Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages around the world and one of the most controversial among scientists and health experts. Coffee is so controversial that the American Society for Nutrition, at its Experimental Biology 2007 conference, focused on the health effects of coffee drinking in a popular event called the “controversy session.”

Among the health-conscious, the major concerns with coffee consumption are caffeine and its acidic quality. However, there is a coffee available that addresses these health concerns and actually boosts your immune system. It is called, in fact, Healthy Coffee.

This article is not intended to promote coffee drinking, but rather to introduce a healthy alternative for those who will not give up their coffee, my husband being one of them.

New Research

Due to ongoing research, the controversy over coffee is diminishing. New evidence is revealing positive results.

On Dr. Weil’s Healthy Living website, he references a study that concluded, “. . . drinking coffee isn't harmful to cardiovascular health and may even be somewhat beneficial.” In answering a question of whether coffee is good or bad for your health, Dr. Weil responds, “The way coffee affects you is your surest guide to whether or not you should be drinking it at all and, if so, how much.”

In a Medical News Today article, Dr. James Coughlin says, “recent advances in epidemiologic and experimental knowledge have transformed many of the negative health myths about coffee drinking into validated health benefits.” Dr. Lenore Arab states, “More thorough analysis and the accumulation of evidence suggest no negative effect on the incidence of colon cancer, and possible protective effects for adenomas of the colon as well as for rectal cancer and liver cancer.”

The article also suggests that in the future, particular coffee types may be developed which provide improved health effects. Little do they know that this Healthy Coffee has already been developed by the alternative health community.

Personal Experience

I discovered this Healthy Coffee a little over a month ago. My husband is a coffee drinker and, while he has changed his diet drastically in all areas, he is not willing to give up coffee. I was very excited when I found this product because I thought it would be a way for him to have his coffee, with the added health benefits.

I have never been able to drink coffee, or tea for that matter, because of the effects of caffeine. My husband teases me often, stating that I don’t need caffeine because I am caffeine. I literally run circles around him before and after he has his coffee. What I discovered is that this is a coffee I could drink as well.

We have been drinking the Healthy Coffee for several weeks now. First, I want to say that this is real coffee and tastes like coffee. I have tried it so that I could report the benefits for myself as someone who could not previously drink coffee.

The results have been very encouraging for both of us. My husband says that he experiences the same positive effects from Healthy Coffee as he did from regular coffee.

I can drink this coffee without the negative effects from caffeine even though it is not decaffeinated. We both have been drinking a cup of coffee every night before we go to bed, and amazingly it does help us sleep. Healthy Coffee keeps you alert and also has a relaxing effect that helps promote peaceful sleep.

About the Coffee

Healthy Coffee is an organic, fair trade, Brazilian coffee. The health benefits of this coffee come from the infusion of four mushroom extracts. These mushrooms, Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi), Cordyceps Sinensis, Agaricus Blazei, and Coriolus Versicolor are all well known for their immune enhancing qualities.

CancerFightingStrategies.com recommends Healthy Coffee for those who are diagnosed with cancer, but still want to drink coffee. In their list of 11 effective, natural strategies to kill cancer, they promote Healthy Coffee because of its ability to improve the body’s pH levels. This is due to the fact that the mushrooms reduce acidity. They list the reported benefits as improving sleep, raising pH, increasing oxygen to your brain, normalizing weight, enhancing health, and removing toxins from the body.

While there are several brands of Healthy Coffee, the two I am familiar with are Farmacy and Ganocafe. I have ordered both brands, and there are some distinct differences between the two. The Farmacy brand is the one I have been drinking for several weeks. I just recently tried the Ganocafe.

The Farmacy brand is a whole bean coffee that you grind yourself. It has all four mushroom extracts infused into the beans and is very effective. They also have available a whole bean decaffeinated coffee called Royal Select Decaf. It is decaffeinated using an all natural water process without any chemicals, which allows them to retain organic certification.

Ganocafe, on the other hand, is an instant coffee that comes in individual packets. It only has the Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi) mushroom extract infused in the coffee. It tastes very much like instant coffee, and I don’t care for it as much as the Farmacy brand. If you don’t mind instant coffee, or that it only has one of the mushroom extracts added, you may enjoy it. They also offer tea, hot chocolate, and mocha instant coffee all infused with the Reishi mushroom extract.

About the Mushrooms

Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi)

Reishi contains 200 vitamins and minerals, including over 150 antioxidants. Reishi contains a high concentration of alkaloids which naturally help improve pH levels in the body. Instead of being acidic, this Healthy Coffee actually balances the body’s pH.

NewsTarget has a very in depth article on the health benefits of Reishi.

Cordyceps Sinensis

Nutritionalreviews.org says, “Anyone looking to enhance fatigue resistance, improve stress tolerance, enhance immune function, and improve general health and well-being may benefit from CS [Cordyceps Sinensis] supplements.” They list the following benefits:

* Potent antioxidant with powerful anti-ageing properties

* Anti-tumor properties

* Immune stimulating properties

* Lowers the level of "BAD" LDL cholesterol

* Increases the level of "GOOD" HDL cholesterol

* May prevent furring of the arteries

* Has remarkable anti-stress effects

Agaricus Blazei

According to Garuda International, this mushroom “contains beta glucans, a group of polysaccharides (complex sugars) believed to be the compounds responsible for its immune boosting effects. In addition, research has shown that Agaricus blazei has anti-tumor and anti-viral activity, as well as moderating effects on blood sugar and cholesterol.”

Coriolus Versicolor

The University of California Medical Center reports, “The coriolus versicolor mushroom has shown antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-tumor properties, which have been attributed to a protein-bound polysaccharide called Polysaccharide K (PSK), also known as Krestin.”

Conclusion

Again, this article is not about promoting the use of coffee, but is being presented as a healthy alternative for those who have not, or will not give up their coffee.

Healthy Coffee is a beverage that gives you all the benefits of coffee, while also stimulating your immune system. It is a coffee that truly is healthy for you.

While the controversy over coffee may be decreasing, there still is valid concern over the acidity of regular coffee. Healthy Coffee eliminates this concern by actually balancing pH levels in the body. You can now drink a coffee that uses mushroom extracts to keep you alert while also boosting your immune system.