coffee beans has all the negative effects on the body.
Using instant is no less harmful . After all, for its production, the inner part of coffee beans is used, which contains more alkaloids than its insoluble counterpart.
In addition to its invigorating effect, caffeine leads to vasoconstriction, disrupting blood circulation in the renal system. Theobromine has the opposite effect. The result of this influence is discomfort in the kidneys, which occurs both when drinking a drink made from ground grains, and when drinking a soluble one.
To neutralize the negative effects of caffeine and theobromine present in both drinks, you need to drink water. It blocks the harmful effects of alkaloids . As a result, circulatory disorders in the kidneys are prevented and the acid-base and water balance in the body is restored.
Chicory
The drink made from chicory root is vaguely similar to coffee. Many of us are familiar with it from the school canteen, where chicory was given out for breakfast.
The taste and aroma of a chicory drink can be treated differently, but it is undeniable that it is very useful for those who suffer from obesity, diabetes and are prone to these diseases, as the drink helps lower blood sugar levels. Regular consumption of chicory improves the functioning of the digestive system.
Chicory has a tonic effect and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system. At the same time, it dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure, unlike most other tonic drinks, which increase blood pressure.
Please note that all drinks with tonic properties should be consumed with caution. In large quantities, they can increase or decrease blood pressure too much and can have an excessively stimulating effect on the cardiovascular and other systems of the body. And, of course, it is better to drink them in the first half of the day so as not to cause sleep disturbances.
Which H2O is better to choose?
To obtain a positive effect, it is necessary to take into account the quality of the water, which increases the benefits of the drink.
Benefits for the body are observed when drinking water of any kind. At the same time, the taste sensations from the coffee itself become much brighter.
General recommendations include the following:
- the water should be chilled, but not very cold;
- Boiled water, purified from chlorine, from a cooler, as well as bottled drinking water, is used;
- It is allowed to drink mineral water, which enhances the piquancy of the coffee drink.
Along with a drink
The nuances of the requirements in this case are more specific.
- soft water is used, purified from salts that can affect taste buds and distort the taste of the drink.;
- bottled liquid that has undergone 2–3 stages of purification from impurities;
- If heat treatment is necessary, it is recommended to only bring the water to a boil.
It should be remembered that using chlorinated tap water is generally unacceptable. This water is purified using a home carbon filter, an ozonizer, or pre-settled.
After consumption
This method has a number of advantages. In this case, following special rules is necessary:
- the water should not be too cold to prevent an unpleasant sensation from a sudden change in the temperature of the drinks;
- It is allowed to use carbonated mineral water or without gases, which creates an additional sharp aftertaste;
- You can also drink warm water to reduce the aggressive effects of caffeine and prevent the dehydrating effect of alkaloids.
In any case, water, like the invigorating drink itself, should be drunk slowly. This will allow you to fully enjoy the aroma and taste.
Why water for coffee?
There, in Europe, the habit of drinking coffee with water took root. In the 19th-20th centuries, and even now, Europeans spent a lot of time socializing, reading books and discussing news in coffee shops. People were supposed to relax by drinking coffee, but not all elderly visitors to the establishment could treat themselves to several cups of coffee in a row due to health reasons. Therefore, having ordered one, it was alternated with sips of water, which made it possible to calmly communicate for the rest of the evening without overusing caffeine.
The tradition took root in all European countries, and later spread throughout the world.
How to do it correctly?
The coffee ritual involves not only observing certain subtleties, but also strict rules. Among them:
Coffee and water must be served at the same time and on the same tray.- Dishes are used (preferably made of porcelain or earthenware), in which the drink remains at a comfortable temperature for consumption for a quarter of an hour. The size of the coffee cup should not exceed 150 ml.
- Water is served in a transparent glass with a capacity of 100 to 200 ml.
There are many different ways to drink strong black coffee with water. Depending on the purpose of combining water and coffee, it is recommended to use different options for alternating liquids:
- To cleanse the taste buds after eating, drink water before coffee. This allows you to significantly enhance the taste sensations.
- A glass of water after coffee is refreshing and prevents the dehydration effect of the drink. In addition, it cleanses tooth enamel from coffee plaque and reduces stomach acidity.
- The option of alternating water and coffee is original. It is used to sharpen the sensation with each new sip of the drink.
- A more complex alternation is becoming increasingly popular: drink a little water, then alternate water and coffee, and finally drink the remaining water.
Regardless of the chosen method, it is recommended to drink coffee and water in small sips with intervals between consumed liquids.
An accelerated process dulls the taste and has a detrimental effect on the condition of tooth enamel.
Everything you need to know about drinking water can be found in this section.
Tradition or necessity
Some people consider drinking a drink made from aromatic fragrant grains a necessity, while others consider it only a tradition. Defenders of each point of view have their own arguments. As a tradition, serving water with coffee dates back, according to most sources, to Ancient Greece. Historians claim that for the first time they began to offer it there so that a person could freshen up a little after drinking a tart drink, which is known to invigorate, especially in such a hot climate.
The Turks, who are considered the creators of coffee, then became interested in drinking this aromatic drink not immediately, but only after several decades. And much later, the tradition reached Europe, having undergone certain changes along the way. Viennese coffee connoisseurs have added innovation to this traditional way of drinking. Currently, it is believed that there are two options for how to drink coffee. Some Europeans, as well as other lovers, prefer to alternate water and coffee, while others drink only after the invigorating drink itself has been drunk to the end.
These two different methods arose not out of whim, but because water was supplied to achieve different purposes. Each method gives a different result. When alternating, the taste buds are more likely to be cleansed, and the aftertaste from each next sip of coffee turns out to be as bright as the very first. The beneficial effect seems to be consolidated, while the harmful one is minimized.
In the second method, when a person drinks coffee with water, he not only becomes toned, but is refreshed, according to the generally accepted opinion. But the impressions and effects of drinking the drink do not change in any way, and as a result, tooth enamel is cleaned and acidity decreases.
Now a third method has emerged, which to some extent mixes these two. You can drink water first, and then alternate as you wish, and at the end, wash down the coffee with the remaining water. In any case, you should drink freshly brewed black coffee in small sips, savoring it to fully experience the aromatic taste.
With all three methods, the coffee drink should be served in a small cup if it is without the addition of milk or its derivatives. You can add spices or, if desired, cognac or sweet liqueur. However, it is not recommended to drink coffee on an empty stomach, as it can cause ulcers.
Why should you drink coffee with water?
Why should you drink coffee with water? Is it a tradition or a necessity, and what are the benefits for your health? Sometimes good habits settle and become entrenched in national traditions; this is what happened with coffee.
Cold water coffee
But the custom or habit of drinking coffee with water originates from Greece. It is impossible to say reliably for what reason the Greeks began serving water along with coffee. The Greeks generally drank a lot of water.
Maybe the reason is the rather hot climate, or maybe it’s because coffee has a slight diuretic effect, and to avoid dehydration, after drinking the drink, drink a glass of cool, refreshing water. A little later, the habit of drinking water after coffee migrated to Turkey.
Why is coffee washed down with cold water?
Let’s agree right away that we will talk about only one type of coffee – natural. Soluble, due to the peculiarities of industrial processing, has a slightly different effect and is distinguished by the almost complete absence of caffeine, so we will not consider it.
So, why should you drink coffee with water? There are several opinions on this matter, and each of them has the right to exist. First of all, this is a scientifically based, and from a medical point of view, a very correct explanation. It is due to the fact that the coffee bean consists of two parts, which have completely different effects on the human body.
The outer part of the grain contains caffeine, an alkaloid for which we drink strong, invigorating coffee in the morning. The effect of caffeine is manifested in the narrowing of blood vessels in all organs, except the kidneys - their vessels dilate. Blood pressure also increases, the central nervous system becomes excited.
The effects of caffeine gradually stop, and 20-25 minutes after consuming the drink, the second substance, theobromine, contained in the inner part of the coffee bean, begins to affect the body.
Other reasons
It is worth drinking espresso with water, as well as other coffee drinks, because they can cause dehydration. An unnaturally caused urge to urinate ultimately removes fluid from the body, which is dangerous to health by disrupting the process of thermoregulation.
In order to keep your heart rate normal without getting the same effect from coffee as high blood pressure, you should also drink water. The liquid does an excellent job of optimizing the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Thus, by drinking a glass during or after drinking coffee, you do not have to worry about high blood pressure.
The drink contains a pigment that can color tooth enamel darker. This effect is not to everyone's liking. So, to prevent your teeth from losing their whiteness, you can drink a little water after each sip of coffee. The dyes will not have time to settle on the enamel, thereby not changing its shade.
Coffee is a wonderful drink. Studies regarding its effect on the human body have shown that moderate amounts reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
