Long Black Coffee Benefits: A Surprising Revelation

A long black is a modern-day spin of the classic version of the most loved black coffee.

It’s an espresso-based drink that is made by pouring espresso over hot water, just the opposite of the basic Americano. It’s almost the same as Americano just without the pouring style.

For someone who likes creamy coffee, this coffee may look boring and you might be apprehensive about tasting it at first. However, if you start exploring the texture, you will see how perfectly the long black represents the rich blend of the coffee beans.

While black coffee is packed with amazing health benefits, does this modern spin-off version have similar attributes?

Short answer: Just like regular black coffee, long black has beneficial health outcomes due to the presence of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in its nutrients. Among the benefits, it can promote weight loss, better your skin, and improve your metabolic rate.

I’m pretty sure you would be interested in knowing more about how the drink helps you in getting good outcomes for your health and body.

Continue your reading to under better!

What Does a Long Black Coffee Have?

The basic main ingredients of long black are just espresso and hot water. No additives are put into the cup traditionally. Thus, as the name suggests, the drink is usually enjoyed black. However, you can add sugar, stevia, cream, or milk according to your taste if you are not willing to have the bitter flavor.

You can read more about the basics of a long black coffee in my other article, but basically, a long black coffee is similar to the preparation style of Americano. It’s an espresso-based coffee drink with plenty of water and coffee.

The drink may contain 120ml-180ml of water with espresso shots poured into the water. The drink is named in such as the volume of the coffee is increased by adding hot water.

The added water in the drink sparks the characteristics of the coffee beans used and their roast profile.

Espresso coffee is usually stronger than instant or regular coffees. Typically, a long black with 2 shots of espresso contains around 80-120 milligrams of caffeine.

Let’s have a look at the caffeine content for various coffee varieties:

Is Long Black Coffee Good For You?

Long black is good for you. You may love your black coffee in the morning and long black is just a modified version of that black coffee.

If you look for the nutritional information, then long black does contain only espresso shots and warm water. It is low in calories, fats, carbohydrates and perfect for everyday consumption.

Long black coffee is high in antioxidants and chlorogenic acids that serve a great number of health benefits.

The antioxidants in the long black help us with:

• Disarming free radicals and protecting from aging
• Increasing cell repairing rate
• Reducing the occurrence of severe headaches
• Reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, liver cancer, cirrhosis, Alzheimer’s disease

Hydrocinnamic acids and polyphenols are important antioxidants in the drink.

The hydrocinnamic acids exhibit anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-collagenase features that give protective effects against aging, hyperpigmentation, and inflammatory agents.

Chlorogenic acid is the most important polyphenol component in beans. The chlorogenic acid can potentially influence long-term glucose regulation through multiple biochemical mechanisms. It can help in reducing the creation of glucose in the body beyond excess amount and helps in balancing out the sugar level.

This class of phenolic acids can also help in reducing body fat by not allowing the fat cells to grow and thus can contribute to weight loss.

Apart from the antioxidants, the unique blend of caffeine, theophylline, theobromine, amino acid, and other vitamins makes the coffee more prominent and beneficial for your overall health.

Long Black VS Short Black

For an espresso lover, the difference between the two coffee varieties is clear and bold. But if you’re a noob in this world of coffee romance, then you might be awestruck with the name of such varieties.

There are certain dissimilarities in the ingredients and brewing style of both drinks.

Some basic differences between the two coffee varieties are mentioned in the table below.

You can choose your drink depending on your taste. Both of these are different forms of espresso. If you want something bold and for instant effects, you may go for short black. People who prefer a milder kick of coffee beans, they might find long black more preferable.

Does Long Black Have Any Health Risks?

Long black doesn’t have any particular health risks. However, since the drink contains the stimulant caffeine, having too much of the content can become unhealthy.

The US Food and Drug Administration has recommended keeping the caffeine intake within 400 milligrams per day.

Long black contains caffeine relatively less than rich varieties such as americano or cappuccino.

You can drink 1-2 cups a day without any adverse side effects. However, taking too many caffeinated beverages have harmful impacts on your neural and cardiovascular health.

Be it long black or any other coffee varieties, overconsumption can lead to an uncontrollable dependency on it. When you won’t be getting the desired caffeine fix, your body will show withdrawal symptoms such as headache, anxiety, nausea, irregular heartbeat, urgency, and so on.

The unhealthy amount of intake will stress your hormones and trigger gastrointestinal disorders. Moreover, having the coffee on an empty or upset stomach can cause acid reflux or heartburn.

So the best way to consume the long black safely is to have it in moderation.

Is It Bad To Drink Long Black Every Day?

You can drink long black every day without worrying.

Long black contains a decent amount of caffeine. Traditionally, it’s a modified version of black coffee if you aren’t adding any extra sugar or milk. It is rich in antioxidants that can help in repairing cell damage and reducing serious health conditions.

Coffee is one of the primary inclusion of daily antioxidants in many people’s regular diet.

Black coffee contains high levels of vitamin B2 and magnesium. This not only improves your cognition but also enhances physical endurance and alertness. Regular consumption of black coffee is often associated with a lower risk of diabetes.

However, people metabolize caffeine differently. Hypersensitive people tend to take twice as much time as normal people to flush the caffeine out of their system. This is why they tend to experience the jolting effects of caffeine for a longer period affecting their sleep and mental condition.

If you’re sensitive to caffeine, you need to consider taking the long black every day. It’s better to take the coffee within the morning so that you can pull through the day well and don’t hamper your sleeping time.

Other than that, you don’t need to worry about having long black regularly with your meals. Sticking to caffeine boundaries will help you in getting more energized and strong without health concerns.

Is Long Black Coffee Good For Weight Loss?

If you’re taking long black without sugar, it is absolutely good for weight loss.

Traditionally, long black contains only water and espresso shots. Any type of black coffee, be it short black, Americano, or long black, aids in promoting weight loss. Weight loss is associated with calorie deficit and when you drink black coffee it doesn’t dent your daily calorie intake.

The caffeine in the coffee can increase your basal metabolic rate. Higher metabolism has been associated with more calorie burning and thus, long black can be the ideal choice for weight loss.

Caffeine also acts as an appetite suppressor. It may reduce the levels of ghrelin, the hormone responsible for feeling hungry. Thus, a cup of long black can keep you full for a decent period. Remember to drink the coffee only after something healthy. Coffee on empty stomach can cause gastritis discomforts.

This short video may help you in getting a better understanding of how coffee can help you lose weight:

Is Drinking Long Black Good For Skin?

Coffee, in general, can be good for your skin. One of the most enchanting skin benefits is that the drink helps in fighting against diseases due to its high level of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Anti-inflammatory effects are mainly attributed to the chlorogenic acids and melanoidins that help in reducing hyperpigmentation. It can also fight against acne due to its antibacterial properties.

The antioxidants help in stimulating a calming effect on the skin and may decrease the appearance of photoaging effects.

Caffeine is also beneficial for reducing the appearance of cellulite as it can dilate the blood vessels and improve overall blood flow.

However, if you’re adding sugary contents to your drink it may trigger breakouts. Also, caffeine can act as a dehydrator that may show up on your skin as well. You can’t overdose on caffeine for this reason.

What is The Best Time to Drink Long Black Coffee?

The best time to drink any type of coffee is between mid to late morning as your cortisol level is lower at this time.

Drinking long black after a proper breakfast, may help you in good metabolism and can make you full for a decent period. Also, having coffee after breakfast or meals helps in better metabolic control than coffee before meals.

If you miss your morning drinking habit, you can also have long black after lunch. Try to take the drink within the afternoon.

The half-life of caffeine is about 5 hours. It’s better to keep the body free of caffeine before a few hours of sleep.

Bottomline

Simply put, long black is a good quality coffee that has potential benefits for your health.

For a creamy and sweet coffee lover, the drink might feel bland at the beginning. However, the flavor is quite rich and perfect as you taste it from the first sip.

The drink can be a good weight loss tool and it is no secret that the moderate caffeine in it can help you in pulling through the physical fatigue.

Just like regular black coffee, it prevents several health problems and helps with your mood improvement.

With low calories, zero sugar, and zero carbohydrates, you can clearly understand how long black can help you with your diet plan.

Avoid going for more than 2 cups in a day since too many cups won’t accelerate the benefits.

Other Articles

• Check out the visual story version of this article
• Does Coffee Quench Your Thirst? (Read to Know)
• What Does Coffee Do to Your Brain? (Facts Explained)
• Why Does Coffee Make Me Tired? (In-depth Explanation)